Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV

18 Marcus Sullivan

  • Wide receiver
  • Grade: Sophomore
  • Height: 5′9″
  • Weight: 185 lbs
UNLV: One of the nation's top kickoff returners and league's best wide receivers is back for his final season ... Listed No. 1 at one WR spot after spring practice ... Will also vie to be team's primary KOR man again ... Named Preseason Second Team All-Mountain West as a KOR by Athlon ... Listed on Phil Steele's preseason All-MW third team as a KOR and fourth team as a WR ... While he did not technically make it into the NCAA stats because he missed the season's first four games, Sullivan's average of 28.3 yards per return on 18 attempts a year ago ranked third in school history and 10th in the nation ... Heads into the season ranked first in UNLV history with a 26.7-yard average for kickoff returns ... Has grabbed exactly 100 passes over the last two seasons and will have a chance to break into the program's all-time top 10 this fall ... The Las Vegas native was named to the Rivals.com 2010 Freshman All-MW Team ... As a rookie, he had the most kick returns among anyone in the NCAA FBS top 20 in average with 35 attempts and shattered the UNLV record for kickoff return yards in a game with 224 (former record was 185 by teammate Deante' Purvis set in 2009) vs. San Diego State.

2013: Played in the final nine games of the season, including starting eight ... Sat out the first four games of the fall for personal reasons ... Ranked second on the team with 45 receptions and 505 yards and five touchdowns ... His first touch of the season resulted in a 69-yard end-around touchdown scamper to help UNLV rally past New Mexico in Game Five ... Grabbed a career-high 11 passes for 113 yards the following week to spark the Rebels to a victory over Hawai'i ... Caught at least one pass in every game played and found the end zone in four of his final games as a junior ... Gave his team a lead in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1 when he grabbed a 12-yard scoring pass from Caleb Herring vs. North Texas at the famed Cotton Bowl Stadium ... Tied with Keith Whitely for the team lead in kickoff return attempts with 18 for 509 yards ... He took one return back 75 yards vs. Utah State and also had returns of 46 vs. Hawai'i, 41 vs. Fresno State and 49 vs. UNT.

2012: Returned to the field and played in all 13 games ... Started at WR in all but the season finale at Hawai'i ... Finished second on the team with 55 receptions for 659 yards and tied for the team lead with four TD catches ... Ranked ninth in the MW with 4.23 receptions per game and eighth in the league with 50.7 YPG ... Caught at least one pass in the first 12 games ... Posted his first 100-yard game with 136 yards on six catches with two touchdowns vs. Washington State in Game Three ... Recorded scores from 37 and 75 yards, both thrown by Nick Sherry, against the Cougars ... Had six catches in five games, including four straight at one point ... One of those outings came in a win over Air Force when he finished with 99 yards in Game Four ... Also had 90 yards and a score at LA Tech in Game Six ... His fourth TD came on a five-catch, 74-yard day vs. UNR ... Rushed for 43 yards on six carries ... Led team in kickoff return average for the second time, going for 23.5 per attempt on 22 tries, which ranked fifth in the league and 46th in the nation ... Long return for the season was a 44-yarder at LA Tech ... Earned Preseason First Team All-Mountain West at the all-purpose spot from Lindy's and was the Preseason First Team All-MW kick returner according to Athlon.

2011: Redshirted season.

2010: Earned his first letter as a Rebel by playing in 11 games, including starting two at receiver ... Missed two games after being injured at West Virginia ... Totaled six receptions for 102 yards and brought in two scoring passes (24 yards at BYU from Caleb Herring and a 41-yard strike from Omar Clayton vs. Wyoming) ... Finished second in the league and ranked 17th in the nation in kickoff return average at 27.9 ... Turned in at least one return over 36 yards in six of the last eight games of the season ... Named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week after he set a school record with 224 yards on six kickoff returns for a sparkling 37.3-yard average at SDSU ... Sullivan's night vs. the Aztecs included a 60-yard return on the first play of the game and then a season-long 73-yard return later in the half that set up his team's only offensive touchdown of the game.

2009: Grayshirted after signing with UNLV in February.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2009 graduate of Cheyenne HS ... Honored as the 2008-09 male High School Athlete of the Year by the Las Vegas Review-Journal ... A three-year letterwinner who helped the Eagles go 10-2 in 2008 ... Named the Sunset Offensive Player of the Year after he rushed for 1,626 yards and 22 touchdowns on 112 carries ... Averaged 11.4 yards per carry on his way to being named first team all-state and all-region as a senior ... His coach, Charles Anthony, was a standout DB for the Rebels from 1987-90.

PERSONAL: Vandrell LaMarcus Sullivan was born March 1, 1991, in Jackson, MS ... Goes by Marcus ... The son of Venissa Lindsey ... Has two brothers and a sister ... Majoring in interdisciplinary studies.