Rebels’ Randle in a rush

No, that’s not exactly it. He had to be a running back.

Randle looks like he could be Reggie Bush’s younger brother, and he has had nicknames that pay tribute to former rushing stars Jerome Bettis and Barry Sanders.

So Randle is used to dealing with expectations — and they are high at UNLV. As a top-rated recruit, he not only could play right away but also push for the starting job.

“We want to create an opportunity for him to be on at least equal competitive footing with the other guys,” coach Mike Sanford said. “We’re going to play the best guys. I have a strong suspicion that he’s got a great opportunity to be one of those.”

The departure of Frank Summers, a fifth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, makes running back one of UNLV’s most competitive positions. Five backs are in the mix.

Sophomore C.J. Cox and senior Chris Brogdon top the depth chart as preseason camp opens today at Rebel Park with the newcomers practicing at 7:40 a.m. and returnees at 6 p.m. UNLV’s season begins Sept. 5 against Sacramento State at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Randle was rated by two recruiting services as the nation’s No. 50 running back when he signed out of Vista Murrieta (Calif.) High School. He chose UNLV over Washington State, Utah, Boise State and New Mexico.

“We have some leaders on the team, but I want to be the leader of the freshman class,” Randle said. “This is a special class. This is one of the best classes UNLV has ever had.”

Growing up in a baseball household, though, Randle was used to visiting his dad, Lenny, in major league clubhouses and hanging out with Ken Griffey Jr. and Bobby Bonds. Lenny Randle played for six clubs between 1971 and 1982.

But as a high school freshman, Randle realized football — not baseball — was in his blood. Standing in the outfield waiting for a fly ball was nothing compared to dodging linebackers in search of the first-down marker.

Lenny Randle, who runs youth baseball and football camps, never tried to talk his son out of football. After all, the elder Randle, 60, is in Arizona State’s baseball and football halls of fame.

“Right now he’s like Bush, Sanders and Bo Jackson. It’s really his call,” Lenny Randle said of Bradley’s goal to be a top-flight running back.

Randle’s nicknames have been associated with football. He used to prefer to go through a defender than around him, and in junior peewee was given Bettis’ nickname “The Bus.” As a junior at Vista Murrieta, he was “The Hulk.”

But then Randle was given advice by his dad’s friend. “Save your body because you want to play as long as you can without any injuries,” former Denver Broncos star back Terrell Davis told him.

“Guys are bigger than me, and I know that,” said Randle, who is 5 feet 8 inches, 190 pounds. “I’ve got to use my speed, my stiff arm, my jukes. Everything Barry Sanders did, that’s what I’ve got to do.”

So as a senior, Randle was called “Baby Sanders,” and on signing day Sanford even compared his slick running style to the Hall of Famer’s.

Randle posted Sanders-like numbers last season, rushing for 1,593 yards and 22 touchdowns.

At UNLV, Randle’s new teammates call him “Reggie” because of his resemblance to Bush, the former Heisman Trophy winner who is with the New Orleans Saints.

It’s one thing to be mentioned in the same circles as Bush, Bettis and Sanders, but quite another to match their skills on the field. Randle has big goals, though, and wants to do more than simply win at UNLV. He wants to further lift the Mountain West Conference.

To show how important that is to him, following a recent interview, Randle returned “to send out a message.”

“I want the conference to unify to beat the top teams in the nation,” Randle said. “It doesn’t matter who it is. It doesn’t matter the sport.”

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Read the latest practice reports at lvrj.com/blogs/unlv_sports.