UNLV football back at it in spring practice

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Thursday, March 23, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Give college kids two weeks off, and you can never be quite sure what you’re going to get when they return.

The thought certainly crossed Barry Odom’s mind during the recent 12-day stretch between spring practice sessions for UNLV football. It’s only natural.

But when the team reconvened on Tuesday for their first practice since March 9, Odom was pleasantly surprised by the product on the field. After a few warm-up drills, the team segued into competitive periods. And according to the first-year coach, they hadn’t lost a step.

“I was glad that they had a chance to get away for a little time,” Odom said. “I’ve been part of coaching staffs that you really worry about how they’re going to respond when they come back for the first time. You’ve got to get the rust off. I didn’t see that out of this group at all.”

That’s a good sign for a team that is still in “installation” mode, as the new coaching staff teaches the principles to the current roster.

Tuesday’s session had a particular focus on red-zone situations. The offense and defense went live inside the 20’s, with each quarterback getting a chance to push the ball into the end zone.

Odom praised his QB’s for their decision-making in tight quarters.

“I thought they competed well and made some smart decisions there, all of them,” Odom said. “To see them manage — get the play call, get everybody lined up and then understand what we needed to get for a first down — so, some real-life game situations.”

Returning starter Doug Brumfield is the presumed favorite in the quarterback battle, with experienced veterans Harrison Bailey and Cameron Friel pushing him. Redshirt freshman Jayden Maiava is also in the mix.

All the quarterbacks are still internalizing the playbook, but Odom likes how the group is coming along.

“The quarterbacks are understanding we’re still heavy on the install,” Odom said. “I think they’ve progressed the way we hoped for and anticipated. Still got a long way to go.”

That goes for all the position groups, as far as Odom is concerned. Because spring is more about teaching — especially with a new staff in place — it’s a tough time to dole out player evaluations.

Odom and his assistants are still poring over the film of every practice, working on depth charts, but they realize it’s a little too soon to come to any concrete conclusions. The first priority is teaching.

“If they’re thinking about, instead of just reacting and playing, then it may not be a true evaluation,” Odom said. “So there’s a balance there.”

UNLV has nine more spring practices scheduled, concluding with the final “Spring Game” on April 8 at Allegiant Stadium.

Portal talk

As with any team under a first-year coach — or any team at all, in this day and age — the roster will remain in flux throughout the offseason. Players will leave via the transfer portal and others will join the program.

That means intra-squad competitions will evolve throughout spring practice and likely not be settled until training camp.

Odom said the current players understand the situation.

“I think we’ve been really honest and open about that,” Odom said.

The next transfer portal window will open on May 1 and close on May 15.

Expect UNLV to be active.

“I don’t know what that will look like when the portal window opens back up,” Odom said. “I think you’re always recruiting and you always want to try to improve your roster. I’m excited about our freshman class getting here in June, and then we’ll see what that looks like here in the next couple weeks, if we have an opportunity to maybe add a player or a group of players.”

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