Marcus Arroyo lands big 2021 recruiting class at UNLV

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020 | 5:45 p.m.

Marcus Arroyo was not able to deliver a win for UNLV on the field in 2020 but he continues to rack up recruiting triumphs, as he secured a second straight impressive class on Wednesday when the program signed 19 prospects to letters of intent.

UNLV’s incoming class of 2021 is ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 68 nationally, according to 247Sports, making it among the best in program history.

The class is made up of 17 3-star prospects, including three players who are ranked in the top 50 at their position. It’s a significant haul for Arroyo and his staff, who had to do it all remotely as the NCAA put a halt on in-person visits early in the pandemic.

Arroyo also pulled in the No. 2 class in the conference in 2020, giving UNLV back-to-back quality classes upon which to build.

Some of the players from the 2020 group have already made impacts, most notably wide receiver Kyle Williams, who was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year on Tuesday.

Seeing as how UNLV allowed 38.0 points per game this season, 117th in the nation out of 130 teams, it’s probably a good thing that the top two recruits in 2021 reside on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end Nick Dimitris is a 3-star recruit who is rated as the second-best commit in the history of the program, while 3-star defensive back Jaylen Lane isn’t far behind.

Dimitris’ recruitment got tricky as the finish line approached. The 6-foot-4 pass rusher initially committed in the summer, then decommitted on Nov. 17. After a week of reconsidering his options, Dimitris pledged to UNLV again a week later.

Arroyo said Dimitris’ recommitment was a testament to the strong bond the UNLV coaching staff was able to build with the California native.

“It was an easy conversation when it took place,” Arroyo said. “We followed up and we stayed in contact the entire time. We communicated effectively. We weren’t the guys who, on our way out, said something rude or demeaning … We kept a healthy dialogue. And him coming back was something we were all in the same boat with. There was never any bad blood or anything.”

Dimitris, who had offers from Florida, LSU, Tennessee, Coastal Carolina and Auburn, should add juice to a pass rush that recorded a healthy sack rate of 7.9% last year (31^st in the nation).

The program’s biggest position of need going forward might be quarterback, so landing 3-star passer Cameron Friel was a coup. The 6-foot-4 lefty from Hawaii is rated the No. 43 signal caller in the 2021 class, and he chose UNLV over San Diego State, UNR, Arizona and Colorado.

Considering how poorly UNLV’s quarterbacks played in 2020, Friel should push for the starting job as a freshman.

“We don’t have an heir apparent,” Arroyo said of the quarterback position. “I don’t think Cam coming and competing for the job is out of the question at all.”

If all goes according to plan, Friel will become quite closely acquainted with fellow recruits Anthony Rosas and Deamikkio Nathan. Rosas, a 3-star offensive tackle, should be a building block on the offensive line, while Nathan is a speed receiver who can stretch the field in the passing game.

Rosas is the No. 47 tackle in the country and chose UNLV over Auburn, Colorado, Miami and Penn State. Nathan is the No. 153 receiver and picked the scarlet and gray after decommitting from Utah two weeks ago.

Wednesday was the first day of the early signing period for fall sports. The next signing day will be Feb. 3.

With the caliber of players he is bringing in, Arroyo believes it is only a matter of time before the recruiting success is reflected in the win column.

“We anticipate these guys having an immediate impact very similar to the 2020 class,” Arroyo said. “Bringing in the top class in UNLV history is something we’re going to continue to try to do year in and year out. Putting together back-to-back classes together like that helps iron sharpen iron.”

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