Ricky White III is the latest sensation in college football after he took the world by storm through a highly impactful performance on UNLV’s home opener against Utah Tech last Saturday. He finished the day with a banger stats of five receptions, 111 yards, and three scores, leading the team to a 72-14 record-breaking victory. Although the senior receiver isn’t foreign to the record book, (holding 1483 receiving yards in a single session last year), he still doesn’t take it for granted. Scoring for the team has always been a great feeling for the 22-year-old.

While we continue to keep our eyes hooked on his upcoming rendition, let’s quickly take a broader look at his current role on the UNLV roster.

Ricky White III’s marquee feats as a standout college football receiver 

Leaving the best season of his college career behind last year, expectations were sky-high in 2024 for UNLV Rebels wide receiver Ricky White III. A preseason All-American title by the Walter Camp Foundation this week made him even more bound to deliver the best for the team. The prodigy has already been living up to the excessive hype right from the beginning of the session. White paired up with Matthew Sluka for the first three first-quarter touchdowns within a close span of 8 minutes. Such a deciding juncture for the match was meant to catch all the attention, and it did it in unthinkable ways.

The ex-Michigan State spartan reverted to college football as the leading returning receiver (1483 yards) in 2024 and had a smashing time honing his skills under the wise stewardship of head coach Barry Odom. As he continues to bloom and plant himself a higher bar in the team as a leading receiver, the future is only brighter for the former Biletnikoff Award receiver. 

The list of his high-flying accomplishments for the Rebels is never-ending. White was one of just 50 players on the Walter Camp Football Foundation watch list for its prestigious 2024 Player of the Year award. His supreme prowess led him to receive the Maxwell Award watch list for college football’s best overall player last year as well. Being tabbed as the ‘Associate Press’ All-America’s first team and second team for two consecutive years by College Football Network spoke volumes of his extraordinary athletic gifts.

Last but not least, their epic grasp over pass-catching earned him the Biletnikoff Award, a once-in-a-lifetime honor to brag about. However, the Ohio-born carved out the path of his legacy right from the school.

Ricky White III’s life before UNLV takes over: Explained

Ricky White made a seamless transition to UNLV from Michigan State, where he red-shirted during the 2021 season. As a freshman at Michigan State in 2020, he set an impressive school record for freshman receiving yards in a single game with 96 receiving yards on eight catches against Michigan. He mounted 10 receptions for 223 yards in four games and averaged 22.3 yards per catch. Despite missing a few games due to an injury, White left a mark there very few can match. 

Transitioning to Marietta High School, he found his skills even more fine-tuned. Leading the team to the Georgia Class 7A state championship in 2019, White earned the stripes of a commendable junior receiver. The senior years continue to bring out the glory with a remarkable 97 catches for 1,319 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The athletic mogul is also into academics simultaneously, bagging a bachelor’s degree in human services. What’s your take on UNLV’s Ricky White III’s storied career graph? Let us know in the comments.