Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Hales back bigger, better than ever

When he graduated from Las Vegas High School back in 2001, Jacob Hales lacked the size to be a Division I-caliber defensive lineman.

Hales, also a standout wrestler for the Wildcats, stood 6-foot-4 but weighed just 210 pounds. He was a member of the Sun' s first-team all-state squad as a senior after recording 55 tackles, including 18 for a loss, and eight sacks, but wound up redshirting at Division I-AA Southern Utah the following season.

Then Hales went on a two-year LDS Church mission to Houston. And when he returned last October, he not only had the size (6-5, 275) to play at the Division I level, he also was the first commitment of new UNLV head coach Mike Sanford.

Hales, now a 23-year-old freshman, enrolled in January at UNLV and is taking part in spring practice. And he's more than holding his own physically with the big boys so far.

"They fed me good down there in Texas," Hales joked. "I had lots of barbecue. I met a lot of good people there and they took good care of me. I got a little weight on me and got a little bigger. Now I'm back here and hopefully I can become a player now."

Hales, who appears to have the frame to add another 20 pounds or so, has seen time at both defensive tackle and end during the first week of spring drills.

"He's competing to play right now," Sanford said. "He got a lot bigger on his mission. He has been outstanding in the off-season programs. He's a big guy who is very athletic and a hard worker. He does things full speed."

UNLV assistant Kris Cinkovich, who coached Hales on a state championship team at Las Vegas High, did a nice job of keeping tabs on Hales for the Rebels. Hales' father, Mike, is a junior varsity coach at Las Vegas High who coached with Cinkovich.

"I'd gotten a picture from him while he was on his mission, so I knew he had grown a lot," Cinkovich said. "He had the look in high school of someone who could carry a lot more weight."

Cinkovich said UNLV and Washington State both "paid a lot of attention" to Hales his senior year but elected not to offer him a scholarship.

"It's a tough projection to go on a defensive end who weighs only 210 pounds," Cinkovich said.

That projection wasn't nearly so difficult after Hales came back from his mission an inch taller and 65 pounds heavier.

"What makes him even more attractive is how good his motor is," Cinkovich said. "He'll do whatever it takes to be successful."

Although schools like BYU and Washington State were interested in Hales after his mission, he picked the Rebels.

"Coach Sanford visited my house with Coach Cinkovich," Hales said. "I just knew that he was the kind of man I wanted to be a part of his program with and to try and build things here at UNLV. Coach Cink being here was a big bonus, too. He's such a great coach. I feel he really does things the right way."

Hales hasn't played competitive football in three years so being able to enroll in January and be able to take part in spring practice should help pay dividends when fall camp starts in early August.

"It's a big plus," Hales said. "We do a lot of working out. We're learning a new offense and a new defense. To be able to have that jump-start and get my body back in shape is a good thing. Hopefully I can make the most of it."

"There's a little bit of rust there," Sanford said. "But rust can go away. It's a big bonus that he can take part in spring drills."

Marshall checked himself into a hospital last week after complaining of chest pains. Tests showed that he had complications from a viral infection, an enlarged heart as well as high cholesterol.

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