‘09 FB Board
2009 Nevada Football Big Board
Click on the photo for an HD video of the 2009 Nevada Recruiting Album
The Players
Wesley Hollingshed – 6-foot-2, 295-pound D-Tackle
Norcross (Ga.) – Norcross High School
- An outstanding, late find in the 2009 recruiting season, Hollingshed brings a big-body to the thick of the Nevada defense. During his only season at Norcross high school, Hollingshed flat out dominated the line of scrimmage, earning all-state honors and racking up some extremely impressive numbers. Hollingshed should work his way up the Nevada depth charts fairly quickly due to his motor and work ethic, though he’ll need to gain more upper body strength to crack the rotation. He’s a talented guy that most of the SEC was monitoring late in the recruiting season once they found out about him.
Sam Foster – 6-foot-4, 250-pound Defensive End 
Esparto (Calif.) – Esparto High School
- One of the more surprising finds in Northern California’s 2009 recruiting class, Foster is the first Esparto high school prospect to ever earn a Div. 1 football scholarship. The son of a beekeeper, Foster began his high school career at Loomis area power Del Oro high school, but transferred to Esparto when his family moved to the area. He is close friends with former Del Oro quarterback Mason Magleby, who also signed with Nevada in 2009.
Stephen Jeffers – 6-foot-3, 260-pound O-Lineman
Lake Tahoe (Calif.) – Bishop Manogue High School
- One of two local players in Nevada’s final 2009 recruiting class, Jeffers distinguished himself at a number of preseason prep camps at the University of Nevada prior to his final two seasons at Bishop Manogue. An exceptional blocker, Jeffers also has the ability to shift to tight end since he possesses great hands and good feet. His videos are tremendous to watch; a devestating blocker who will fit right into “The Union”.
Mason Magleby – 6-foot-2, 195-pound Quarterback
Loomis (Calif.) – Del Oro High School
- A mega-talented prospect in the Sacramento area who we first saw a few years back, Magleby wowed a number of on-lookers over the summer previous to his senior year at a junior camp at Nevada. His junior and senior video reels only backed that up. What really stands out about the former Del Oro prospect besides his arm and mobility, which led him to be selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft, is his leadership and confidence.
Stefphon Jefferson- 5-foot-11, 195-pound Running Back
Visalia (Calif.) – El Diamante High School
- Jefferson is a young man that has a distinct running style that reminds us a lot of former NFL MVP Terrell Davis, who just happens to be his football idol. He had an outstanding career at El Diamante, rushing for over 5,000 yards and 60 touchdowns and pushing his squad to three straight CIF Section Championship appearances during his final three years. His video does all the talking.
L.J. Washington – 6-foot, 195-pound Wide Receiver
Stockton (Calif.) – Stagg High School
- A talented wideout who originally signed with Cal after graduating from Stagg high school in 2008, Washington greyshirted the first semester of the 2008 season while getting stronger and working on his academics. However, after taking a second-look at his recruitment, Washington decided to go with the school that recruited him the hardest, Nevada, and gained admission mid-year after earning his release from Cal. That put him in a position to play as a true freshman for the Wolf Pack. He’s one of the bright future stars in Nevada’s impressive Pistol offense.
David Fales – 6-foot-2, 195-pound Quarterback
Salinas (Calif.) – Palma High School
- Another solid quarterback find in the 2009 class, Fales was one of the first prospects to verbally commit to Nevada over the summer. He put on an excellent display of marksmanship at a Wolf Pack junior camp, and over the course of his senior season, completed nearly 70 percent of his attempts. He has a strong arm and good footwork, and will compete for a back-up job after he redshirts the 2009 season during his freshman year.
Ricky Drake – 6-foot-0, 190-pound Kicker
Valencia (Calif.) – Valencia High School
via College of the Canyons JUCO
- An outstanding junior college kicker who has D-1 punting skills as well, Drake will step right in to the forefront of Nevada’s special teams unit as the kicker and kickoff specialist. He has an impressive leg, especially on kickoffs achieving great hang-time, and possesses extended range out to 55-yards on field goals. Drake still has to gain experience and develop consistency, but he should get plenty of action during his junior and senior years at Nevada.
Cory Smith – 6-foot-2, 180-pound Defensive Back
Ocala (Fla.) – Ocala High School
via College of Sequoias JUCO
- One of two big surprises on National Signing Day 2009 (joining Georgia defensive tackle prospect Wesley Hollingshed in Nevada’s recruiting class), Smith’s road to Reno was improbable to say the least. He originally chose Oregon State as a mid-year signee. But while he was waiting for Oregon State to create a spot for him in Corvallis he had a change of heart, and signed a Letter-of-Intent with Nevada on Signing Day. He’ll give the pack more depth in their secondary this season.
Duke Williams – 6-foot-1, 185-pound Safety
Reno (Nev.) – Hug High School
- The Northern Nevada 4A state Offensive Player of the Year, Williams was the first verbal in Nevada’s 2009 class. He’s also arguably their best prospect. He’ll play as a true freshman, as soon as his sophomore year could be an All-WAC selection. He’s that talented. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a local guy either, helping the Pack secure more talented D-1 young players in the area.
Joel Bitonio – 6-foot-4, 280-pound O-Lineman
Long Beach (Calif.) – Wilson High School
- A player the Wolf Pack staff found late in the recruiting process, with lead recruiter and Nevada defensive coordinator Nigel Burton the front man, Bitonio has turned out to be a fabulous find. He has impressed in a big way this fall, and out of the young offensive line prospects in the 2009 Nevada recruiting class, he could be the front-runner for early playing time on “The Union”. Expect big things from this talented, big-body athlete originally from Long Beach.
Moe Patterson – 6-foot-3, 200-pound Wide Receiver
Oceanside (Calif.) via Palomar JUCO
- One of the top speedsters available in the 2009 JUCO class nationally, Patterson has unlimited tools. He stands 6-foot-3, 200-pounds and can run by just about any defensive back in the country. Patterson needs to simply get more experience and work on his hands to be an impact recruit for the Pack down the road. You can’t teach his speed though.
Andre Davis – 6-foot-1, 230-pound Linebacker
Seattle (Wash.) via Western Washington
- A sophomore transfer to Nevada, Davis, who is originally from Seattle and attended Garfield high school, is a future Mike linebacker for the Pack. He originally selected Western Washington out of high school, but when Western Washington canceled their program, Davis became eligible to transfer immediately. His video shows a ferocious hitter with good speed and skills.
Jose Acuna – 6-foot-6, 305-pound O-Lineman
Hemet (Calif.) via Mt. San Jacinto College
- Like Hollingshed above, Acuna was a find by Wolf Pack recruiter James Ward. Originally out of Hemet (Calif.), Acuna is a polite young man who stands a strong 6-foot-6, 305-pounds. He was a mid-year addition to the Nevada program, and between the spring and fall, developed enough to earn playing time. He’ll be a senior in 2010, and have a chance at a starting spot with an impressive spring and fall.
Chris Metcalf – 6-foot-2, 185-pound Safety
Compton (Calif.) – Compton High School
- Metcalf will forever be known as Nevada’s first Army All-American, a prestigious honor spread out over the Top 100 overall recruits in the country. That alone tells you he’s a quality prospect. Originally a verbal commitment to USC, Metcalf had to work hard to qualify, but in the end he got it done. He’ll likely redshirt the 2009 season in order to get used to college academics, but along with Duke Williams, he could be a starter for years and years in the Nevada secondary.
John Kelly – 6-foot-5, 230-pound Defensive End
Norcross (Ga.) – Norcross High School via Naval Academy Prep
- The final edition of Nevada’s 2009 recruiting class, Kelly comes to Reno as another late find by Nevada defensive backs coach James Ward. Kelly was a standout at Norcross high school before moving on to play one year for Naval Academy Prep. Although he was not a teammate of Hollingshed at Norcross high, he’ll line up next to him during his redshirt season on Nevada’s scout team in 2009. Due to his impressive strength and size, we expect Kelly to move up quickly on the Pack’s depth chart.
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