Training camp welcomes two newcomers

ELY -- Two more newcomers arrived here today for UNLV, including an Arizona State transfer who was a top recruit out of high school.

Sophomore Taylor Walstad (5 feet 11 inches, 205 pounds) will have to sit out the season under NCAA transfer rules. Even though he was a running back at Arizona State, he will play linebacker for the Rebels.

Walstad was a Rivals.com and Scout.com three-star recruit out of Chandler (Ariz.) High School in 2010, and he was ranked the nation's No. 37 running back by Rivals and the No. 6 player in Arizona.

He said he has long been interested in UNLV.

“I loved coming out to UNLV,” Walstad said. “It was just a good feeling I got every time I came out here.”

Freshman fullback Darius Andres (5-10, 215), who went to Claremont (Calif.) High School, also joined the Rebels.

BADLY WANTS TO PLAY

Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Barnhill has been working on the kick and punt return and coverage teams as a way to get playing time, and he could see action on special teams during the season.

“He’s a pretty good athlete, and if you travel with three quarterbacks, you hate to take a guy and have him stand there the whole time,” coach Bobby Hauck said.

WEARING DOWN

UNLV had probably its most physical practice of camp today.

“We’re fatigued, like we would be at this point,” Hauck said. “So it’s not as fast as you’d like. But it was a pretty heavy practice.”

TOP PLAYS

-- Sophomore running back Tim Cornett started right only to met by a wall of defenders. So he reversed course, and went left for a 28-yard gain. Sophomore defensive end Ian Bobak ran down Randle from behind, drawing immediate praise from Hauck.

-- Sophomore running back Bradley Randle took a shot from junior linebacker Princeton Jackson, but stayed on his feet to turn a loss into a 15-yard run.

-- Sophomore safety Eric Tuiloma-Va'a intercepted a pass in the end zone.

-- Senior cornerback Daniel Harper made an interception a pass off a tipped pass.

-- Freshman safety Peni Vea forced a fumble that sophomore linebacker Tim Hasson recovered.