UNLV Rebels wide receiver Kyle Williams (1) carries the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against the Idaho State Bengals at Allegiant Stadium Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, in Las Vegas.
Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022 | 2 a.m.
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Barry Odom has been UNLV’s head coach for a little more than two weeks, and it’s been an eventful stretch for a program in transition.
Roster change is guaranteed in college football, and even more so when a coaching change occurs. But Odom said his first priority after taking the job would be to convince current UNLV players to stay with the program, and he’s done pretty well on that front so far.
Five players have entered the transfer portal, including four starters, and more could join them before the Jan. 18 deadline. That doesn’t qualify as a mass exodus, and considering Odom managed to keep the most important player — quarterback Doug Brumfield, who has enthusiastically recommitted to UNLV under Odom — roster management seems to be on track.
A rundown of UNLV player movement since Odom took over:
Players who have departed (4)
Nohl Williams, junior CB
2022 stats: 11 games, 5 pass breakups, 3 interceptions
New team: Cal
Williams could be a big loss, as he was a starting cornerback for a team that doesn’t have many good ones. Odom will have to really work the transfer portal for reinforcements in the defensive backfield.
Aidan Robbins, junior RB
2022 stats: 11 games, 1,011 rushing yards, 4.8 per carry, 9 TDs
New team: BYU
Robbins was a reliable, if unspectacular, option at running back and usually got all the yards that were blocked for him. It shouldn’t be a major loss; this position is the most easily replaceable and depending on how Odom and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino run their system, Robbins may not have been a good fit going forward.
Leif Fautanu, junior OL
2022 stats: 12 games, 12 starts
New team: Arizona State
Fautanu was the leader of the offense in 2022, so replacing him won’t be easy. Odom and Petrino will likely have to bring in a transfer from outside the program in order to fill the hole at center.
Noah McKinney, freshman OL
2022 stats: Did not play (redshirt)
New team: Oklahoma State
McKinney’s defection came as a surprise; at Odom’s introductory press conference, Brumfield told the Sun he had successfully convinced the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Coronado product to stay at UNLV. McKinney must have had a change of heart.
Players in the transfer portal (1)
Kyle Williams, junior WR
2022 stats: 40 receptions, 541 yards, 5 TDs
Williams has been an electrifying playmaker since arriving at UNLV as a freshman in 2020, and he has understandably found a hot market in the transfer portal. Colorado, Fresno State, Pitt and Colorado State have offered.
Signed commits (7)
Odom’s first signing day class was a bit understated, which makes sense — he was only on the job for 15 days when it was time for recruits to put their names on the dotted line. He ended up inking seven players, and 247Sports ranked UNLV’s incoming group 11th out of 12 Mountain West teams.
The highest rated player is Lucas Conti, a 6-foot-5 defensive lineman from Centennial (Corona, Calif.), and perhaps the most intriguing is Ed Haynes, a 6-foot-4 interior lineman from Liberty. Conti and Haynes are both 3-star prospects; Conti is expected to be an early enrollee in January, making him eligible to participate in spring practice.
Six of the players in the class are high school products. Christian Earls, a tight end from Kilgore JC, is the lone junior college transfer.
Lucas Conti, Corona (Calif.)
Position: DL
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 260 pounds
2022: 4.0 sacks
Offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State, Minnesota
Ed Haynes, Liberty
Position: OL
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 270 pounds
2022: No. 11 prospect in Nevada
Offers: Arizona State, Oregon State, Hawaii, Utah State
Blesyng Alualu-Tuiolemotu, Campbell (Hawaii)
Position: LB
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds
2022: No. 15 prospect in Hawaii
Offers: UNR, Army
Matthew Greene, Arapahoe (Colo.)
Position: OL/DL
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 270 pounds
2022: First team All-State as OL
Offers: N/A
Maxwell Peterson, Roosevelt (Calif.)
Position: DL
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 305 pounds
2022: 2.0 sacks, 7 hurries
Offers: Northern Arizona
Charlie Williams, IMG Academy (Fla.)
Position: TE
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 240 pounds
2022: 7 TDs
Offers: N/A
Christian Earls, Kilgore
Position: TE
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 225 pounds
2022 stats: 1 TD
Offers: N/A
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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