Nevada Signs 20 on 2012 National Signing Day
(Special Thanks to Chad Hartley and Nevada Media Services) – As the University of Nevada enters the Mountain West, the Wolf Pack football team announced the signing of 20 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.
Fifteen of the 18 players who will join the team in the fall will come directly from the high school ranks. Nevada signed five junior college transfers with two – defensive backs Markus Smith and Nigel Haikins – having already enrolled at the school. The other three jucos should help fill areas of need in wide receiver Nigel Westbrooks and defensive linemen Shane Pennix and Cortez Woods.
“This is a good, solid class that should lend itself to some immediate help and also provide some good, young depth,” said Ault, the Hall of Fame coach who will enter his 28th season this fall.
The recruiting class has an offensive skill slant to it with nine signees filling skill positions within the Pistol offense. The Wolf Pack signed a pair of quarterbacks in Tyler Stewart (Simi Valley, Calif.) and Hasaan Henderson (Las Vegas, Nev.) to go along with a pair of physical running backs in Chris Solomon (West Covina, Calif.) and Xavier Stephens (Tulare, Calif.). Including Westbrooks, Nevada signed four wide receivers and a tight end in this year’s class.
“We needed to create good competition within the offense and this class will do just that,” Ault said.
The Wolf Pack should see immediate competition at a number of position on the defensive side with the addition of two defensive linemen in Pennix and Woods and a pair of secondary additions in Smith and Haikins.
“The transfers are welcome additions to positions that needed competition and depth,” Ault said.
The 2012 recruiting class was announced via Twitter, Facebook and on the Wolf Pack’s “Signing Day Central” page at NevadaWolfPack.com as NLIs were received on Wednesday.
Nevada will open spring drills on March 30 with the annual Silver and Blue game set for Saturday, April 21 at Mackay Stadium.
2012 Nevada Football Recruiting Class
Alphabetical
Name Pos Ht Wt Yr Exp Hometown (Last School)
Abe Abdelkarim OL 6-6 315 Fr. HS Allen, Texas (Allen HS)
Alex Bertrando LB 6-2 210 Fr. HS Loomis, Calif. (Del Oro HS)
Charles Faraimo DT 6-2 270 Fr. HS Sacramento, Calif. (Grant HS)
Travis Gardner WR 6-0 195 Fr. HS Chula Vista, Calif. (Eastlake HS)
Jarred Gipson ATH 6-0 220 Fr. HS Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek HS)
Brian Guendling DE 6-4 220 Fr. HS Poway, Calif. (Poway HS)
Nigel Haikins DB 5-11 205 Jr. TR Berkeley, Calif. (Diablo Valley College)
Aisea Hansen OL 6-3 310 Fr. HS Fontana, Calif. (Kaiser HS)
Hasaan Henderson QB 6-5 210 Fr. HS Las Vegas, Nev. (Las Vegas HS)
Marquis Newell DB 6-0 175 Fr. HS Sarasota, Fla. (Riverview HS)
Shane Pennix DE 6-3 240 Jr. TR Spring Valley, Calif. (Grossmont JC)
Jerico Richardson WR 5-11 175 Fr. HS North Hills, Calif. (Bishop Alemany HS)
Markus Smith DB 6-1 185 Jr. TR Riverside, Calif. (Riverside JC)
Chris Solomon RB 6-0 185 Fr. HS West Covina, Calif. (West Covina HS)
Xavier Stephens RB 5-11 235 Fr. HS Tulare, Calif. (Tulare Union HS)
Tyler Stewart QB 6-4 210 Fr. HS Simi Valley, Calif. (Sierra Canyon HS)
Cody Tuttle TE 6-3 220 Fr. HS Newbury Park, Calif. (Westlake HS)
Randy Uzoma WR 6-1 200 Fr. HS Canoga Park, Calif. (Canoga Park HS)
Nigel Westbrooks WR 6-1 185 Jr. TR San Marcos, Calif. (Palomar College)
Cortez Woods DT 6-3 255 Jr. TR Roseville, Calif. (American River College)
