Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV football:

Junior Boyd passing down lessons to Rebels’ next up-and-coming receiver

2016 UNLV Football First Fall Practice

L.E. Baskow

UNLV’s Darren Woods Jr., (10) eyes the ball for a catch during their first fall camp practice on Friday, August 5, 2016.

UNLV football 2016

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Life as the understudy can take a little getting used to. Lucky for UNLV freshman receiver Darren Woods Jr., many around the program don’t think he’ll remain in that role for long.

UNLV opened its fall camp on Friday morning at Rebel Park, and coach Tony Sanchez highlighted Woods as one of the standouts. That continues a trend that goes back to spring practices, where Sanchez said Woods had the best workouts of any receiver, and even to last season, when the coaching staff had to hold itself back from pulling his redshirt.

“He can be as good as anyone in this conference,” Sanchez said.

Soon, Woods will get a chance to start proving that on the field. He’s already ahead of the game by cozying up alongside junior receiver Devonte Boyd, one of the top wideouts in the league and the guy Woods is simultaneously trying to learn from and beat in everything.

“When I first came in it was a little competition because I wanted to get that starting spot,” Woods said. “But as we’ve grown and I learned my role, he took me in as his younger brother and we started learning the ropes together, doing everything together.”

The two are even roommates during fall camp. If the relationship sounds familiar, that’s because it’s similar to how former Rebel Devante Davis, the second-leading receiver in program history, took Boyd under his wing when the Basic High grad joined the team.

“I have the relationship with (Woods) that me and Devante had,” Boyd said. “He’s a real humble dude and he’s a hard worker. He’ll push you just as much as you’re going to push him, day in and day out. He’s going to bring it in anything you do.”

When they line up for sprints, Boyd said, Woods always gets right next to Boyd and says he’s going to win. Listed at 6-foot and 215 pounds, Woods is a physical receiver who moves really well, but there are few on this roster who can keep up with Boyd.

“Oh, he’s not going to win,” Boyd said.

Staying close is all that really matters in that scenario, because the benefit of competing against each other in practice is that the entire group should get better together. Boyd originally spent time learning from Davis and others while getting his academics in order, and then in 2014 he became the Mountain West Freshman of the Year with 65 catches for 980 yards, both UNLV freshman records.

“He learned a lot quickly, so that already under his belt he can teach me a couple things,” Woods said. “With my game and his knowledge, it’s been a big help for me.”

This season, Boyd will move into the top-10 for all-time receiving yards and with a 1,000-yard season he would surpass Davis for second overall behind Ryan Wolfe. Getting to that kind of production is going to depend a lot on UNLV’s quarterback situation, but another major factor is the ability of Woods and guys like junior receiver Kendal Keys — 43 catches for 515 yards and six TDs last year — to be consistent threats and take pressure off.

Sanchez, Boyd and the rest of the team believe Woods can be that type of player. Soon the understudy will get his debut.

Quarterback Battle

The battle for the most important position on the team is basically a two-man race that Sanchez said he hopes to decide in three to four days.

“I want to be able to make a quarterback decision sooner rather than later,” Sanchez said. “That’s not really up to me, though, that’s up to those guys behind center.”

While redshirt freshman Dalton Sneed and true freshman Armani Rogers got some reps at practice, right now the position is between juniors Kurt Palandech and Johnny Stanton. Last season, Palandech was the backup but ended up playing just as much as starter Blake Decker while Stanton transferred in from Saddleback College in California after starting his career at Nebraska.

Palandech finished the season completing 49.3 percent of his passes (75-of-152) for 794 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions, plus 293 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Stanton is a similar threat on the ground — last year he scored 12 rushing touchdowns and averaged 4.1 yards per carry — and Sanchez said his passing has improved since a shaky spring showing.

Sanchez has often said that they brought Stanton in for a reason, but Palandech previously went to Laney College, where Sanchez started his playing career, and the toughness he brought with him has won over a lot of people in the locker room.

“If Kurt can deliver the ball better with the way he runs the football, he’s got a shot,” Sanchez said. “If Johnny can go ahead and get the mental part of it down, learn how to disperse the ball, make our calls, make the easy throws, then he’s got a great opportunity. I think that’ll become clear pretty soon.”

New Faces

Sanchez has mentioned in recent weeks that UNLV is well below the scholarship limit of 85. The most notable absence is last year’s leading rusher Keith Whitely, who was suspended multiple games for violation of team and university rules and then was off the team completely.

“There’s a possibility he may have an opportunity to come back at a later date another semester,” Sanchez said.

Whitely’s playing time will mostly go to sophomores Lexington Thomas and Xzaviar Campbell, but there are others in the backfield mix, too. One of them is in a group of new players who made their debut Friday and could be major factors this season.

That includes freshman linebacker Cameron Carr, junior offensive lineman Andrew Erbes and freshman defensive end Jamal Holloway, who previously committed to Syracuse and had interest from Michigan State and Temple. The guy in the backfield is 6-foot-1, 220-pound junior college transfer Evan Owens.

“He runs the ball really well, real smooth. We’re excited about him,” Sanchez said. “… He’s a guy who I think is going to be able to come in and compete.”

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.

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