RENO, Nev. – First-year coach Brian Polian ushered in a new era of Nevada football on Wednesday as he unveiled a 21-player recruiting class that will join the Wolf Pack this year.
The class features 11 players on the defensive side of the ball, seven on offense and three athletes. Fifteen of the signees are coming directly from the high school ranks with two sophomore transfers and four junior-college transfers. Of the four junior transfers, three are already enrolled at Nevada and will go through spring drills with the Pack.
“I am very excited about our first class at Nevada,” said Polian, who was named as Nevada’s head coach on Jan. 11. “These guys are what we are looking for here. The star-system and the rankings mean nothing to us. We are interested in the right guys who we feel are going to help us and I’m pleased with the class we brought in.”
The emphasis on defense was highlighted by four defensive backs in the class, including Teré Calloway of Seattle (Wash.) Prep, who stayed firmed on his commitment to Nevada despite nearly two dozen FBS offers.
The class also features a number of players with top-level speed, including defensive back Elijah Mitchell (Corona, Calif.), who has two brothers playing at FBS schools right now and who is the reigning 200-meters champion in the state of California. D’Andre Fuller, who is listed as an athlete, is another speedster who comes to Nevada from Arlington, Texas and is one of two signees from the Lone Star State.
In addition to the three “athletes,” the class includes three designated skill positions on offense with quarterback Danté Mayes of Pittsburg, Calif., tight end Patrick Clifford of Temecula, Calif., and juco running back Don Jackson, a Sacramento, Calif., native who won a national championship at Iowa Western CC and is already enrolled at Nevada.
The class was announced via social media beginning shortly after 8 a.m. with each of the recruits announced one-by-one on Twitter (@NevadaWolfPack and @NevadaFootball). Video highlights of each signee along with comments from Polian are already available at NevadaWolfPack.com’s National Signing Day page.
Additional links:
Bios and highlight videos of each signee: http://www.nevadawolfpack.com/signingday/2013-signing-day-central.html
Brian Polian press conference: http://www.nevadawolfpack.com/allaccess/?media=367768
