UNLV Football: Will Rebels finally turn corner in 2018?
Defense
Tony Sanchez played wide receiver at New Mexico State and cut his teeth on the sidelines coaching wide receivers, but he also served as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach before taking his first high school head coaching job. Sanchez’s offense at UNLV has improved drastically but the defense has been slow to catch up.
The system will be ran by former Florida Gators linebacker coach Tim Skipper. Skipper’s task will be to improve the S&P+’s 114th ranked defense from 2017. There’s talent on the UNLV depth chart, it just has to be tapped as well as Sanchez and offensive coordinator Barney Cotton have managed for the offense. Skipper has experience in the Mountain West having played and coached at Fresno State, and having coached at Colorado State as well.
On the field
The Rebels return 14 players from last year’s two-deep and added JUCO help in recruiting. UNLV will employ a base 4-3 defensive scheme led by linebacker Gabe McCoy. McCoy logged 80 tackles (three tackles for loss) last season. He’s joined by Farrell Hester II who made 50 tackles as middle linebacker. Another linebacker, Javin White, made 40 tackles (three tackles for loss) and intercepted two passes a year ago.
Junior defensive end Nick Dehdashtian returns with 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He’s joined on the line by massive tackles in Kolo Uasike (320 pounds) and Salanoa-Alo Wily (295 pounds) so size won’t be an issue for the Rebels. Freshman Chris Manoa is a three-star defensive tackle at 300 pounds as well.
At defensive back, UNLV returns safety Dalton Baker who made 98 tackles and broke up two passes last season. Cornerback Jericho Flowers returns and he intercepted two passes in 2017 but defensive back was a huge liability for the Rebels defense. Three-star safety Phillip Hill could see playing time as a freshman and Sanchez also signed a pair two-star JUCO defensive backs that could play right away.