UNLV football has 1st player drafted since 2010; 2 others sign deals

UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III rewrote the program’s record book and helped the Rebels have two of their most successful seasons.

Months after playing his final game for UNLV, White snapped a long drought for the Rebels.

The Seattle Seahawks selected White in the seventh round of the NFL draft on Saturday. White, the No. 238 overall selection, is the first UNLV player drafted since 2010 when offensive lineman Joe Hawley was taken by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round (117th overall).

“Ricky, the special teams part, (we’re) really excited about him,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider told reporters. “(White) reminds me of Donald Driver … drafted in the sixth round and he was one of the better special teams players in the league before he established himself as a No. 1 receiver. That’s who he reminds me of, just tough.”

White won’t be alone in Seattle. UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard announced on social media that he signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.

Also Saturday, UNLV safety Johnathan Baldwin signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers.

White, 23, played a crucial role in the turnaround of UNLV, which saw the team go to back-to-back Mountain West championship games in the past two seasons.

He joined UNLV in 2022 after two seasons with Michigan State. White, listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 184 pounds, became the first Rebel to record multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons when he surpassed the mark in 2023 (1,483 yards) and 2024 (1,041).

Last season, White caught 11 touchdown passes. He was also named the Mountain West special teams player of the year and led the nation with four blocked punts.

Lifting up program

New UNLV coach Dan Mullen said at Saturday’s final spring scrimmage that he hopes it’s the beginning of Rebels getting drafted more often at the next level.

“It’s huge. And I think (especially) as we continue to grow and develop, people want winners, right? These (NFL) programs, they want winning players,” Mullen said. “… So hopefully we continue that, hopefully we continue to grow. Hopefully this time next year, we’re celebrating with a bunch of guys on this roster that get drafted and get to go live their dreams.”

Woodard played two seasons at UNLV after spending the previous three seasons at Arkansas. He was named the Mountain West defensive player of the year last season after recording 135 tackles, 3½ sacks and four interceptions.

“Great talent, (Woodard), great linebacker,” UNLV running back Jai’Den Thomas said at Saturday’s scrimmage. “He helped me to be a good running back today. Just practicing with Ricky, just seeing how his work ethic brought him to that level, it’s really inspiring. Hopefully next year I’ll be up there too, with them.”

Baldwin played four seasons with UNLV. He was a second-team All-Mountain West defensive back last season, finishing with 68 tackles, 3½ sacks and three interceptions.

Former Rebels drafted

Two former Rebels were drafted in the third round Friday. Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams was drafted 69th overall by the New England Patriots, and Cal defensive back Nohl Williams was selected 85th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kyle Williams and Nohl Williams both played three seasons at UNLV (2020 to 2022). Kyle Williams was the 2020 Mountain West freshman of the year in a six-game COVID-impacted season. He transferred to Washington State for the 2023 season and finished with 1,198 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

Nohl Williams transferred to Cal in 2023. He recorded 52 tackles and seven interceptions last season.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.