Rebels hoping to snare some coveted Jackrabbits

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Jan. 19, 2001 | 10:33 a.m.

UNLV coach John Robinson and recruiting coordinator Joe Hubbard spent Thursday doing what a lot of football coaches are doing these days.

Hanging around the football offices at Long Beach Poly High School.

New USC coach Pete Carroll, Oregon's Mike Bellotti, Oregon State's Dennis Erickson and San Diego State's Ted Tollner have also stopped by the Poly campus this week, and for good reason.

The Jackrabbits, who went 14-0 and won the CIF Southern Section Division I title en route to the nation's No. 2 ranking by USA Today, may have the most Division I prospects of any prep team in the country.

And the good news for UNLV football fans is that four of Poly's blue chippers, including the top linebacker prospect in Southern California this year, Marvin Simmons (6-0, 215), will be making official recruiting trips to Rebel Park this weekend.

Joining Simmons on his visit from Poly will be two of the West Coast's fastest receiving prospects, Mike Willis (6-2, 175) and Donte Candler (5-10, 165), as well the latest in a long line of big-time Jackrabbit defensive back prospects, Ray Washington (6-1, 180).

Simmons has already given a verbal commitment to USC. However, the former prep teammate of Rebel quarterback Jason Thomas at Compton's Dominguez High School -- where he played three years before transferring to Poly for his senior year -- has not yet met minimum NCAA test score requirements and the Trojans can not admit non-qualifiers.

Enter UNLV, which could end up being a fall-back choice.

"Physically, he's more gifted than anybody we've ever had at that position," Long Beach Poly coach Jerry Jaso said. "Willie McGinest played outside linebacker for us, but Marvin is an inside linebacker. And the thing is he still has a huge up side at that position."

Simmons had 63 tackles and four sacks for arguably the nation's top prep defense. He also blocked two punts, including one that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown in Poly's 16-13 overtime win over Los Angeles Loyola in the CIF Division I title game at Edison International Field in Anaheim. He has been timed at 4.4 in the 40 and benches 425 pounds.

Willis has been timed at 4.38 in the 40 and has already been offered scholarships by Oregon and favorite Oregon State. He also visited San Diego State and cancelled a trip to Wisconsin.

Washington and junior Darnell Bing formed Poly's best set of safeties since the mid-1980's duo of Mark Carrier, who went on to win the Jim Thorpe Award at USC and played for the Washington Redskins this past season, and Eugene Burkhalter (Washington).

"He could have been our best cornerback if we had played him there," Jaso said of Washington, who was a first team all-CIF pick. "He has great quickness and great speed."

Candler ran the third leg on Poly's 2000 state finalist 400-meter relay squad and has been timed at 10.7 in the 100 meters. Simmons and Washington were both first team picks on the Long Beach Press-Telegram's Dream Team which was released this week. Two other first team picks from that squad, Carson quarterback Justin Cooper (6-0, 190) and teammate Dant'e North (5-10, 180), also are visiting this weekend.

Cooper, who quarterbacked the Colts to the LA city championship game each of the last two years, will likely play wide receiver or defensive back in college. North was arguably the top cover corner in the LA City Section, finishing with 12 interceptions, including two in the title game loss to Banning.

Two other Carson players who are scheduled to visit this weekend are wide receiver Avantae Arrington (6-0, 180), who is also being recruited by Oregon and Oregon State, and offensive lineman Jesse Taufi (6-5, 300).