BY DARRELL MOODY
Appeal Sports Writer
RENO - Jon Rabe's first choice wasn't Nevada, but he's thrilled to be joining the Wolf Pack football program nonetheless.
Rabe, a 6-foot-5 260-pounder from Damien High School in La Verne, Calif., will sign his national letter of intent this morning, and he's eager to get started with his college career.
Other high schoolers who have committed verbally to sign with the Pack are Douglas lineman Jeff Nady, offensive lineman Aaron Huck of Oak Grove in San Jose, defensive end Mark Forrest, also of Oak Grove, cornerback Ahmad Wood of San Pedro High, Del Oro High defensive tackle Jack Reynoso, Tulare Western offensive lineman Stephen Werner, running back Mike Ball out of Desert Pines in Las Vegas, Jesuit cornerback Isaiah Frey, offensive lineman Christian Barker, cornerback Antoine Thompson from Reedley, Calif., wide receiver Brandon Wimberly and defensive back Marlon Johnson of Inglewood High.
The verbal commitments are not binding for either the school or student-athlete.
Rabe found out the hard way about commitment. He was going to be an Oregon Duck, but the school changed its mind and decided not to pursue Rabe, who led his team to a third-place finish and a playoff appearance.
"When they offered me in the summer, they talked about being loyal (to the verbal commitment)," Rabe said. "I told everybody else that I had committed. They took back their offer, which I thought was disloyal.
"They wouldn't even tell me directly (when they backed out). They called my house and asked if my parents were home. They told them and left it for them to tell me."
Rabe admitted that he hadn't been good in keeping in contact with Nevada head coach Chris Ault and defensive line coach Jim House, but that his father, who wanted him to go to Nevada, had talked to the Nevada coaches.
Rabe said he looked at Washington State briefly before finally deciding to go with the Wolf Pack.
"Nevada coaches said the offer still stands," Rabe said. "They were true to their words. They are really good people."
Rabe, a defensive end in high school, expects to move to defensive tackle in the Wolf Pack's 4-3 scheme. He also said he expects to and wants to redshirt.
"He's a big, strong kid," said Damien coach Scott Morrison. "He's great in the weightroom, has a tremendous work ethic and he'll continue to get better. He's a really good athlete. He needs to learn the speed of the game."
Morrison said that Rabe didn't get a ton of sacks this year because he was consistently double and tripled-teamed.
"Teams would send every available lineman and running back (to block him)," Morrison said.
With the emphasis on defense and the defensive line in particular, the Pack brought in Mike Andrews from Arizona Western Community College, Mark Avery, a JC transfer, and Del Oro High standout Jack Reynoso.
Andrews was being recruited by UNLV, Cincinnati and University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Reynoso was being recruited by Weber State and the Air Force Academy, but neither school was a serious contender compared to Nevada.
The 6-foot-2 240-pound Reynoso played both inside and outside at Del Oro, but he also expects to be moved inside.
"As of right now, I'm a defensive tackle," Reynoso said. "If I grow a couple of inches and get my speed down, I might be able to move outside.
"I go all out on every play like it's the last play of the game. I have pretty good speed for my size. I've played for nine years and understand the game."
Reynoso said he liked the Reno area, the Nevada campus and the coaching staff. Once he got up here, the decision was easy. He is the second Del Oro player in recent history to come to Nevada, following in the footsteps of running back B.J. Mitchell.
"He's a great kid on and off the field," said Casey Taylor, who coached Reynoso at Del Oro. "He went both ways for us. He's very strong and has a good motor. He can run and make plays. He plays with a lot of passion.
"I think he can play inside or outside. I think they will redshirt him that first year and wait and see. Jack is athletic enough to play outside."
The Pack lost cornerbacks Shannon Sevor, Paul Pratt and Devon Walker, so the additions of Thompson, who runs a 4.4, Johnson who runs a 4.5 and Wood gives the squad some young depth.
Wood, even at the 11th hour, was being wooed by a couple of Pac-10 schools, but his coach said he was staying firm with his commitment to Nevada.
Frey said he is being considered at cornerback, and that he chose Nevada over Rice, Arizona and Washington State.
"I liked the coaches and players," said Frey. "The program is on its way up and will be good in the next couople of years. We're going to have a good team.
"The coaches are talking about letting me compete for playing time, and if I'm not ready then redshirt me."
Frey will join former Jesuit players Dominic Green and Josh Catapano on the roster. Frey said the proximity of Reno to Sacramento also had a bearing on his decision.
Dayton Guillory from Yuba JC signed in December, and he runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.
Another local player who Nevada has shown interest in, Galena High coach Steve Struzyk said, is the Grizzlies Kyle Griffin, who played linebacker, fullback and tight end at Galena.