UNLV recruits remain committed after hiring of Marcus Arroyo

Quarterback Doug Brumfield said Wednesday he “can’t wait to get there” after learning that Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo was hired as UNLV’s head coach.

Brumfield, a three-star recruit at rivals.com, was the first to commit to UNLV in the 2020 class. He told the Review-Journal days before former coach Tony Sanchez was fired Nov. 25 that he was “pretty locked in to UNLV 100 percent.”

“Coach Arroyo is a very good offensive-minded coach,” Brumfield said. “I hope he will help us improve how much we score and that he’ll give us more of an opportunity to shine.”

Arroyo has guided the Ducks’ offense the past three seasons and also served as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. Seventh-ranked Oregon averages 35.9 points and will play No. 11 Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Sanchez was 20-40 in five seasons with the Rebels.

Brumfield said Serra High School teammates Ronald Gilliam, a wide receiver, and Justin Pinkney, designated as an athlete by the recruiting services, also were firm in their commitment to UNLV. As of Wednesday afternoon, none of UNLV’s 11 commits had officially reopened their recruitment. Rivals.com ranks the Rebels’ class, which consists of all three-star recruits, third in the Mountain West.

“I’ve only talked to the guys at school with me, but we’re all excited,” Brumfield said. “This has been a whole long process for all of us. We’re just wanting to get there and hopefully make an immediate impact. From the (social media) posts I’ve seen, it looks like all the other guys are good to go, too.”

One of those posts came from Dirk Nelson, a three-star center from Central Valley Christian in Visalia, California, who shared a link to the UNLV athletics website story about Arroyo’s hiring on Twitter with the comment #BEaRebel and the flexing-arm emoji.

Locally, Chaparral outside linebacker Iopu Tauiliili wasn’t available for comment Wednesday and hasn’t posted anything on social about the hire. His Twitter bio has him listed as a UNLV commit, and his profile and background photo show him in a UNLV uniform.

Arbor View defensive tackle Tai Tuinei did not return a call and text message seeking comment, but he was UNLV’s third commitment for the 2020 class and the first to commit while visiting the new Fertitta Football Complex.

The Division I early signing period is Dec. 18-20, and the traditional national signing day is Feb. 5.

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2936. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.