James catches early kudos at UNLV

MESQUITE --- UNLV head coach Jeff Horton compares him to former Rebel great Henry Bailey.

Wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander believes he has many of the same skills as USC's explosive All-American candidate R. Jay Soward.

Duane James has yet to catch a college pass for UNLV. But according to Horton and Alexander, the redshirt freshman from San Diego's Mira Mesa High School has the potential to be a major impact performer for the Rebels this season.

"I think he's one of those electrifying type of players," Horton said at UNLV's football media day at Si Redd's Oasis Hotel here Tuesday. "Every time he gets his hands on the ball, he's got a chance to make something happen."

"He has a lot of the same tools that R. Jay has," added Alexander, a former USC assistant who worked with the explosive all-Pac-10 wide receiver each of the last two years. "He definitely has a lot of gifts that not many of us have. He's has moves, good instincts and great speed. We just want to get the ball to him and see what he can do."

The 5-9, 185-pound James, who played running back and gained 1,199 yards and scored 12 touchdowns his senior year, had to redshirt last year after breaking his foot early in fall practice.

"I stepped in a hole or something on the third day of practice," James said. "It was tough. In the eight or nine years I had played football before, I never had to sit out a year of football because of an injury. Then that happens. I couldn't do anything. It was frustrating just sitting around and watching."

Still, James' play in the few practices he had before the injury left UNLV coaches salavating.

"Even during the short time he was with us last year, you could see the potential that was there," Horton said. "He reminds me a lot of Henry Bailey, who is with the Steelers now. He's probably a little bit more of a polished receiver than Henry was. He just looks like a natural out there. He's going to be a special player here."

James finds himself battling for playing time at perhaps UNLV's most loaded position. Senior Damon Williams was a 1997 first team all-WAC pick while the other two probable starters, junior Len Ware (49 catches, 818 yards, 6 TDs) and senior Carlos Baker (140 career receptions) both are proven veterans.

However, Horton says it will be hard to keep the talented freshman out of the lineup.

"I think he'll make an impact at the wide receiver spot for us this year," Horton said. "It wouldn't surprise me to see him line up as a starter this year."

REBEL NOTES: Although today is the first day of practice in full gear, the Rebels have already suffered two potentially key injuries. Junior college transfer Dusty Pearce (6-3, 245), who was expected to see action at middle linebacker, will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Friday for cartilage damage in his right knee. He could be sidelined up to six weeks. "I can't really bend my knee or do any sideline to sideline running," Pearce said. "This whole training camp I haven't been able to show what I could do." Pearce isn't sure how he injured the knee. Meanwhile, starting right guard Mike Reily, a second team all-WAC pick in 1997, injured in a knee during a run drill Tuesday and will be sidelined at least a week. "There's a partial tear of his MCL," said team trainer Kyle Wilson. "He'll be out at least a week and then it will be day-to-day. We'll just have to see how the pain and swelling responds to treatment. We'll have a better idea of how serious it is in another day or two." ... Although UNLV opens its season at Northwestern on Sept. 5, the Rebel defense spent all of Tuesday night's practice gearing up for Air Force's wishbone attack. The Rebels host the Falcons in their WAC opener on Sept. 12 at Sam Boyd Stadium.

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