RECRUITING: Bishop Gorman linebacker Otukolo commits to UNLV

Nela Otukolo was supposed to visit Boise State this weekend but canceled the trip.

He already decided where he would be playing football.

The Bishop Gorman linebacker will follow his high school coach across town and play for UNLV. Otukolo announced his commitment on Twitter on Friday night, and later said in an interview that he chose the Rebels over Boise State and Fresno State.

He said new Rebels coach Tony Sanchez, who won six state championships in six seasons at Gorman before taking the UNLV job in December, was the primary reason he committed to the Rebels.

“Oh, yeah, especially after what he’s done in a short period of time with the coaching staff he assembled and the players he signed,” Otukolo said. “That says a lot about him. He didn’t just go out and hire a staff, he hired the best.”

Oral commitments are nonbinding, though most players honor them. Signing day is Feb. 4.

Otukolo (5 feet 11 inches, 240 pounds) said he also liked the idea of staying in Las Vegas.

“My family in Hawaii is moving to Las Vegas,” he said. “I feel like a Vegas person already. I’ve had a lot of love from the Vegas people and community. I want to be a part of something special and have the people cheering for me.”

He also wants his Gorman teammates to follow him to UNLV and sounded confident that would happen.

“We’ve already been talking about it,” Otukolo said. “I’m the first. There’ll be a lot more coming.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.