Local star QB Kenyon Oblad commits to UNLV

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 | 4:43 p.m.

UNLV football received a big commitment on Sunday, as local star quarterback Kenyon Oblad of Liberty announced he will stay home for his college career and play for the Rebels.

Oblad, the state’s all-time leading passer, made the announcement via Twitter:

A four-year starter at Liberty, Oblad is a strong-armed pocket passer who has the athleticism to extend plays when necessary. As a senior this year, he completed 56.3 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,523 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Oblad is a three-star prospect who chose UNLV over offers from UNR and Western Kentucky.

Liberty coach Rich Muraco said UNLV was attractive to Oblad due to its hometown status and the upgrades being made to the program.

“I think coach [Tony] Sanchez and [offensive coordinator Barney] Cotton and [quarterbacks coach Ron] O’Dell did a great job of recruiting him and showing him that he can be a true hometown hero kind of kid, and he bought into that,” Muraco said. “And obviously, with the NFL stadium being built and the facilities that are coming to UNLV in the next year or so with the on-campus practice facility, it’s exciting and I think more local kids are going to buy into that.”

UNLV’s quarterback depth chart now appears to be well-stocked for the foreseeable future. Current starter Armani Rogers is going into his sophomore season, while former Desert Pines star Marckell Grayson will be a freshman next season after redshirting in 2017. That could make Oblad a redshirt candidate for 2018, though that decision likely won’t come until he gets to campus.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.