Rebels hope Jones can fill Kevin Thomas’ shoes

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001 | 9:48 a.m.

UNLV will fill one of its biggest recruiting needs when the signing period for mid-year junior college football prospects begins on Wednesday.

Danny Jones, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound defensive back from Fresno (Calif.) City College, said he will sign with the Rebels over Arizona State. He is expected to contend for the starting cornerback spot vacated by Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Thomas.

"That was one of the big things about going to UNLV," Jones said Monday night. "They told me there was a good chance I could come in and play and follow in Kevin Thomas' footsteps."

Jones visited UNLV on Oct. 13 when the Rebels defeated San Diego State at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"I think I was kind of a good luck charm for them that day," he said. "I followed them and Kevin all season. I'm looking forward to the chance to try and replace him."

Jones prepped at Edison High School in Fresno where he was the "other" cornerback on a Tiger squad that featured current UCLA star Ricky Manning. He had nine interceptions as a senior and was timed at 10.9 in the 100 meters.

"But I'm a lot faster than that now," Jones said. "I've been clocked at 4.4 in the 40."

Dick Lascola of the Fallbrook, Calif.-based Scouting Evaluation Association, a film service that evaluates the top prep and junior college players in the state, said he saw Fresno City College play three times this year on film.

"The one thing that stood out about Jones was his speed," he said.

Jones, who enrolled at Fresno State out of high school but decided he'd rather leave the area, has two years of eligibility remaining. He will take part in spring practice in March.

The Rebels could sign as many as three mid-year transfers this week although two players they coveted highly, City College of San Francisco safety Lawrence Turner, who originally signed with UNLV out of Cheyenne High School in 1999 before failing to meet academic admission requirements, and Cal State Northridge offensive tackle Isaac Aaronson (6-7, 310), have elected to go elsewhere.

Aaronson, who has two years of eligibility remaining, originally was leaning to UNLV after Northridge dropped football last month. But he called Rebel offensive line coach Rob Boras on Monday to inform him he decided to choose between Kansas State and Oregon State.

Turner, the top senior prospect in Nevada in the fall of 1998, also was rumored to be headed to UNLV. However, he switched to Oregon State this week.

The Rebels hope to land another Northridge offensive tackle in place of Aaronson. Keith Kincaid (6-3, 295), who started 34 consecutive games for the Matadores before redshirting with a shoulder injury this past season, said he would decide between UNLV and Tulsa today.

"It's pretty much down to those two schools," Kincaid, a 2000 all-Big Sky Conference pick who would have just one year of eligibility remaining, said. "Right now I'm leaning toward UNLV."

Kincaid said he got a good endorsement about the Rebels from his old prep teammate at Riverside's John W. North High School, strong safety Sam Brandon. Another player from that team, linebacker Chris Claiborne, went on to star for UNLV head coach John Robinson at USC.

The national letter of intent signing period for high school prospects begins on Feb. 6.