Offensive line’s development will play large role in UNLV’s process

By Taylor Bern

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015 | 2 a.m.

When UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez gets home from a day at the office, his wife, Tessie, will often ask how practice went. The answer has less to do with Sanchez’s words than the hoarseness of his voice.

“By the way I answer the question, she can tell,” Sanchez said in a coarse, muted tone on Monday after the fourth day of UNLV’s fall camp.

Like everything else on the practice field, Sanchez’s voice is getting in its reps in preparation for the 2015 season a little more than three weeks away. And though it doesn’t necessarily sound like he’s happy, Sanchez likes life a lot better now than he did in the spring.

A big part of that is the deeper roster that’s created more of the battles for playing time that Sanchez wants to harden and improve his players. Defensive line and receiver have been the main positions helped by depth, but senior offensive lineman Ron Scoggins, who's one of four current Rebels to start a game last year on the line, said he’s seen it in his unit, too.

“The guys that have come in new this spring have really brought up the competition,” Scoggins said. “No spot is safe.”

Junior college transfer Will Kreitler, who played one season with quarterback Blake Decker at Scottsdale Community College, came during the spring and has taken control of the center spot. Meanwhile, freshmen Nathan Jacobson (listed at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds) and Alex Neale (6-3, 290) are a couple of guys Sanchez highlighted as candidates to contribute right away.

“We’re trying to find those seven or eight guys you can play with, not just five,” Sanchez said.

One of Sanchez’s top priorities for immediate fixes is UNLV’s offensive line, which played more than a passing role in the Rebels’ league-leading 22 interceptions last season. And one of the guys he’s relying on to do that is one of the few who have seen Sanchez work at multiple levels.

Scoggins had Sanchez for three years at Bishop Gorman High, and the pupil still remembers their first encounter. Scoggins showed up to the weight room in his school-mandated khakis and polo shirt thinking it was a day off and was informed that if he wanted to be on the team he would get to work immediately.

“I ripped up (the khakis) doing squats and everything, but I knew he was about business and I’ve loved him ever since,” Scoggins said.

Scoggins’ career has been up and down since arriving at UNLV, due mostly to some weight and academic issues. But when he’s been eligible and healthy Scoggins, who’s listed at 6-3 and 345, has always been an asset, and ever since reuniting with his former coach Scoggins has been on the right path for a good finish to his career.

“He was a guy that was ineligible when we got here, he had quit the team (in 2014) and come back and all that, so from the spring he’s done great,” Sanchez said. “… But we’re still fighting to get him back to be that guy he was when he came in as a true freshman and started.”

Scoggins has started 24 games at right or left guard over his career and is currently listed as the top right guard. His least amount of playing time came last season, but whether he was on the field or watching from the sidelines Scoggins could see the issues started with his unit.

“When it’s the offense it starts up front, so that’s really the only answer I have to give you,” Scoggins said. “If we can’t handle it then turnovers will happen.”

Change is a slow process, especially when so much needs to take place. But there will be minor victories throughout this process, areas that advance rapidly with seemingly small tweaks.

The offensive line very well could be one of those areas. Some of the pieces are in place and the opportunity is there if the group continues to follow the regimen Sanchez has followed for his voice.

“It’s like a muscle,” Sanchez said. “It trains.”

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