Ricky White, WR, UNLV
Size:
Height: 6011
Weight: 184
Arm: 31 ¾”
Hand: 9 ¼”
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-MWC (2023)
“Ricky White is a linearly explosive athlete with field-stretching speed to take the top off defenses and generate explosive plays in the passing game.”
Strengths:
Straight-line speed to threaten vertical plane
Feel for the game and space
Ball tracking down the field
Toughness at catch point and high-traffic areas
Concerns:
Forward-leaning route runner leading to slips out of his breaks
Strength in contact window vs. press-man coverage
Hip stiffness/tightness at the top of breaks
Film Analysis:
Ricky White leads UNLV’s wide receiver room. He is the big-play generator in OC Brennan Marion’s “Go-Go” offense. White aligns outside and in the slot, where he makes impact plays. White’s linear/straight-line speed is his A-trait. He is an explosive athlete who can make big plays from anywhere on the field.
As a route-runner, White uses his speed to set DBs up. He attacks and stems the vertical plane strongly, applying pressure to force the DB to open their hips sooner than they desire. White sells out-breaking routes fairly well—opening up double moves (out-and-ups, sluggos, etc.) by forcing the DB to bite and trigger downhill. His speed forces DBs off their spot and creates space for him to work across their face on slants, posts, and dig routes. White shows good patience and pacing on crossing patterns to work into the defense’s void. He has a great feel for space and knows how to run his defender through traffic to free himself from the coverage.
Against zone, White finds those soft spots and works into them confidently in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He is comfortable making plays in high-traffic areas and willing to absorb hits from closing defenders. White makes strong-handed plays at the catch point with contact. He offers a good yard-after-catch option in the quick passing game. He quickly evades and makes the first defender whiff or miss on their tackle attempt.
White has a good football IQ, playing all three wide receiver positions. He knows how to operate from multiple alignments and attack defensive weaknesses. White plays with a strong effort in the run game as a blocker on the perimeter. Whether aligned out wide or in the slot, he hunts his target and makes contact with physicality and urgency.
White’s route-running versus man coverage is a concern. He is a high-cut and tightly-wound mover. His cuts at the top of routes are segmented—lessening how much natural separation he creates. I would like to see more snap and urgency out of his breaks. White does not sink/drive out of his routes with fluidity. He is a forward leaner and slips out of his breaks sometimes. White struggles against bump and run coverage. He lacks the functional strength to win hand-fighting exchanges in the contact window. He is at his best against soft press-man coverage.
White projects as a field-stretching Z-receiver in an offense that uses mesh concepts as a man coverage beater and vertical/horizontal shots down the field. White is a solid potential starter who should be paired with a true WR1 in an NFL offense.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: UTEP (2023), Kansas (2023), Michigan (2023), Vanderbilt (2023), New Mexico (2023)
