Former UNLV Rebels Wide Receiver Ricky White III Makes Seattle Seahawks Debut In NFL Preseason

On Thursday night, former UNLV Rebels star wide receiver and reigning Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year Ricky White III made his NFL preseason debut. On night three of the 2025 NFL Draft back in April, the Seattle Seahawks selected White III in the seventh round and made him the first UNLV football player drafted in the NFL since 2010. Last night, he stepped on the field in a Seahawks jersey for the first time in a live game when Seattle hosted the Las Vegas Raiders in their preseason opener.

It had been an up-and-down summer for the former Rebel, filled with mixed reports. Early on, we heard nothing but good things about how the Seahawks' coaching staff had become enamored with White III's special team abilities and had been impressed by his performance in minicamp.

Then, over the past week or two, we began to hear how his chances at a spot on the team's 53-man roster were becoming increasingly unlikely. Once an injury struck him and cost him a weekend of training camp, things looked bleak heading into the first week of the preseason. However, preseason presents a new opportunity for a young player to leave his mark on the field.

Regardless of how this ultimately plays out, White III stepping on an NFL field last night was a monumental moment for both the young athlete and the UNLV community. While we didn't get any of the big punt blocks or special teams splash plays we've become used to seeing in Las Vegas, he did get on the field and play some meaningful minutes.

The Good

White III looked good out on the field. He was playing at NFL speed and finding soft spots in the defense to exploit. While he only caught one 14-yard pass on the game's final drive from Jalen Milroe as the team attempted to go down in the final minute to break a 23 - 23 tie, he had also made a nice catch on the previous drive that was called back due to an illegal formation penalty. We need to see more from White III, but he did not look like he didn't belong.

The Bad

What's going to hurt his chances of making the Seahawks' roster is that fellow Mountain West rookie wide receiver Tory Horton from the Colorado State Rams looked great. He led the team in receiving with three receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown, and also served as the team's primary punt returner. There wasn't much doubt to begin with; however, he has clearly locked up a roster spot and will be an important player for this team moving forward.

White III still has about three weeks and two preseason games left to make his impact on the team. An injury and a bad report are far from the end of the world. We will continue to follow his journey to the NFL. There is a great chance he makes an NFL roster this season, whether it be in Seattle or elsewhere.

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