Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

rebels football:

UNLV walk-on impressing coaches during all-star game practice

Brother of Cimarron wide receiver also set to join Rebels’ program

Palo Verde vs. Cimarron-Memorial

Stephen Sylvanie / Special to the Sun

Cimarron-Memorial High’s Tim Hasson (left), shown attempting to tackle Palo Verde’s Chappell Thomas, has impressed coaches in practices for the 39th Annual Lions Club all-star game. Hasson will walk-on at UNLV.

When UNLV football coaches were recruiting Tim Hasson this winter, the Cimarron-Memorial High senior was quick to recommend they take a look at another prospect.

That recruit, Hasson's half brother Tajh Hasson of Cathedral High in Los Angeles, wound up signing with the Rebels in February.

"I was telling the coaches about my brother, and he was telling them about me," Tim said.

The brothers will be reunited in the fall at UNLV, with Tim joining the squad as a preferred walk-on.

Cimarron rarely passed the ball the last two years, creating few opportunities for the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Hasson. He had eight receptions for 187 yards and four touchdowns last year in flying under the recruiting radar.

But that doesn't mean he's not a capable Division I player. He has proven that much this week during practice for Saturday's 39th Annual Lions Club all-star game.

"I had no idea how good that kid was," said Bishop Gorman coach Tony Sanchez, who is coaching Hasson on the Sunset Region all-star squad. "It wasn't just me. All of the coaches were saying the same thing."

Tim Hasson moved to Las Vegas from California prior to his freshman year but has remained close with his brother. They long have talked about being college teammates.

Tajh Hasson is a two-star prospect by Rivals.com on its scale of five stars and is referred to a "sleeper" by the website. UNLV was his lone offer.

"Tajh Hasson is a skilled athlete and the type of player who could potentially play at six or seven different positions on offense or defense," UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said on national signing day in February.

Tim Hasson, who said he expects to red-shirt in the fall, doubled at defensive back where he was a first-team all-Northwest Division selection. He had six games with 10 or more tackles in finishing with 106 takedowns and leading Cimarron to the Sunset Region title game.

Sanchez, who last fall coached seven athletes who signed Division I schools, said UNLV is fortunate to receive a player of Tim Hasson's caliber as a walk-on.

"He definitely passes the eye test," Sanchez said.

Tim, who admits to sometimes having been frustrated in Cimarron's run-first offense, is expected to be a bigger part of the offense during Saturday's all-star game. The game is at 7 p.m. at Gorman.

"I have nothing to lose because nobody knows about me," he said. "I never got a chance to prove myself. I'm just going to give it my all and hopefully surprise some people."

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