Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Local product Grayson first UNLV football commit for 2017

Desert Pines vs. Moapa Valley

L.E. Baskow

Desert Pines quarterback Marckell Grayson warms up Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, for the Division I-A state championship game against Moapa Valley.

Once you get one player from a high school in your college program, others seems to follow.

That could be a good thing for UNLV football, with local Division I-A power Desert Pines starting to send its athletes to the hometown Rebels.

Marckell Grayson, a 2017 dual-threat quarterback, verbally committed to UNLV today in what could be the first of more commitments from Desert Pines to come. It was the first verbal commitment for UNLV’s 2017 class.

Tim Hough, a Desert Pines graduate, led UNLV with four interceptions last fall in his redshirt freshman season. UNLV has offered scholarships to five Desert Pines players, and Hough — who regularly visits the high school — has been aggressive in selling the Rebels.

And when the overly confident Hough speaks, he grabs everyone’s attention.

“Tim’s my big brother,” Grayson said. “He’s telling us to come to UNLV so we can win the Mountain West and win a bowl game.

“He (jokingly) told me I should go to UNR or Colorado State so he could pick me off and I could kiss his (championship) rings.”

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Grayson passed for 1,636 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior, adding 300 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Most of Desert Pines’ games end by the mercy rule of a running clock, meaning he doesn’t play much in the second half.

Grayson, who as a sophomore passed for 2,180 yards and 27 touchdowns, is still developing as a passer and was open to being recruited at another position. But, at UNLV, he said second-year coach Tony Sanchez plans to give him a chance under center.

“Coach Sanchez called me a heck of an athlete,” Grayson said. “He said, ‘You are a dynamic quarterback. We’d love to give you a shot (at quarterback).’”

UNLV has scholarship offers out to more than a dozen local prospects for the class of 2017, including five at Desert Pines. Grayson, a team captain who well-respected, doesn’t plan on coming to UNLV alone. Running back Isaiah Morris and Grayson have been teammates since elementary school.

“I’ve been telling him he should commit early, too,” Grayson said.

Verbal commitments are non-binding until national signing day, which is 11 months away. That means Grayson can, and likely will, be recruited by others.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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