UNR’s Polian considers Las Vegas prime area for recruiting

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Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

UNR head coach Brian Polian takes issue with the refereeing during their game against UNLV Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 at Mackay Stadium in Reno. UNLV defeated UNR 27-22 to reclaim the Fremont Cannon.

Wed, Jul 29, 2015 (2 a.m.)

UNLV vs. UNR 2013

UNLV lineman Brian Roth celebrates the Rebels 27-22 victory over UNR Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 at Mackay Stadium in Reno. Launch slideshow »
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Within days of becoming the UNR football coach three years ago, Brian Polian was in Las Vegas recruiting players and promoting the Wolf Pack brand.

He envisioned UNR, which calls itself Nevada, being the state’s school and knew he needed recruits from all parts of the Silver State to better complete the vision.

He made recruiting visits at various Las Vegas-area high schools in that initial month, including multiple trips to powerhouse Bishop Gorman, the reigning state champion. He even took notable Las Vegans to dinner.

Some area high school coaches said he spent more time at their school in that first week than assistants from hometown UNLV did in an entire year.

Polian’s efforts have proven beneficial: UNR continues to sign impact players from Southern Nevada. That trend will continue next February on national signing day with Palo Verde’s Kameron Toomer, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker, verbally committing last week.

UNR each summer hosts its Friday Night Lights Camp at Faith Lutheran for incoming high school seniors and juniors, evaluating prospects who are eager to earn a scholarship offer.

“Three years we have come to Las Vegas to host Friday Night Lights and three years we have discovered a scholarship player in the camp, so I am going to keep coming,” Polian said Tuesday during the Mountain West’s media days at the Cosmopolitan.

Polian can’t talk about Toomer until a letter-of-intent is signed in February 2016. But he raved about a 2015 graduate, Sierra Vista running back Maliek Broady, who will be a preferred walk-on this fall. Despite rushing for 1,406 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2014, Broady was lightly recruited.

“I think Maliek Broady is going to play football for us someday,” Polian said. “I have a hunch he is going to earn a scholarship very quickly. I am so excited about that kid.”

Polian, who before he became the UNR coach was the special teams coordinator at Texas A & M and also had stints at Stanford and Notre Dame, quickly learned how important the Fremont Cannon rivalry game against UNLV is to the Wolf Pack’s fan base. In 2014, his first season, UNLV broke a seven-year losing streak against UNR.

“I got a little grief about the cannon. That is what I heard about at church in June,” Polian said.

UNLV won’t be a pushover on the recruiting trail because first-year coach Tony Sanchez wants to build his team with Las Vegans and already has three local verbal commitments for 2016.

That includes Coronado High lineman Donovan Outlaw, who was heading to a camp at UNR in June when his flight was canceled and decided to commit to UNLV.

“I have no doubt UNLV will improve greatly. We have seen it in recruiting now in the short term,” Polian said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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