The Denver Broncos have done some roster shuffling since their rookie minicamp last weekend, including signing a couple of the players who participated in the minicamp on a tryout basis. One of the tryout players who is getting a shot to compete on the 90-man roster is former Utah State wide receiver Kyrese White, previously known as Kyrese Rowan.
As the offseason rolls along, White might be the underdog of all underdogs on the roster. He is the Cinderella story. He is the "Little Engine That Could". He is the guy who will do whatever it takes to make a football team.
He is the Denver Broncos' version of Rudy.
Kyrese White is the underdog among underdogs for Denver Broncos
Not to be dramatic, but it's possible that no one on the Broncos' roster has faced more of an unconventional path to the NFL than Kyrese White. White was once a walk-on at Utah where he impressed enough that he wound up playing special teams late in his redshirt freshman season. He spent three years at Utah before entering the transfer portal in 2022.
He committed to play for Utah State, the alma mater of his stepdad, Emmett White, whose namesake he took in recent years.
After walking on at Utah in 2019, it took six years for White to get an opportunity to play some on offense, and he showed off some intriguing burst and quickness when he got the chance.
White's special teams ability kept him playing football at the highest level, but he likely put himself on the NFL map this past season with 44 catches for 526 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown, a two-point conversion, a handful of kickoff returns, and a lot more special teams snaps.
The Broncos have made it very clear that they are in the market for some special teams upgrades this offseason and while you can usually find plenty of guys with great athletic traits at the college level, you don't often find guys like this who have pretty much strictly been special teams players. At least, up until this past year.
Besides being a former walk-on at the collegiate level, another interesting note about White is that he was teammates at Utah with Devaughn Vele and the Broncos' pipeline to the Utes' program continues to be strong, even though he finished out his college career at Utah State.
White impressed at the Broncos' rookie minicamp and is getting another shot to prove he can do something at the next level. As a former walk-on, this isn't new territory for him. He will be another in a very interesting rookie class for the Broncos to watch closely as the offseason progresses.