UNLV football coaches search for depth during scrimmage

UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez stuck to his word and used Saturday’s scrimmage as a chance to evaluate some of the talent beyond the front line.

That meant backup senior quarterbacks Kurt Palandech and Johnny Stanton receiving work with the first-teamers, as well as a morning of auditions with reserve running backs and defensive tackles.

At quarterback, both players are listed at No. 2 behind redshirt freshman Armani Rogers. But if practice is any indication, Palandech has a slight edge.

The hope for UNLV, of course, is that coaches won’t have to worry about which quarterback to give quality minutes to once the season begins Sept. 2 against Howard at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Running back is different because coaches want to go three deep, and sophomore Charles Williams and junior Lexington Thomas have the first two spots locked up. That leaves junior Xzaviar Campbell, freshman Tariq Hollandsworth and junior Evans Owens fighting for that third place.

The Rebels know that seniors Jason Fao and Mike Hughes Jr., a Palo Verde High School graduate, will be the starting defensive tackles. So the search is to find depth, and freshman Kolo Uasike, junior Salanoa-Alo Wily and senior Antonio Zepeda are trying to get in the rotation.

Position spotlight: Quarterback

1. Armani Rogers, Fr., 6-5, 225

2. (tie) Kurt Palandech, Sr., 6-2, 185; Johnny Stanton, Sr., 6-2, 245

Notes

— Hughes will return this week from an injured left hamstring.

Junior wide receiver Kendal Keys is still coping with an injured right knee. It was the same knee that kept him out of all last season. Sanchez said there is no swelling in the knee.

“It’s a sprain, and we’ve got to be really aggressive with it this next week because sometime mid next week he needs to get going again for Game 1,” Sanchez said.

Senior offensive left tackle Mike Chevalier, who has an injured left ankle, is expected to return this week.

— UNLV will offer six mini helmets to season-ticket holders at the team’s evening walk-through practice Aug. 27 at Rebel Park. There are three versions of the current helmets and three throwbacks.

— Sanchez will become the first coach to do four live morning TV shows when he helicopters around the valley on Monday. He will lift off from Rebel Park, which sits under one of the flight paths for McCarran International Airport.

“I’ve got to be here at 5:15 to take off, so I told (the pilot), ‘You better be looking up there and making sure no one’s flying over us,’” Sanchez said. “It’ll be fun. It’s always good to get out in front of the media. You know you’re getting closer to game day. It’s good to get out there and talk to our fans about what’s going on, just get that excitement rolling.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.