5 football recruits expected to visit UNLV this weekend

Five UNLV football recruits are expected to make their official visits to the school this weekend and attend Saturday’s rivalry game against UNR at Sam Boyd Stadium.

The players scheduled to visit Las Vegas are linebacker Jacob Rominger, cornerback Willie Hobdy, defensive tackle Javier Edwards and safeties Corrion Ballard and Devin Lloyd.

All but Lloyd are junior college players. The 6-foot-3-inch, 225-pound Rominger is a verbal commit from Highland (Kan.) Community College and the 6-3, 185-pound Hobdy had three interceptions this season for Coffeyville (Kan.) CC, returning one for a touchdown.

Ballard and Edwards, a pair of Houston natives, are from Blinn College in Brenham, Texas. The 6-4, 200-pound Ballard was recently voted as co-defensive player of the year in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference after compiling three interceptions, eight pass breakups, a forced fumble, five sacks and 41 tackles. The 6-3, 320-pound Edwards earned second team honors after recording 24 tackles and two sacks.

Lloyd is a 6-foot-4-inch, 210-pound senior at Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista, Calif. He had eight interceptions this season, including four in a 27-14 win over Eastlake on Oct. 14. The Mustangs lost 34-7 to Mater Dei Catholic on Saturday in a playoff game.

Here are the current verbal commits to UNLV’s 2017 recruiting class:

— Tariq Hollandsworth (6-0, 206), running back, Sacramento (Calif.) High School. His stats weren’t available from Saturday’s 35-33 playoff loss to Inderkum, but he entered with 1,504 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns.

— Jamaal Neal (6-2, 213), two-star fullback/tight end, Los Angeles’ South Gate. Neal finished the season with 1,234 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns and 788 receiving yards and eight scores.

— Farrell Hester (6-0. 235), two-star linebacker, Bishop Gorman. Had two hurries and two tackles to help the No. 1-ranked Gaels’ whip Faith Lutheran 58-10 in Friday’s playoff game.

— Ashton Morgan (6-5, 300), two-star tackle, Pleasant Valley, Chico, Calif. Helped Vikings to 53-13 playoff win Friday over Shasta (Redding, Calif.).

— Johnny Balderas (6-1, 175), cornerback, Liberty, Bakersfield, Calif. Helped Patriots to 33-28 playoff win Friday over Clovis North (Fresno, Calif.).

— Marckell Grayson, two-star quarterback, Desert Pines. Suffered season-ending knee injury during Aug. 26 opener.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.