Nevada goes after size and speed

Size and speed is something Nevada football coach Chris Ault has been wanting his team to have ever since he came out of retirement three years ago.

And, the veteran coach said the 24 athletes that signed national letters of intent with the Wolf Pack on Wednesday, have those two ingredients and more.

Of the 24 signees, 17 are from the high school ranks, five are JC freshman transfers and two are JC grads. Nevada signed 12 offensive players and 11 defensive players. One player -- Marshane Haynes - the Pack aren't sure where he fits in quite yet.

"This class features all the necessary ingredients needed to move our program forward," Ault said. "There was an emphasis of size at all positions, from linemen to defensive backs to wide receivers. However, I feel the best feature of this class is their athleticism and speed.

"This is the best recruiting class I've ever been associated with."

Among the top high school signees were 6-4, 295-pound defensive lineman John Romero from Salpointe Catholic High in Arizona, 6-6 235-pound linebacker-defensive end Kevin Basped from Florin High in Sacramento, Calif., quarterback Colin Kaepernick from Pittman High and 6-4 275-pound offensive lineman Rob Sullivan from Miramonte High in Orinda, Calif.

The Pack expect all seven of their JC transfers - down linemen Mundrae Clifton (6-1, 295) and Sam Stewart (6-3, 275), offensive linemen Mike DeMars (6-2, 315) and A.J. Slater (6-5, 305), wide receiver Marko Mitchell (6-4, 205), linebacker Jerome Johnson (6-1, 260) and cornerback Devon Walker (6-0, 175) - to contribute immediately.

The Pack lost two starters on the offensive line - tackles Tony Moll and Adam Kiefer. Guys like DeMars, a guard, and Slater, a tackle, are expected to step in immediately. DeMars' older brother, Jason, started at inside linebacker during the latter part of the season.

"Junior college kids have to (be able to play right away)," said Jim Mastro, running back coach and assistant head coach. "They have to be able to compete. We'll have a pretty good idea by spring ball."

Sullivan was an all-NorCal selection and was a "Cream of the Crop" selection. His high school has produced several outstanding collegians, including 49er quarterback Ken Dorsey.

Two other freshmen linemen - Omar Rawashdeh (6-6, 315) and Mike Gallett (6-6, 295) - also have good size.

Nevada lost WAC Offensive Player of the Year B.J. Mitchell to graduation, but the Pack brought in two running backs - Brandon Fragger (5-9, 195) from College Park High in the Bay Area and Courtney Randall (5-10, 215) from Eisenhower High - Mastro hopes will compete for time starting at training camp in late summer.

Fragger rushed for 1,785 yards and 23 scores last year and Randall gained more than 1,200 yards as a senior.

"One (Fragger) is (Robert) Hubbard, and the other (Randall) is Mitchell," Mastro said. "We need one of them to play."

Hubbard, who finished the season strong, inherits Mitchell's spot, but who plays behind him won't be know until spring ball. Luke Lippincott, who missed last season with a knee injury, has been moved to offense from safety.

The Pack also upgraded at quarterback with Kaepernick, the only signal-caller they recruited, according to Mastro. Kaepernick completed 112 of 188 passes for 1,954 yards and 25 scores en route to being named MVP of the Central California Conference.

He is the fourth quarterback on the charts behind seniors-to-be Jeff Rowe and Travis Moore and redshirt freshman Nick Graziano.

"He's just like Jeff," Ault said. "He's an athlete. The difference between this guy is that he played in a pass oriented offense in high school. It's a critical move for us."

Nevada lost talented wideout Nichiren Flowers, but brought in 6-4 210-pound Virgil Green, 6-1 185-pound Chris Wellington and Mitchell. The latter two are expected to complement the already deep receiving corp of Caleb Spencer, Kyle Sammons, Jack Darlington and Mike McCoy.

On defense, Tim DeRuyter, the Pack's co-defensive coordinator, said that the Pack helped themselves immensely.

"The biggest thing coach Ault went after was speed on defense and more defensive linemen," DeRuyter said. "We lost some seniors there." Craig Bailey and P.J. Hoeper are both out of eligibility.

DeRuyter said that Clifton and Stewart, both of whom signed at mid-year and are already at Nevada, have an excellent chance to come in and compete for starting jobs along the line. Clifton and Stewart will have three years left apiece, which is something Ault likes to do with JC transfers.

Another lineman with an opportunity to make an impact is Romero.

"He's a special guy," DeRuyter said. "When you beat Pac-10 schools on kids (like Romero), it's exciting."

According to Mastro, Romero turned down both Arizona and Arizona State. "He wanted to come here," Mastro said. "He felt comfortable."

Stewart had a 21-tackle game against Saddleback last year and Clifton was an all-conference selection at Southwestern Junior College.

Walker was a two-year JC starter and had 74 tackles in two seasons. Walker will battle Paul Pratt, who is coming off an ACL injury, and Joe Garcia, who should step in for the departed Kevin Stanley.

"I think he can be like Joe was last year and compete for a starting job," DeRuyter said.

The key loss at linebacker was Roosevelt Cooks, one of the Pack's top tacklers and a physical player. Two newcomers who will challenge for that spot are Johnson, a JC transfer, and Dustin Pappas, who gray shirted last year. Also in the mix is Kevin Porter, who redshirted last season, but started working out with the team late in the year. Porter saw limited action as a freshman.

"I'm excited about him (Porter)," DeRuyter said. "Pappas we will look at him inside, but he's the type that could play either. Johnson is a middle linebacker who can run."

Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappal.com, or by calling (775) 881-1281

2006 Nevada recruiting class

Mundrae Clifton DL So. Southwestern College

Mike DeMars OL So. Sacramento City College

Jerome Johnson LB So. West LA Comm. College

Marko Mitchell WR So. Mesa Jr. College

Sam Stewart DL So. Santa Ana Comm. College

A.J. Slater OL Jr. Santa Ana Comm. College

Devon Walker DB Jr. Cerritos Community College

Kevin Basped LB Fr. Florin High

John Bender DL Fr. Cochrane High-Alberta, Canada

Ryan Coulson LB Fr. Elk Grove High

Brandon Fragger RB Fr. College Park High

Mike Gallett OL Fr. O'Connor High

Virgil Green WR Fr. Tulare Union High

Zach Hanson OL Fr. Linden High

Marshane Haynes ATH Fr. Bonita Vista High

Colin Kaepernick QB Fr. Pittman High

Adam Liranzo DB Fr. St. Bonaventure High

Dontay Moch DB Fr. Chandler High

Dustin Pappas LB Fr. Sonoma Valley High

Courtney Randall RB Fr. Eisenhower High

Omar Rawashdeh OL Fr. Sheldon High

John Romero DL Fr. Salpointe High

Rob Sullivan OL Fr. Miramonte High

Chris Wellington WR Fr. Taft High