Nevada's Top 10 preseason football prospects
By David Schoen
Aug 18, 2010, 10:14am
USC commit Grimble headlines group; Bishop Gorman features three highly regarded players.
Three football players from Nevada have already made non-binding verbal commitments, including two headed to the Pacific-10 or Pacific-12 Conference. And college coaches will be keeping a close eye on several other of the state's standouts this fall.
With the season set to kick off this weekend, here is the preseason Top 10 class of 2011 prospects:
DE Jalen Grimble, Bishop Gorman - The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder is widely regarded as one of the
nation's top players at his position after a junior season that saw him finish with 59 tackles, eight sacks and two fumble recoveries. Grimble committed to USC in May over offers from Alabama, Louisiana State, Nebraska and UCLA, and will be expected to lead a Gaels defense that should be among the best in the state.
RB Dasean Martin, Bonanza - The Bengals struggled last season to a 3-7 mark, but that didn't stop recruiters from noticing Martin (5-11, 190 pounds). As a junior, he rushed for 1,306 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 8 yards per carry, and he added 18 receptions for 333 yards and four scores. The powerful Martin has offers from Colorado State, UNLV, Utah State and is hearing from most of the Pac-10/Pac-12 as well.
RB Brandon Wright, Palo Verde - After transferring from Centennial before his junior year, Wright emerged as the leading rusher for the Panthers with 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns. Wright finished fourth in the 100 meters at the 4A state track and field meet in the spring and Cal is the clear leader for his signature over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Colorado State, Illinois, New Mexico State, San Diego State, UNLV and Utah.
S Evan Zeger, Bishop Gorman - The 6-2, 200-pound Zeger played last season at Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.), but transferred back to Gorman for his senior year. Zeger, whose father and grandfather played at Washington, committed to the Huskies in the spring. He finished with 55 tackles and four interceptions at Skyline, helping the Spartans win the Washington 4A state title. Zeger had 33 tackles and four interceptions as a sophomore at Gorman.
WR Don Pearson, Faith Lutheran - Pearson was forced to play quarterback at times last season as the Crusaders moved up to the 4A level, yet he still earned second-team all-state honors at wide receiver after making 41 receptions for 616 yards and six TDs. Stanford has made an offer to the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder and he is drawing interest from Boise State, Colorado, Colorado State, Nevada, Northwestern, Oregon State, TCU and UNLV.
WR Marquan Major, Las Vegas - The Wildcats are stacked at the skill positions and the 6-foot-3, 165-pound Major is one of the headliners. After a breakout sophomore season, Major battled injuries as a junior and finished with 16 catches for 208 yards and two TDs. Still, he is expected to have a big senior year as Las Vegas is one of the favorites to capture the Sunrise Region title. Major has offers from Idaho and UNLV, and is hearing from Colorado, Oregon State, UCLA and Utah.
DB Ladale Jackson, Silverado - The 400-meter champion (and third-place finisher in the 200) at the 4A state meet in May, Jackson used a strong spring to grab the attention of recruiters. Jackson has impressive size (5-11, 170 pounds) at the corner position and is expected to lead a talented Skyhawks secondary. Jackson has received offers from Colorado, Colorado State, Hawaii, Nevada, UNLV, Utah and Utah State.
WR/DB Rollins Stallworth, McQueen - Also a standout on the basketball court for the Lancers, the 6-foot-2 Stallworth is the top prospect in the Northern Region. Stallworth was a second-team All-High Desert League performer at receiver last season and worked on improving his speed to go along with his outstanding athleticism. Stallworth is hearing from Boise State and Nevada, and figures to garner more interest as the season goes along.
DE Sam Tai, Liberty - The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Tai impressed at several summer camps and has emerged as one of the fastest-rising recruits in the state. A second-team All-Southeast League pick as a junior, Tai even played quarterback for the Patriots last season. Tai earned an offer from Arkansas after a strong showing at the Razorbacks' camp and is also considering Colorado, Colorado State, Idaho, Fresno State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah, UNLV and Wyoming.
OL A.C. Patterson, Bishop Gorman - The anchor of the offensive line for the defending 4A state champion Gaels, Patterson is the son of former UNLV defensive line coach Andre Patterson. The 6-foot-2, 285-pound A.C. Patterson committed in June to UTEP, where his father is now the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the Miners. He also had offers from Nevada, Montana, Portland State and Northern Arizona.
GORMAN KICKS OFF SEASON SATURDAY
The high school football season begins Saturday as Bishop Gorman, which is ranked No. 23 in the MaxPreps.com Xcellent 25 preseason rankings, meets No. 19 Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) in the Fifth Annual Sollenberger Classic at Northern Arizona University's Lawrence Walkup Skydome.
Since 2008, the game has featured the defending state champions from Nevada and Arizona. Nevada has lost both meetings, including Gorman's 16-6 loss to Brophy College Prep (Phoenix) in 2008. Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.) beat McQueen of Reno 51-20 last season.
The Gaels went 15-0 last season and outscored their opponents 798-135. Hamilton should provide a stern test, though, as it has won five of the last seven Arizona 5A state titles. Both teams feature talent at the skill positions, but the game is expected to feature an intriguing battle in the trenches.
Gorman's defensive line with USC commit Jalen Grimble will try to get the best of a Hamilton offensive line that is led by tackle Christian Westerman, who has verbaled to Texas and is ranked as the No. 22 recruit in the country according to CBS College/MaxPreps.com recruiting expert Tom Lemming. Gorman's offensive line features Ronnie Stanley(6-7, 280), Ron Scoggins (6-3, 305) and A.C. Patterson (6-2, 285).
David Schoen works at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and is a former Associate Sports Editor and Turn2 columnist for the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune. You can reach him at ByDavid1@aol.com.
