Sanford’s class gets ‘A’ grade

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005 | 9:59 a.m.

Mid-Year Enrollees

John Guice, CB, 5-9, 180, El Cajon (Calif.) Grossmont College

Jacob Hales, DL, 6-5, 275, Las Vegas HS

Jarrod Jackson, QB, 6-1, 205, El Cajon (Calif.) Grossmont College

E.J. Whitley, CB, 5-9, 170, Victorville (Calif.) Victor Valley College

Fall Enrollees

Corey Anderson, WR, 6-2, 175, Lake Balboa (Calif.) Birmingham HS

Rodlin Anthony, TE/DE, 6-5, 210, Immokalee (Fla.) HS

Jason Beachamp, OLB, 6-4, 210, Steele Canyon HS

Chris Brogdon, RB, 5-9, 210, Phoenix (Ariz.) Desert Vista HS

Chris Butler, TE, 6-3, 250, Canyon Country (Calif.) College of the Canyons

Torrie Coleman, RB, 6-2, 210, Las Vegas Cheyenne HS

Travis Dixon, QB, 6-1, 185, Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton HS

Perry Eppenger, DL/OL, 6-3, 315, Las Vegas Cheyenne HS

Cedrick Fisher, DT, 6-3, 330, Santa Monica (Calif.) College

Lafayette Fletcher, RB, 5-8, 175, Inglewood (Calif.) Morningside HS

Daryl Forte, DB, 6-0, 185, Culver City (Calif.) HS

Jarrell Harrison, QB/Ath., 6-2, 205, Las Vegas Palo Verde HS

Ray Lobato, OL, 6-4, 280, Tucson (Ariz.) Amphitheater HS

Lamont Long, DB, 6-1, 185, Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne HS

Justin Marvel, WR, 6-0, 185, San Bernardino (Calif.) Arroyo Valley HS

Mike McDonald, QB, 6-1, 205, Burbank (Calif.) HS

Kellen Moriarty, WR/DB, 6-0, 190, Goleta (Calif.) Dos Pueblos HS

Brian Pacheco, P, 5-11, 200, Glendale (Ariz.) College

A.J. Rodriguez, OL, 6-5, 300, Las Vegas HS

Wiselet Rouzard, WR/DB, 5-10, 185, Immokalee (Fla.) HS

Renan Saint Preux, WR/DB, 6-2, 190, Immokalee (Fla.) HS

Channing Trotter, WR/Ath., 5-8, 190, Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain HS

Ryan Wolfe, WR, 6-2, 190, Newhall (Calif.) Hart HS

New UNLV head football coach Mike Sanford will announce the names of his first recruiting class this afternoon at the Si Redd Room in the Thomas & Mack Center.

Don't be surprised if he has a big smile on his face when he's doing it.

Despite having only two months after taking over for John Robinson to put together a staff and catch up on recruiting, it appears Sanford very well may have put together one of the best classes in school history -- if not the best.

Barring any last-minute defections this morning when players could begin faxing in their national letters of intent, the Rebels are expected to sign 27 players, including four mid-year transfers who are already enrolled in school.

NCAA rules prohibit Sanford from commenting on his recruits until the school receives the letters of intent today. But a list of verbal commitments compiled by the Sun shows the Rebels filled key needs at quarterback, cornerback and wide receiver.

Jarrod Jackson, a highly touted junior college quarterback from Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., is one of four mid-year enrollees who will take part in spring drills, which are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 29.

Jackson, the winner of the prestigious Joe Roth Memorial Award, is expected to battle junior Shane Steichen for the starting job in Sanford's new read-option offense. The Rebels have only two other scholarship quarterbacks returning in senior Scott Turner and raw redshirt freshman Marques Johnson after Tyler Arciaga, who would have been a junior, decided to transfer after earning his degree in December.

The Rebels are expected to sign three highly rated prep quarterbacks in Mike McDonald of Burbank (Calif.) High School, who was heavily recruited by both Utah and Boise State, athletic Jarrell Harrison, who helped guide Palo Verde to the Nevada 4A state title, and Travis Dixon of Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton High School, a first-team all-5A pick in Arizona.

UNLV also landed three of the top wide receiver prospects in southern California in Corey Anderson (6-2, 170) of Lake Balboa Birmingham, Justin Marvel (6-0, 185) of San Bernardino Arroyo Valley and Ryan Wolfe of perennial prep powerhouse Hart High School in Newhall.

Cornerbacks John Guice (5-9, 180) of Grossmont College, a first-team J.C. Gridwire All-American, and E.J. Whitley (5-9, 170) of Victor Valley College in Victorville, Calif., both joined Jackson and former Las Vegas High School defensive lineman Jacob Hales (6-5, 275) as mid-year enrollees. Sanford must replace both starting corners after three-year starter Ruschard Dodd-Masters graduated and junior Charles Ealy, who started at the other corner spot, left school.

But perhaps the most impressive part of Sanford's class is that he managed to convince four of the city's top six prospects to stay home and sign with UNLV.

Harrison and Cheyenne High School running back Torrie Coleman (6-2, 210) both turned down offers from Oregon State to play for the Rebels while Las Vegas High offensive lineman A.J. Rodriguez (6-5, 300) got plenty of attention from Pac-10 schools and de-committed from Mountain West rival New Mexico. And first-team all-state lineman Perry Eppenger (6-3, 320) also decided to sign with the Rebels despite interest from a number of West Coast schools.

Bishop Gorman linebacker Ryan Reynolds, a Parade All-American who moved to Las Vegas his junior year, will sign with Oklahoma today while Green Valley defensive back Brett Johnson is headed to Pac-10 heavyweight Cal.