Scrimmage notebook: Ziegler, Chandler gaining ground in DB battle

By Ryan Greene

Friday, April 3, 2009 | 5:27 p.m.

Warren Ziegler and Will Chandler are simply making the calm before the storm, well, not so calm.

Ziegler, one of eight incoming defensive back prospects for the Rebels, and Chandler, one of several returners throwing their names in the hat for playing time at cornerback, both continued their strong spring showings on Friday as UNLV held its second full pads scrimmage.

Chandler saw time with the No. 1 defense throughout the morning and drew praise from the coaching staff, while Ziegler -- a 6-foot speedster new on campus from College of San Mateo -- locked horns yet again with 6-foot-4 sophomore wideout Phillip Payne.

The storm, so to speak, will be the competition set to ensue in fall camp, when the rest of Mike Sanford's incoming class arrives on campus. Also, that is when Quinton Pointer -- arguably the Rebels' top returning corner -- will be back in action following surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

"The good thing about all that is we're getting good competition the way it is now, but then you've got Quinton Pointer coming back in the summer, you've got Michael Grant coming in, he's gonna be a factor in this thing, then obviously the guys you mentioned -- Ziegler, Chandler," Sanford said. "The fact that those guys are getting a lot of reps, that's gonna be a positive factor for them in the summer. I think we're gonna probably end up 3-deep at corner, which is what you need to be, competitively."

Depth in the secondary will be especially important in 2009 with the spread offense expected to be far more prevalent in the Mountain West Conference. Both Wyoming and New Mexico, following the hirings of Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen and Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley for those two posts, respectively.

Of the three newcomers already in camp -- Ziegler, Kenny Brown and Alex De Giacomo -- Ziegler continued to make the biggest impact on Friday.

On one third-and-10 situation, he jumped a slant pattern run by Payne and jabbed the ball away just as it arrived near the sophomore receiver's awaiting paws.

After knocking it down, he yelled, clapped his hands, then crouched close to the ground to slap hands with a teammate just above the turf.

"Swagger is everything," said Ziegler, who recorded an interception in last Friday's scrimmage. "It creates momentum, it builds momentum for you and the team. People see you with swagger, walking around, clapping your hands, smiling, it means we're having fun out there, and that's all it's about."

Swagger is also important in helping rebound from plays where you get beat, which Ziegler later saw happen against Payne. Omar Clayton hit the Western High product on a slant over the middle, and Payne was off to the races for a 50-yard score. For the final 10 yards of the run, the much larger payne stuck out his right arm and held Ziegler off by the facemask.

Of course, it is about more than swagger, and Sanford is quick to point out where else Ziegler excels.

"He's a playmaker as a corner, and he does a really good job of defending the receiver and the ball when those two are coming together," he said. "I know that sounds simple, but there's a knack to being able to do that. He has a really good knack for timing to make a play on the ball, and he continued to show that today."

Anthony carries junior season momentum

Senior receiver Rodelin Anthony, who struggled with consistency issues for his first couple of seasons in the UNLV program, continued to show on Friday that his strong finish to the 2008 campaign was no fluke.

"He's got a lot of things going for him," Sanford said. "6-5, 230, and can run. He is capitalizing on and carrying over what he did in the fall, and that's something he really needs to continue to do, because I think he can be a weapon for us."

Late last season, Anthony took the brunt of the snaps as the team's No. 3 receiver after Phillip Payne was rouged up against TCU on Nov. 1.

In the season's final four games, he had 11 catches for 159 yards and 3 scores.

He's looked solid in that same spot on the depth chart so far this spring, including a 3-catch performance on Friday morning.

His most impressive play was a 35-yard catch over the middle off a pass from Mike Clausen. Immediately after securing the ball, he barreled over Marquel Martin, took off upfield, then carried Calvin Randleman on his back for the final 10 yards of the play.

A couple moments later, he caught a 12-yard touchdown toss over the middle.

"I'm feeling good, I'm just keeping it in mind that I can always improve and get better," Anthony said. "I think (last season's finish) helps me build courage for the upcoming season, for spring ball, as you see now, and I think the main thing it did for me was confidence and, secondly, momentum."

A couple of visitors

Caleb Herring, one of the prized pupils in Mike Sanford's 2009 recruiting class, made the trip to Rebel park from Perris, Calif., to get an early jump on things.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback, who will more than likely redshirt the 2009 season, is on spring break and drove to Vegas with his father, Mike.

"I came to watch the scrimmage, get a feel for the practice, sit in on a couple of meetings," he said. "I'm impressed. Guys look good out here, I'm trying to pick up on the plays a little early and get a head start on things.

He spent much of the day with the coaches and quarterbacks behind the offense, observing, talking and taking mental notes. He conversed plenty with Clausen, who grew up in nearby Riverside, Calif., and has known Herring for a few years.

"Mike is from the same area, so I kind of knew him, then on my trip I got to know a couple of the other guys, so I'm feeling pretty comfortable," Herring said.

Also watching from the sidelines was Tyler York, who just completed his career in the backfield at Reno's McQueen High, where he helped win the 2008 Class 4A state title.

York ran for 3,191 yards and 47 touchdowns in his final two seasons at McQueen, and also recorded 152 tackles, 6 sacks and 2 interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.

Friday's other highlights ...

*The honorary blackshirts for the Friday scrimmage were donned by senior guard Joe Hawley and senior defensive tackle Martin Tevaseu.

*Junior running back Channing Trotter drew the loudest cheers from teammates late in the scrimmage with a bruising 17-yard run. After charging through the left side of the line, he broke a tackle. Then, finding himself in a pile of bodies, he pushed the pile for 7 yards and lost his helmet in the process.

*Sophomore running back C.J. Cox scored on an impressive 18-yard run up the left side. After exploding to the edge, he willed his way into the end zone by charging through a pair of defenders near the goal line.

*300-pound junior defensive end Isaako Aaitui continued to impress, combining with Malo Taumua for a sack of Omar Clayton early, and he later recorded a tackle for loss on a scrambling Mike Clausen.

Time for a break

The Rebels headed their separate ways following Friday's action, taking off for spring break. They are off until Monday, April 13, when they'll conduct one of two full-pads practices leading up to the April 17 spring game at 6 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium.