8 things to watch at Friday’s UNLV spring game

By Ryan Greene (contact)

Friday, April 17, 2009 | 2:09 a.m.

The contact on quarterbacks will be non-existent, and it'll merely be a scrimmage.

Still, in no particular order, here are 8 things to watch in Friday night's 6 p.m. UNLV spring game at Sam Boyd Stadium.

1) Omar Clayton ... duh. Clayton's torn MCL suffered in last November's home loss to TCU is of no concern. He's healed completely, and the nation's 29th-highest rated passer from 2008 looks physically stronger and much more confident this spring. Even though sophomore Mike Clausen was beyond solid in three starts at the end of last season and has had an impressive spring, the job is still firmly Clayton's.

2) Behind Wolfe and Payne. While senior Ryan Wolfe and sophomore Phillip Payne are expected to be as dangerous of a one-two receiving combo as you'll find in the Mountain West Conference, depth is just as important when employing a spread offense. Both Wolfe and Payne moved up a slot on the depth chart with the graduation of Casey Flair, meaning, at the very least, a dependable No. 3 is needed. The leading candidate there is 6-foot-5 senior Rodelin Anthony. After stepping up late last season when Payne went down with a concussion, he's continued this spring to show consistency rather than just making highlight-reel grabs. Also keep an eye out for seniors Jerriman Robinson and Renan Saint Preux.

3) Setting up the defense. Last year, Dack Ishii went from third-string quarterback to being a weapon as a punter. The two top contenders to replace the departed senior are another pair of seniors -- Kyle Watson and Brendon Lamers. Lamers, a juco transfer last year, never attempted a kick in his first season as a Rebel, while Watson is the team's placekicker on short field goal attempts.

4) Can't play like a backup. Mike Sanford knows what he has in his first-teamers at this point. What he said he wants to see on Friday night is consistency from the backups. This may apply most to the secondary and the offensive line.

5) Speaking of the secondary. Even though several new faces are still set to join the mix come July and returning starting corner Quinton Pointer is still recovering from shoulder surgery, now comes an opportunity for those who have risen this spring to head into the summer on a positive note. It's no secret that the Rebels need improvement in 2009 in the defensive backfield more than anywhere else. Two guys to watch will be juco transfer Warren Zeigler and sophomore Chris Jones. Zeigler, a speedster, is emerging as a top contender for a starting cornerback spot thanks to his knack for the ball, while a bulked-up Jones continues to show that he made the right choice in switching from quarterback to safety.

6) No more Tank. While Frank Summers is off impressing NFL franchise after NFL franchise leading up to next weekend's draft, a couple of guys have a chance to make one last push heading into the summer, which is when highly-touted freshman Bradley Randle arrives on campus. Sophomore C.J. Cox, who earned more carries as the 2008 season wore on, will see most of the snaps with the first team, while junior Channing Trotter and redshirt freshman Imari Thompson will get looks, too. Also, 215-pound senior Chris Brogdon has made strides of late.

7) Is Malo ready to deliver? Junior defensive tackle Malo Taumua showed signs last summer of being on the verge of a breakout season. Taumua said late last season that he was disappointed he hadn't reached the quarterback more often, and this spring, he's shown the same fire. With Jacob Hales gone, he'll be relied upon to anchor the interior defensive line.

8) On the ends ... B.J. Bell is expected to be a frontrunner to start at defensive end once he transfers in over the summer. But 6-foot-3, 300-pound Isaako Aaitui, who was great as the season wore on in 2008, is doing his best to secure the spot on the other end.