Robinson gets defensive with ‘04 recruiting class

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004 | 10:07 a.m.

John Robinson summed up his sixth UNLV football recruiting class in one sentence.

"A lot of defense," Robinson said of the 23-man class that features a mix of 12 high school and 11 junior college players.

The Rebels signed 15 players on defense, including five linemen, six linebackers and four defensive backs. But the two players that drew the most praise from Robinson were on offense ... running back David Peeples of Cheyenne High School and 6-foot-6, 275-pound offensive tackle Chris Bowser of Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif.

Thr 5-foot-9, 190-pound Peeples, the Sun's state offensive player of the year after rushing for 1,954 yards and 19 touchdowns and the only player from the state of Nevada that received recognition in the Long Beach Press-Telegram's annual Best in the West poll, picked the Rebels over Oregon and Mississippi State.

"He has a chance to be a great player," Robinson said. "He's certainly the best player in the state this year and the kind of player we were after.

"He's a quick player but he's an aggressive runner. He's a north-and-south runner. He's already working very hard in the weight training. We'll probably see a 200-pounder by his sophomore year. We're very excited about him."

Bowser, who turned down offers from Colorado and Washington to sign with the Rebels, played just one year of junior college football and still has four years to play three with UNLV.

"He's a big-time player," Robinson said. "I think he's ready to come and step in. And we get him for three years. That's a huge get there."

Still, it was UNLV's defensive recruiting that may make or break the Rebels this upcoming season.

The Rebels, who earlier had signed highly-touted junior college cornerback Charles Ealy from Compton College, wrestled another standout JC corner, Chanti Bloomer of Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., away from BYU at the wire.

"Finding immediate help at corner was a priority," Robinson said. "Ealy and Bloomer will provide us with immediate help there. ... We brought in some extremely physical and talented defensive backs which helps fill perhaps our biggest need."

And with early non-conference games at Tennessee and Wisconsin just seven months away, the Rebels focused on rebuilding a defensive line that lost three starters in nose guard Joe Oniwar and ends Dietrich Canterberry and Chris Eagen. UNLV signed five defensive linemen, four of them from the junior college ranks. Three of those players --- ends Mario Hill and Isaac Watts and tackle Isaiah Tufua --- are already enrolled and will take part in spring drills.

"If you can get a junior college player here for spring practice, then he's pretty much ready (to play in the fall)," Robinson said.

Besides Peeples, UNLV signed two other in-state players -- linebacker Omega Faga of Indian Springs and defensive lineman Robert Travers Jr. of Desert Pines.

"We went after three guys in town and got two of them," Robinson said referring to Peeples and Travers. "One kid (Las Vegas offensive lineman Ritchie Plunkett) got away to Colorado State."

The Rebels also offered a mid-year (grayshirt) scholarship to Bonanza LB/S Mark Seward (5-11, 220), younger brother of starting linebacker Adam Seward. But Seward signed with in-state rival Nevada after a late rush by new Wolf Pack coach Chris Ault.

"He's a good kid from a good family who made what he felt was the best decision for him," Robinson said.