UNLV football targeting area’s top high school RB, WR

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

It appears UNLV football coach Bobby Hauck hasn't backed off his stance to recruit the best high school players in the Las Vegas Valley.

Hauck, whose first recruiting class three months ago included eight from Southern Nevada, already has offered scholarships to wide receiver Marquan Major of Las Vegas High and running back Brandon Wright of Palo Verde for the class of 2011. They are two of the valley's top rising seniors.

The 6-foot-4, 170-pound Major, who said he was offered last Thursday, attended a handful of UNLV games last fall and feels the Rebels have a good foundation. The UNLV offer was his first.

"They have good players, just not good plays," Major said. "I'll have to see how they are this year. My feeling is that coach Hauck is doing something positive."

He has also received interest from Colorado State, Hawaii and Oregon State. An Oregon State assistant coach visited him Tuesday on campus, and Major feels an offer from the Beavers is a possibility.

Major caught 59 passes for 742 yards and six touchdowns in 2008 as a sophomore, but only played in three games last fall because of a collarbone injury.

His recruiting stock likely will increase once the season starts, when concerns about the injury are expected to put to rest. Despite being limited, he caught 12 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in 2009.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Wright, who is also used in the return game and at defensive back, also has an offer from Colorado and interest from the likes of Oregon State, UCLA and Arkansas. He was offered by UNLV in February, but appears to have his eyes set on a Pac-10 school.

"I have loved UCLA since I was younger," Wright said in February. "Everything from their colors to the school. They are at the top of my list right off the bat."

Wright, who rushed for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall, is one of 400 prospects nationwide to be nominated to play in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American game. He rushed for 977 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore, adding 18 receptions for 274 yards.

The duo aren't the lone prospects receiving interest from schools.

The Oregon State assistant also was at Faith Lutheran on Monday to primarily recruit wide receiver Don Pearson. Pearson, who had 41 receptions for 616 yards and six touchdowns in 2009, already has an offer from Stanford.

The Crusaders' quarterback Joe Portaro, offensive lineman AJ Kaplan and tight end Brett Lubbe also are attracting attention from recruiters.

"Coaches are in and out of my office every day, it seems," Faith Lutheran coach Jake Kothe said.

Defending state champion Bishop Gorman already has two players — defensive linemanJalen Grimble (USC) and safety Evan Zeger (Washington) — who have given early verbal commitments. Grimble, who also had an offer from UNLV, committed Saturday.

Gorman center A.C. Patterson (6-foot-1, 285-pounds), who several consider the top offensive lineman in Nevada, has offers from UTEP and UNR. Also, Gaels defensive lineman Jaylon Jackson is being recruited.