High-profile Arizona players to visit

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 9:31 a.m.

Two members of the first-team all-Arizona 5A football squad, and the son of a former Notre Dame star, are among six players who will take official recruiting trips to UNLV this weekend.

Offensive lineman Ryan Tonnemacher (6-foot-4, 265 pounds) of Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton, the school that produced former Rebels starting offensive guard Joe Critchfield, and Channing Trotter (5-9, 175) of Red Mountain High School in Mesa, both are considering the Rebels.

Tonnemacher has also been recruited by Oregon State, Wyoming, San Diego State and New Mexico. Trotter made the all-state squad as a kick returner and is said to have 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash. He rushed for 1,450 yards and scored 23 touchdowns as a senior.

Meanwhile, Kellen Moriarty (6-0, 190) of Goleta (Calif.) Dos Pueblos, the son of former Notre Dame fullback Larry Moriarty, will also visit UNLV.

Moriarty, who is also considering Washington and Colorado, played quarterback in high school but is being brought in as an athlete. He ran a 3.87 shuttle and was timed at 4.4 in the 40 during one summer combine where he also bench-pressed 330 pounds and had a 36 1/2-inch vertical jump.

Former UNLV quarterbacks coach Brad Otton began recruiting Moriarty last summer and had him rated as his top quarterback prospect. Larry Moriarty, a fifth-round pick of the Houston Oilers, attended several practices during the year while in town on business.

Also visiting UNLV this weekend are wide receiver Jason Crawley (6-2, 175) of Pittsburg (Calif.) High School, defensive lineman Cedrick Fisher (6-3, 330) of Santa Monica (Calif.) City College and wide receiver Corey Anderson (6-2, 180) of Lake Balboa (Calif.) Birmingham High School.

Fisher, who originally signed with Alabama A&M after earning all-state honors at James A. Shanks High School in Quincy, Fla., bench-presses 430 pounds and squats 540. He originally committed to Central Florida in the fall but has since withdrawn that commitment. Illinois and Pittsburgh are among the other schools which have shown recruiting interest.

Anderson already verbally committed to UNLV on Monday after visiting UCLA last weekend.

The Rebels, who need to find a replacement for star punter Gary Cook, are scheduled to bring in Brian Pacheco (5-11, 200), a second-team NJCAA All-American at Glendale (Ariz.) College this year, for a visit next weekend.

Mountain West Conference rushing champion Dominique Dorsey and wide receiver Earvin Johnson will take part in the ESPN-televisedHula Bowl at 4 p.m. Saturday in Maui.

Earlier Saturday, former Rebels defensive back Ruschard Dodd-Masters and offensive lineman Joe Critchfield are scheduled to play on the West Team in the Las Vegas All-American Classic at Sam Boyd Stadium.