Rebel recruits ready to sign on dotted line

Steve Carp

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Considering the situation, Jeff Horton is feeling pretty good.

His 1-11 UNLV football team spent most of the winter rebuilding its coaching staff while trying to convince high school and junior college athletes it was worth it to come to the desert and help get the program back on its feet.

The Rebels are expected to sign 24 players today to national letters of intent, and Horton is confident things will be better by Aug. 30 when the 1997 season opens at Nevada-Reno.

"This will be our best class," he said. "Last year, I felt we had a solid class and I believe we're heading in the right direction."

Of the 24 players, only 10 are on defense, where the Rebels need the most help. The team will sign five running backs and two tight ends as it attempts to become more balanced offensively.

Horton will discuss the individuals today at a Si Redd Room press conference. NCAA rules prohibit him from talking about players until their letters of intent arrive. That means a busy morning watching the fax machine as well as waiting for the Fed Ex delivery person.

"Hopefully, three or four can step in right away and play," he said. "We're still building our numbers. We'll be at 75 full rides this year and by next year, we should be at the max."

Teams have a maximum of 85 scholarships available. UNLV was at 53 when Horton took over for Jim Strong at the end of the 1993 season.

One of the players Horton hopes will contribute right away is Roderick Johnson, a fullback from Dixie College who was the national JC player of the year in 1996. Johnson, who originally signed with Kansas, has only one year of eligibility remaining and he intends to make the most of it.

"One of the reasons I came here was to make a difference," he said. "I know they need someone who can carry the ball and I want to be an impact player for them."

Johnson gained 2,338 yards and scored 25 touchdowns at Dixie last fall. Given the weapons sophomore quarterback Jon Denton has coming back, Johnson should be a welcome addition.

"I felt real comfortable with everything (at UNLV)," Johnson said. "I liked Coach Horton and Coach (Charlie) Stubbs. They seem like people I can relate to. And Jon Denton's one of the top young quarterbacks in the country.

"If I can stay healthy, gain 1,500 yards, score 16 touchdowns and help get the team going in the right direction, I'll be happy."

The Rebels also are hoping Sam Brandon, a wide receiver from Riverside, Calif., who has blazing speed, will help stretch opposing defenses and give Carlos Baker, Damon Williams and Len Ware more room to operate. Nathan Haynes from Pinole (Calif.) Valley High School has also been brought in to give the Rebels some outside speed.

But the Rebels need to rebuild their defense. Kelly Washington, a 6-5, 275-pound defensive lineman from Los Angeles Southwest JC, Tony Kirkpatrick (6-5, 260) from Solano (Calif.) Community College and Faaolo Alovao (6-3, 255) from St. Louis High in Honolulu will try to develop a badly needed pass rush for new defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill.

Horton also brought in four defensive backs, including Clark High star Larry Conway, former Western star DaQuina Smith, who played at Dixie last year, and Mark Hayes from Cerritos (Calif.) JC.

"We had some needs and we've addressed them," Horton said. "I don't think people worried about our record from last year. People know what we're doing. A lot of them saw the San Diego State game and how we're building things.

"Being in the WAC and in this facility (the Lied Athletic Complex) helped us get some kids. Last year, this place was a shell with the wind blowing through it. Now, look at it. Kids see our facilities and their eyes get big. They're impressed."

But Horton said while he's pleased with how recruiting went, there's no way of knowing how successful things will be.

"There's no exact science," he said. "I don't think you can know what's inside a 17-year-old's head.

"But we've been doing this for a while now and I think we have a pretty good idea of what it takes to get it done. And I have a good feeling about this group."