Signing day brings new look to UNLV football

February 8, 2010 by James Kaikis 

Heralded Nevada recruits lead Rebels’ recruiting class

New football head coach Bobby Hauck and his coaching staff went to work on the recruiting trail just days after being hired.

The journey proved to be successful in just a short time.

The Rebels signed 20 players, including eight players from Las Vegas, the most local players to ever sign with UNLV.

UNLV’s class consists of players from five states: eight from Nevada, six from California, four from Texas and one each from Washington and Colorado.

While Sanford was known for not wanting much to do with kids from the Las Vegas area, Hauck recruited heavily.

The real gem of the class is local Bishop Gorman player Taylor Spencer. Spencer also had an offer from Utah but decided to stay with the hometown Rebels.

Fellow Bishop Gorman player Ian Bobak also joined the Rebels after de-committing from rival Nevada, Reno.

Hauck’s first recruiting class is different than in years past in that the players are much bigger, faster and more physical. Speed was a point of emphasis for this staff.

One player who may turn some heads in a few years is Kurt Davis. The six-foot-six wide receiver from Compton, Calif. signed with the Rebels after only playing one year of football. Davis was also ranked as one of the top 20 basketball players in California.

The offensive line is getting some help with two six-foot-seven linemen.

Running backs Dionza Bradford and Tim Cornett are both high impact players who should give the Rebels some added depth at the position. Cornett is classified as a speedster while Bradford is a bigger, downhill runner.

Perry Cooper and Kyle Anderson give the Rebels some much-needed depth at the linebacker position. Anderson, a local recruit from Silverado High School, will serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and return to the Rebels in 2012.

Six-foot-four, 275-pound defensive lineman Desmond Tautofi could be a monster for years to come. Tautofi transferred to the Las Vegas area before his senior year of high school and was unable to play football, but during his time in Hawaii he was a two-time all state player in football, basketball and volleyball.

Eric Tuiloma, a safety from Desert Pines, will give the Rebels some much-needed help in the secondary and will also contribute in the return game.