UNLV names Sherry starting quarterback

ELY - Even though he consistently took first-team snaps, Nick Sherry didn't want to get too excited until a decision was made on who would be UNLV's starting quarterback.

Now he can celebrate.

Coach Bobby Hauck named Sherry the starter Tuesday, choosing him over junior Caleb Herring.

His first college game is Aug. 30 against Minnesota at Sam Boyd Stadium. Sherry, who redshirted last season, will become UNLV's third freshman quarterback to start the opener, joining Travis Dixon in 2007 at Utah State and Jon Denton in 1996 at No. 2 Tennessee.

"I'm excited," Sherry said with a big smile. "It's my dream."

Though Hauck said he wasn't leaning toward Sherry all along, signs indicated that's who would become the starter.

Sherry (6 feet 5 inches, 235 pounds) routinely went on the field with the first-team offense in the "team" portion of practices, and Hauck did say "it was the body of work" that made the difference in the decision.

"He sees things well," Hauck said. "He's got good composure. He's accurate, got a big arm. I think he's got a huge upside in terms of where he's going to be down the road."

Last year, it was Herring (6-3, 200) who received word he would be the starter. He showed early promise before back-to-back terrible outings against Southern Utah and UNR.

But last season also showed the Rebels will need more than one quarterback ready to go. Three quarterbacks started games, so Herring - who was not available for comment - probably will get his shot at some point.

"I think a lot of coaches feel the way I do," Hauck said. "You're as good as your backup quarterback."

Sherry sat and watched last season as he redshirted and said the experience should help him this year.

"I got to kind of be on the field when Caleb was in," Sherry said. "I got to be able to see what the game was like playing Boise, playing these big teams, traveling to these big stadiums. It kind of broke me into what college football is like."

UNLV needs a quarterback to step up, and Sherry has the chance to do that for the next four years if he's successful.

The Rebels averaged 109.6 yards passing per game last season, ranking ahead of only option-oriented teams Navy and Army.

Sherry originally committed to Colorado, but UNLV entered the picture when the Buffaloes underwent a coaching change. He played at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, Calif., and was ranked the nation's No. 86 quarterback by Scouts Inc.

Sherry showed a strong arm in UNLV's training camp, hitting receivers deep in stride. He also was excellent at play action, drawing defenders in on what looked like running plays before going long.

"I'm going to take chances," Sherry said. "I'm going to throw the ball down the field, extend the defense and make them respect the deep ball and respect the deep routes and maybe open up the run game and help the offense come together as a team."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0353.