Rebels still hoping to land a few big names

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2000 | 10:32 a.m.

UNLV's football coaches checked into their Lied Athletic Complex offices bright and early this morning and then focused their attention on the fax machine in football secretary Carmen Smith's office.

Beginning at 7:30 this morning the national letter of intent signing period began for high school and junior college football prospects. And once a copy of that letter is faxed to UNLV, the school can release the name on its official signing list later today.

So UNLV recruiting coordinator Joe Hubbard issued instructions to Rebel recruits to fax their letters as close to 7:30 a.m. as possible.

There was some potentially good news and bad news for UNLV as the signing period began.

On the positive side, the state's top prospect, Cheyenne High School defensive lineman Lynn McGruder, said Tuesday night that he likely wouldn't sign today but that he had narrowed his college choices to two schools: UNLV and Tennessee.

"I'm probably going to wait a few days," said McGruder, a first-team Sun Super 11 pick who briefly committed to the Vols last weekend before reneging. "I want to make absolutely sure this time before I say anything. I don't want people to think I'm crazy if I decommitted again. So I'm going to take my time and not say anything until I'm positive this time."

There is no NCAA rule that requires prospects to sign their letter of intent on the first day of the almost two month-long signing period. In fact, there is no rule that a recruit must sign a letter of intent at all.

McGruder said both the Rebels and Tennessee told him they would hold a scholarship for his talented 6-2, 290-pound frame.

"To me it's those two schools," he said. "UNLV has been sticking by me through this whole process which has impressed me."

The bad news for the Rebels is another talented prep defensive line prospect, Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) DE Traison Lewis, picked Big Ten champ Wisconsin over the Rebels on Tuesday night.

The explosive 6-2, 220-pound Lewis had also visited USC and Oregon but narrowed his choices to the Badgers and Rebels. He was a honorable mention Super 11 pick.

"They have a stable coaching staff and a lot of tradition," Lewis said of Wisconsin. "The only thing I have to adapt to is the climate."

The Rebels appeared to strengthen themselves considerably on the defensive side of the ball even without McGruder and Lewis.

UNLV landed two JC All-America defensive ends, Scott Parkhurst (6-3, 235) of Long Beach (Calif.) City College and Adrian Watson (6-3, 240) of Glendale (Ariz.) College, both of whom should dramatically improve the Rebels' outside pass rush in 2000.

UNLV coach John Robinson also wanted to improve his speed and depth at linebacker and appeared to fill that need quite well.

The Rebels signed two highly touted JC outside linebackers in Lamar Owens (6-2, 220) of Fresno City (Calif.) College, a mid-year enrollee who will take part in spring practice beginning March 23, and Shanga Wilson (6-1, 210) of Chaffey College in Ontario, Calif., who originally signed with Arizona out of Corona (Calif.) Centennial High School.

UNLV also inked three prep linebacking stars in Adam Seward (6-2, 230) of Bonanza High School, Tyler Kruse of CIF Southern Section Division I co-champion Mater Dei High of Santa Ana, Calif., and Terrence Young (5-11, 210) of Mayfair High in Lakewood, Calif.

Because he has five returning quarterbacks, including talented sophomores Jason Thomas and Matt Ray, Robinson elected not to recruit a quarterback this year.

Offensively, the Rebels beat out Wisconsin for Lakewood Mayfair OL Marcus Johnson (6-3, 295) and added another blue-chip receiving prospect in Charles James (6-3, 200) of San Diego Mesa JC, who has already enrolled and will take part in spring practice.

Earlier today, Charles Jones, a 6-3, 240-pound defensive end from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, signed with the Rebels. UNLV also was hoping to sign JC All-American defensive end Anton Palepoi from Dixie College in St. George, Utah.