Newcomers hit the field in UNLV’s first football practice

Fresh off UNLV’s first fall football practice Friday at Rebel Park, coach Tony Sanchez said his top priority early in training camp is naming a starting quarterback.

While prized recruit Armani Rogers practiced for the first time with the Rebels’ quarterbacks, the competition is essentially a two-man battle between junior college transfer Johnny Stanton and junior returnee Kurt Palandech.

“The biggest thing right now is I want to be able to make a quarterback decision sooner rather than later,” Sanchez said. “It’s not really up to me, though. It’s up to those guys under center. That’s a really important thing for us to pick that signal caller, so we can get him the reps that he needs.

“If Kurt can deliver the ball better, with the way he runs the football, he’s got a shot. If Johnny can go ahead and get the mental part of it down, and make the easy throws, then he’s got a great opportunity. And I think that will come clear here pretty soon.”

Sanchez had good things to say about Stanton and Rogers after the opening day of camp.

“(Stanton) was sporadic in the spring, but a lot of it was paralysis by analysis. He was overthinking things. But then he came out today and he looked better,” Sanchez said. “You look at the young guy, Armani, he’s just a pup figuring it out. But he made some good throws today.”

IN WITH THE NEW

Besides the 6-foot-5-inch Rogers and 14 other true freshmen from one of UNLV’s best recruiting classes ever, there were four other promising newcomers on the practice field that the Rebels recently added to their roster: freshman defensive end Jamal Holloway, freshman linebacker Cameron Carr, junior college transfer running back Evan Owens and junior offensive lineman Andrew Erbes, a graduate transfer from Idaho.

Holloway, a three-star recruit from Camden, New Jersey, who recently became academically eligible, had scholarship offers from Michigan State, Arizona State, North Carolina, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Temple, Virginia, West Virginia and others.

Owens, a 6-foot-1-inch, 220-pound junior, rushed for 1,139 yards and 12 touchdowns last season for San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California.

“He’s a heck of a player,” Sanchez said. “He runs the ball really well and is a real smooth guy. We’re excited about him. It kind of happened at the last second. He’s a guy that will be able to come in and compete.”

OUT WITH THE OLD

Owens is expected to help fill the void left by Keith Whitely, the team’s leading rusher last season, who was suspended for the first three games of this season in the spring for violating team and university rules but has since left the program.

“There’s a possibility he may have the opportunity to come back at a later date, in another semester,” Sanchez said. “That’s really all we can say about that.”

Offensive lineman Chris Lopez, who was listed as the starting left guard on the depth chart after spring practice, also has left the program, along with backup offensive linemen Charles Howard and Gavin Peterson.

“You see those shirts, ‘Commit To Change.’ Change isn’t easy, and not everybody signed on for what it is we’re asking these guys to do,” Sanchez said. “I think they realized this is a year-round process, there’s an expectation 24-7, and we’re competing at a high level and we’re recruiting at a high level. So those really competitive guys are going to dig in and stick it out.”

NO ENTRY

Unlike in years past, UNLV’s practices are closed to the public — as is the case with most Football Bowl Subdivision schools — with the exception of two scrimmages at Rebel Park scheduled for Aug. 13 and Aug. 19.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33