UNLV Rebels camp report, Aug. 13

CRAWFORD MAKING UP FOR LOST 2011 SEASON

ELY - The first sign Sunday's practice would belong to senior safety Dre Crawford came early.

He laid a big hit in a drill that could be heard all over the field, drawing immediate "oohs" from his UNLV teammates.

Crawford later went on to dive for an interception and make a diving tackle that put junior running back Bradley Randle down for a loss.

"I've got a lot built up for this year," Crawford said. "It's my last year. So I'm really excited about the season."

Crawford has plenty of reasons to be hungry.

One is the matter of the Aug. 30 season opener against Minnesota at Sam Boyd Stadium. Crawford signed with the Golden Gophers in December 2010.

"I think about (the game) every day," he said.

He also wants to make up for lost time. Crawford was ruled ineligible to play last season, and even was not allowed to go on scholarship at UNLV. Because he began school at Minnesota and had to withdraw, Crawford paid to attend UNLV, which charges an annual out-of-state tuition of $25,000 to $30,000.

Then Crawford broke a leg during the spring game.

"I'm proud of him for a lot of reasons," coach Bobby Hauck said. "It's gratifying to see him having success this camp. I don't think he deserved to be ineligible last year.

"He's battled. Everything he's done would indicate he's going to have a great year."

NOTABLE

Sophomore Taylor Barnhill has switched from linebacker back to tight end. Freshman TE Nick Gstrein (foot) is out for what appears a lengthy time, but redshirt freshman Tyler Bergsten (heat exhaustion) should return soon. Barnhill played quarterback and tight end last season. "It's in my mind bad business ... when you move guys positionally, but sometimes you have to experiment a little bit," Hauck said. "He just looks more natural there, and he's doing a nice job." ... Sophomore running back Dionza Bradford wore a boot on his right foot. ... Redshirt freshman defensive end Sonny Sanitoa is in Las Vegas awaiting an MRI on his knee. ... Freshman defensive back Matt Lea is awaiting NCAA clearance before joining the team.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

LINEBACKER: This is an experienced group, at least among the front-line players. Lotulelei, Maka, Hasson and Jackson started a combined 18 games last season. Now it's a matter of transferring that experience into production.