Ex-USC athlete begins classes at UNLV, will join Rebels’ quarterback competition
Caleb Herring can't worry about just Nick Sherry when UNLV's spring football practices open March 12.
Former Southern California player James Boyd began classes at UNLV on Tuesday, and he will join the competition to become the Rebels' next quarterback.
Coach Bobby Hauck said Boyd (6 feet 5 inches, 250 pounds) has three years of eligibility remaining. Boyd, a former hotshot recruit, shifted among quarterback, tight end and defensive end at USC in 2010 before leaving the Trojans.
He attended West Los Angeles College last year.
"Right now, we're looking at him at quarterback, and we'll go from there," Hauck said. "Obviously, we've got to get going at the quarterback position. ... We're going to give the guys a chance to get it, and who doesn't start could have the opportunity to do something else."
The Rebels averaged 109.6 yards per game passing last season, third from last nationally.
Herring, who will be a junior, was the starter, but a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness prompted the Rebels to start two others in four games.
Sherry, a redshirt freshman and former Colorado commitment, figured to go into spring with the best chance to unseat Herring. But Boyd's arrival makes the position even more competitive.
"He runs pretty well," Hauck said of Boyd. "He can do a lot of things."
Boyd was a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com at Jordan High School in Bakersfield, Calif. He passed for 4,266 yards and 44 touchdowns as a senior at Jordan, and he made 106 tackles, including eight sacks.
Rivals ranked him the nation's No. 15 athlete and the No. 190 prospect overall, and Scout named him the country's No. 19 defensive end.
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.
