UNLV lands former 4-star QB Harrison Bailey

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022 | 12:31 p.m.

The UNLV football program notched a major offseason win on Tuesday when former Tennessee quarterback Harrison Bailey committed to the Scarlet and Gray.

A 4-star recruit coming out of high school in 2020, Bailey was targeted by the best programs in college football and eventually chose Tennessee over offers from Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Ohio State, LSU and others.

He played in six games as a true freshman and started the final three contests of that season; he completed 48-of-68 passes (70.6%) for 578 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Bailey did not win the starting job in 2021 and sat behind Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker, appearing in just one game and throwing seven passes. He entered the transfer portal in October and should have at least three seasons of eligibility remaining at UNLV.

A look at what Bailey’s commitment means for UNLV:

Former hot shot

As a senior at Marietta High School (Ga.), Bailey completed 69.8% of his passes and threw for 4,674 yards and 50 touchdowns. At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, he was rated the No. 7 quarterback in the nation and the No. 3 pro-style QB according to 247 Sports, and he had blue-blood programs from every power conference lining up to recruit him

Simply put, Bailey was hot stuff in the Class of 2020.

And he flashed some of that potential as a true freshman at Tennessee. Unfortunately for Bailey, however, the portal works both ways and he got buried on the Volunteers’ depth chart behind two incoming transfers in 2021.

UNLV head coach Marcus Arroyo clearly believes Bailey still possesses the talent that made him such a coveted prospect. Now it’ll be up to Arroyo and the offensive staff to find a way to bring it to the forefront.

QB depth chart

Bailey is coming to a UNLV program that has several options at quarterback but a clear opening atop the depth chart.

Returning senior Justin Rogers lost the starting job in Week 1. Junior Doug Brumfield flashed briefly but missed the second half of the season due to injury. Cameron Friel then stepped in and won Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors, but he finished with six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Incoming true freshman Jayden Maiava is, well, a true freshman.

There’s also another former high-school hot shot on the roster, but Tate Martell attempted just six passes and transitioned to wide receiver later in the year.

The prospect of immediate and available playing time undoubtedly appealed to Bailey, as did the fact that UNLV finished in the Top 50 in pass-play percentage in 2020. Under Arroyo, this is an offense that is willing to throw the ball and let the quarterback operate the controls; all Arroyo needs is a pilot.

The way is paved for Bailey to secure the job in the offseason and enter 2022 as UNLV’s No. 1 quarterback.

Patience pays off

It was a little surprising when UNLV brought in a smaller recruiting class during the early signing period in December, but Arroyo explained that it was done to maintain maximum roster flexibility. If a positional need materialized later in the offseason or an impact player became available in the portal, he wanted open scholarships to be able to proceed.

That approach paid off with Bailey. Though he wasn’t a late addition to the portal — he’s been in the process of transferring for almost three months now — it does lend credence to Arroyo’s strategy. By waiting and keeping a roster spot available, UNLV was able to land a bona fide blue-chip quarterback.

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