Position battles create intrigue heading into UNLV football’s Spring Showcase

By Taylor Bern

Thursday, April 19, 2012 | 2 a.m.

Friday evening marks the end of UNLV football's spring practice period, a five-week, 15-practice schedule that gives the Rebels a chance to see how they’re shaping up for the 2012 season. And at Friday’s Spring Showcase, fans can get a look, too.

The team’s final practice is a scrimmage at Rebel Park starting at 5 p.m. There will be food vendors, a forecast in the 90s and the sense of hope that drifts into football camps across the country this time of year.

UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said he’s generally pleased with the work the Rebels have put in during spring drills, though nothing short of succeeding this fall will be enough. There are a lot of players on the roster who don’t know what it’s like to play significant minutes in a real game, and Friday is their last chance to try to get that feeling before camp reconvenes in August.

“Anytime you get people out here watching, you get excited,” sophomore left tackle Brett Boyko said. “It’s a new level and it’s the closest thing we get to a game.”

With questions all over the place for a team coming off a second-straight two-win season, there will be no shortage of position battles or player development to look for during the scrimmage.

As a guide, here are some of the more intriguing story lines and what to look for with each one:

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  Steve Marcus

  Quarterbacks Caleb Herring, left, Nick Sherry look for receivers during practice at UNLV's Rebel Field, April 16, 2012.

  Who's throwing the ball?

  The battle at quarterback has understandably led most conversations about this year’s UNLV football team.

  It’s the most important position on the field and there’s a good chance that the job will go to a freshman, which is a scary proposition for a lot of fans.

  While four players have been wearing yellow jerseys in spring, the race is essentially down to redshirt freshman Nick Sherry and junior Caleb Herring, who last year completed 55 percent of his passes for 1,004 yards and eight touchdowns with six interceptions. Senior Sean Reilly is probably the emergency option, while junior transfer James Boyd could either be a third-string quarterback or try his luck on the other side of the ball.

  Sherry seems like the quarterback of the future, but right now he said he’s upset because of some of the mental mistakes he’s been making.

  “There’s things I need to see that I’m not seeing right now, so I need to fix that before Friday comes along,” Sherry said.

  Both Sherry and Herring have spent a lot of time working with the first-string offense, and Friday will give both, and really all four, of them one more chance to work in a game situation this spring.

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  Steve Marcus

  Wide receiver Marcus Sullivan (18) looks in a pass during practice at UNLV's Rebel Field, April 16, 2012.

  Who's catching it?

  No matter who ends up at quarterback, they will have to work with a receiving corps that’s a question mark, to say the least.

  Sophomores Devante Davis and Kurt Davis, no relation, both have size, but the latter isn’t even on the spring two-deep roster. Sophomore Marcus Sullivan, who missed last season because of eligibility issues, will get a shot, as will freshman Marquis Thompson. Bishop Gorman’s Taylor Spencer is also in the mix, and between that group of five, UNLV returns exactly four receptions from last year’s team, all from Devante Davis.

  How the receivers gel with each quarterback through the summer could also be key when it comes time to making a decision at both positions.

  Of course, if the hype around the tight ends, particularly redshirt freshman Jake Phillips, pans out, the receivers won’t have to bear as much responsibility in the passing game.

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  Steve Marcus

  Running back Bradley Randle looks for a hole during practice at UNLV's Rebel Field, April 16, 2012.

  Run, Rebels, run

  Possibly a freshman quarterback? No experience on the outside? That’s a recipe for a ground attack, and UNLV may be able to do just that with junior Tim Cornett running behind an experienced offensive line.

  “We’re going to try to ground-and-pound it as much as we can,” left tackle Brett Boyko said. “When the game’s on the line we want people to rely on us to get the job done.”

  The projected starters along the line — from left to right, sophomores Boyko, Cameron Jefferson, Robert Waterman and seniors Doug Zismann and Yusef Rodgers — started a combined 55 of 60 games last season. They have size and experience, and on a young roster it’s hard to find a more dependable group.

  Add that with hard-running Cornett and the Rebels may have their recipe for offensive success.

  The biggest question right now with the running game is if junior Bradley Randle will be sturdy enough to handle significant carries as the backup. Randle, 5-foot-7 and 190 pounds, has looked great in spring, but can he excel with the increased workload? Watch him Friday and decide for yourself.

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  Steve Marcus

  Tajh Hasson, left, covers Mike Horsey during practice at UNLV's Rebel Field, April 16, 2012.

  The last line of defense

  Progress has been hard to come by in the defensive secondary, and this year’s group, like a lot of positions on the team, is lacking experience.

  Other than junior Sidney Hodge, the starters include a freshman and two sophomores, and there isn’t much more experience among the backups. What this group does have, though, is a lot of athleticism.

  Safeties Peni Vea and Tajh Hasson are both about 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, and Hasson can put a hurt into receivers who come into his area. Pay particular attention to those two on Friday to get a feel for how this secondary is shaping up.

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  Steve Marcus

  Linebackers Princeton Jackson, left and Tim Hasson run through a drill during practice at UNLV's Rebel Field, April 16, 2012.

  Will experience matter at linebacker?

  This is the first chance for most people to see converted quarterback Taylor Barnhill handling duties at middle linebacker.

  Barnhill, 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, has welcomed the transition and isn’t doing too bad, considering his lack of experience. The nice thing for UNLV is that it’s not depending on Barnhill to step right into the lineup as junior Tani Maka, the fifth-leading tackler last season, is manning the middle.

  Outside linebackers John Lotulelei and Tim Hasson ranked third and eighth in tackles, respectively, last season. There is experience at all three positions, which is more than you can say at most spots.

  The counter to that is that experience doesn’t mean anything if the players didn’t do well when they were out there.

  Whether these players’ return is a good thing or not will be up for debate on Friday.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.