Nevada stress defense in recruiting class

BY DARRELL MOODY

Appeal Sports Writer

RENO - Nevada football coach Chris Ault made no secret of the fact that defense was his top priority in terms of recruiting for the upcoming season.

Fifteen of the 22 players in the 2008 recruiting class that Ault announced at Legacy Hall Wednesday afternoon play defense.

But it's also a versatile class, too. All of the high school linemen that Nevada recruited played both ways. Ditto for the incoming freshmen defensive backs, all of whom played wide receiver or running back or quarterback in two cases.

"The priority was on defense without question," Ault said. "The focus was on defense, in particular the skill positions in the secondary. We signed 15 players on the defensive side of the ball and I believe we filled our needs.

"In terms of speed and ball skills, this is as good of a class that we have recruited. This is the best group (of defensive backs) that we have recruited collectively."

Ault personally visited 75 high schools last spring, and the majority of the kids were identified last spring. Nevada did well in Southern California, according to Ault.

Obviously, Ault likes this group. Whether it pans out won't be known for a couple of years.

Recruiting coordinator Jim Mastro said the process was extremely competitive this year.

"We continue to raise our expectations in recruiting," Mastro said. "We are spending more time competing against BCS schools, the Pac-10 in particular. This year, we had some needs that were clearly the priority and I believe we filled those needs."

The need for defensive backs was dire, according to Ault. The veteran coach said the Pack had just six cornerbacks on scholarship, and starters Paul Pratt and Devon Walker both graduated last spring.

Thaddeus Brown (Notre Dame High-Pasadena), Isaiah Frey (Jesuit High-Carmichael, Calif.), Khalid Wooten (Carter High-Rialto), Ahmad Wood (San Pedro High), Dayton Guillory (Yuba College) and Antoine Thompson (Reedley College) come into the program as cornerbacks.

Marlon Johnson (Inglewood High) and Maurice Harvey (Reedley College) are listed as safeties.

Nevada battled hard with Washington State to obtain Frey's services.

"He's one of the best-kept secrets," Ault said. "He had 1,700 all-purpose yards. He could have been recruited as a running back.

"Thaddeus Brown is as good of a defensive back as we've recruited here. Both (Frey and Brown) return punts and kickoffs. Khalid and Marlon played quarterback in high school. They had to play there. In high school, the best athlete is at quarterback."

According to Ault, Thompson was recruited by several BCS schools, but his test scores came up short. He ended up at Reedley, and because of his decision to attend Nevada, the Pack also was able to get Harvey.

The 6-foot-3 215-pound Harvey played two years at Reedley and intercepted 20 passes. He was a first-team All-American selection.

Ault expects Harvey and Thompson to challenge for playing time immediately.

Nevada brought in four defensive tackles - Jon Rabe, Mark Avery, JC transfer Mike Andrews and Jack Reynoso.

Rabe was offered a scholarship by Oregon last summer, and the Ducks pulled the offer. After considering Washington State briefly, Rabe chose Nevada.

"I remember Jon's dad standing on the balcony (at Legacy Hall) telling me this was the place for Jon," said Jim House, the Pack's defensive line coach.

House isn't worried about Reynoso's lack of height (he is 6-foot-3). House said that playing inside is all about leverage.

"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."

At linebacker, Nevada lost Jeremy Engstrom and Ezra Butler, and will replace them with ex-De La Salle star Albert Rosette and Brett Roy, both of whom gray shirted and are already on campus.

Rosette was the Defensive Player of the Year while at De La Salle two years ago, and he's believed to be the first DLS player to come to Nevada.

Mark Forrest was a two-sport star (football and basketball) at Oak Grove, and the 6-foot-7 210-pounder is being groomed as a defensive end. He could be another Kevin Basped, the former Florin High star, who has improved immensely in his two seasons at Nevada.

Rushing the passer is the main reason why Forrest spurned other offers and chose Nevada over other schools, including WAC rival Fresno State.

"I liked the fact they (Nevada) saw me rushing the quarterback," Forrest said. "The other schools wanted me dropping back (into coverage).

"The plan is to redshirt me. I'm going to prepare myself so I don't have to."

Another reason Forrest chose Nevada is that he would be reunited with his high school teammate Aaron Huck. The two have known each other since they were toddlers, and House coached both of their fathers when he was an assistant at San Jose State.

"Coach House coached my dad in college, and he's absolutely the best coach I could have for my position," Forrest said.

Huck is one of four offensive linemen being brought in, joining Steve Warner, Douglas' Jeff Nady and Christian Barker.

"I'm real excited," Huck said. "I knew I would go there as soon as they made me the offer. Coach Ault is a Hall of Fame coach and loved by everybody. Nevada is an up-and-coming team. They have a lot of young players and they are on the rise."

It was the Pack's four-overtime loss to Boise State this year that got Huck excited about calling Reno home for the next four or five years.

Huck, a 290-pounder, is being counted on to play guard or center. He played a lot of offensive tackle during his high school career.

Ault also calls Barker a "best-kept secret." The talented Barker played in an all-star game and tallied six tackles as a nose guard. Most schools were recruiting him as a defensive player.

"Without question he is in the same class as Derek Kennard (played in the early 80s)," Ault said. 'There is no question in my mind."

Nady, a defensive end at Douglas, will convert to offensive tackle at Nevada. Nady is athletic, and also stars on the Douglas basketball team. He just gave Nevada a verbal commitment on Monday.

Ault compares Nady favorably to big John Bender, who started at tackle as a redshirt freshman last season. Ault said that Nady is probably more athletic than Bender was coming out of high school.

Nevada has a plethora of running backs with Luke Lippincott, Brandon Fragger, Lampford Mark, Vai Taua and Courtney Randall back in the fold, but that didn't stop the Pack from going after Michael Ball out of Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas.

Ball is big (225 pounds) and has good quickness. He committed to Nevada during his junior year and stayed true to the Pack.

"He is as good a running back as you will find," Ault said. "He never took a trip. He stuck with it."