Spotlight should find Denton quickly

Steve Guiremand

Monday, July 27, 1998 | 10:41 a.m.

Jon Denton said one of the reasons he decided to leave UNLV is that he was tired of being under the microscope that goes with along being a talented but at-times troubled local football star.

But it doesn't figure to take long before the former Green Valley High star once again finds himself on center stage at his new school, Division 1-AA power Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, Ky.

That's because the Colonels travel to Lexington, Ky., on Sept. 12th to face the University of Kentucky and standout quarterback Tim Couch, who along with Texas running back Ricky Williams, UCLA quarterback Cade McNown and Wisconsin bulldozer Ron Dayne, is among the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy this year.

If Denton does win the Eastern Kentucky starting job as expected, the game with the Wildcats would feature two of the top three junior quarterbacks in the country according to NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

Kiper rates Couch the No. 1 junior quarterback in the nation followed by Washington's Brock Huard and then Denton. Many NFL scouts already project the 6-5, 225-pound Couch as the top pick for the 1999 NFL draft should he decide to bypass his senior year.

Couch completed 363 pass in 547 attempts for 3,884 yards and 37 touchdowns as a sophomore. He led the nation in pass attempts, yardage and completion percentage at 66.4 percent. Denton, following a record-setting freshman campaign, completed 199 of 374 passes for 2,586 yards and 18 touchdowns last year.

But following two team suspensions for undisclosed violations, Denton decided last month to leave UNLV for a fresh start. Because he would have had to sit out a year if he decided to transfer to another Division I school, Denton focused in Division 1-AA school where he would become eligible immediately.

Eastern Kentucky, which has won two Division 1-AA titles (1979 and 1982) in the 35-year reign of 66-year-old head coach Roy Kidd, has been a melting pot for Division I transfers in recent years. Among the big names who have migrated to Richmond, Ky., are John Sacca from Penn State and Tommy Luginbill from Georgia Tech.

"He's going to have to win the starting position," Kidd said of Denton. "We had John Sacca come in here in 1994 and Tommy Luginbill in 1995, and nothing was handed to them. They came in with a good attitude and won the starting nod. (Denton) understands that and is ready to compete."

It doesn't figure to be much of a competition. Junior JC transfer Chad Collins had shoulder surgery in May and freshman recruit Denard Parks of North Miami Beach, Fla., didn't meet his academic requirements. That leaves only sophomore Waylon Chapman as the only other healthy quarterback in the program with any kind of experience.

UNLV coach Jeff Horton was asked Sunday if was glad to have closure to the Denton quarterback controversy.

"I'm not really commenting on it, because he's not really a member of our team," Horton said, adding, "(Denton) made a good choice."

Is Horton glad Denton picked a school that isn't on UNLV's schedule?

"I don't think that way," Horton said. "I'm just concerned about our team right now."

That team will be without three veteran defensive players --- lineman Jean-Hans Stallsmith and defensive backs Bobby Coffman and Shaun Haslip --- after that trio failed to meet guidelines set down by Horton in January. All three have since withdrawn from school.

Of the three, only Coffman had any prior starting experience. He started a total of eight games in 1995 and 1996 and led the Rebels with two interceptions in '96. But he sat out the 1997 season to concentrate on academics.

"I don't think their losses will impact our team," Horton said.

Freshman recruits report to UNLV on Aug. 10th for the start of fall practice with the veterans reporting on Aug. 14th. The Rebels open their 1998 season on Sept. 5th at Northwestern.