Rebels stand by Hauck recruit Sneed

Quarterback Dalton Sneed didn't need convincing when UNLV offered him a scholarship in June 2014.

"This was my first offer, and I jumped on it," he said Sunday.

Sneed not only became then-coach Bobby Hauck's first commitment of the 2015 recruiting class, he wound up being the only one. Hauck resigned at the end of November.

With a new staff coming in, Sneed hoped the incoming coaches would honor his commitment because he didn't want to go anywhere else.

"They were really strong with wanting to bring me in, so I jumped on board and I came," Sneed said.

New UNLV coach Tony Sanchez says he liked what he saw in Sneed.

"He spins the ball well," Sanchez said. "He's got a lot of energy. He had a lot of success where he was from, and we liked him as a quarterback.

"There's something to be said for a guy that was one guy that was committed and stayed committed the entire time. At the end of the day, we wanted to show that loyalty right off the bat when there's an offer out there and the kid commits."

Sneed (6 feet, 185 pounds) passed for 3,565 yards and 28 touchdowns last season at Horizon High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. He also rushed for 984 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The Rebels' previous staff ran a spread offense, which fit Sneed's running and passing abilities. Sanchez and his coaches will transition from a spread to a power offense.

"I grew up running power offense and in high school I ran spread, so I have a mix of both," Sneed said. "So I feel like I fit really well in the offense."

Sneed probably will redshirt this season while senior Blake Decker directs the offense, then join the fight for the starting position next spring.

"It's great for anyone to redshirt," Sneed said. "If I redshirt, I'm going to take in as much knowledge as I can from Blake, build from it, get bigger, faster, stronger, come back next year a better athlete, a better quarterback and try to compete for the starting job."

* HITS START COMING — UNLV went into half pads Sunday, meaning the hitting began to pick up.

"At the end, I felt the defense was a little ahead today," Sanchez said. "But there will be days the offense wins. It's hard because you're a fan of both. You want them both to do well."

The team will be in half pads again at today's practice at 7:30 a.m. at Rebel Park, then go to full pads Tuesday. UNLV's first double session is Wednesday.

Not many conclusions can be drawn three days into camp, and Sanchez knows much must be accomplished before the season opens Sept. 5 at Northern Illinois.

"It's funny, people talk about the difference between high school to college," Sanchez said. "There's no difference when it comes to (on-field coaching). I'm telling you, the football, it translates so easily. It's that progression, continuing to be a good teacher, making sure they understand situational awareness, making sure they understand how they fit within the scheme."

* INJURY REPORT — In addition to junior fullback Marc Philippi, at least three other players were noticeably hobbled.

Sophomore tight end Kyle Anderson wore a boot to protect his right ankle, junior cornerback Torry McTyer had a sleeve on his left knee, and junior defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga was on crutches with an injured left foot.

Sanchez said none of the players should be out long. The most serious injury is to Philippi, who is out up to six weeks with a broken right foot.

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