UNLV returns from bye week still missing senior defensive back

Barry Odom and the UNLV football team are coming off of the bye week. So how did the Rebels’ coach spend his free time?

Watching football, of course.

“Friday night, I watched my son play high school football, and that was awesome,” Odom said. “You don’t get many of those opportunities I’ve learned — I’ve learned through mistakes of always thinking I was too busy in my previous life.

“I don’t take those things for granted, the opportunity to go do that.”

Odom and the Rebels return from a week away with their biggest rivalry game, the Battle for the Fremont Cannon against UNR at 2 p.m. Saturday in Reno. Surging UNLV (4-1, 1-0 Mountain West) is coming off three straight games of scoring at least 40 points and has a chance to beat the Wolf Pack (0-5, 0-1) for a second consecutive year.

“We know how good we are, and how good we can be,” junior linebacker Jackson Woodard said. “We’re confident in that. We know we’re going to have to step up as a defense in this next stretch going forward if we want to win a championship, so we’re confident and we’re ready.”

However, Woodard and the Rebels’ defense are entering the second half of the season without one of their captains. Senior defensive back Jerrae Williams, who underwent surgery on a foot injury he suffered Sept. 23 against Texas-El Paso, was the only player Odom ruled out ahead of UNLV’s trip north.

Odom said Monday that Williams was ahead of schedule in his recovery after previously saying that Williams’ return would come in a matter of weeks, not months.

Williams has been crucial to the Rebels’ defense this season. The starting slot cornerback registered 19 tackles in four games, along with an interception, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery that he returned 41 yards for a touchdown in the 40-37 win over Vanderbilt on Sept. 16.

Yet Williams’ most valuable attribute has been his ability to rush the quarterback. The 5-foot-10-inch Williams’ three sacks lead the team. He has seven tackles for a loss, totaling 37 yards. No other UNLV player has more than three.

Odom admitted he asks a lot out of players in the nickel position. They have to set the edge in run support, hold up in man-to-man coverage against several types of receivers and have a strong understanding of zone concepts.

Sometimes, Odom even positions his slot corners on the line of scrimmage like an edge rusher.

To replace Williams, Odom and defensive coordinator Mike Scherer have called on junior defensive back Jett Elad. The Mississauga, Ontario, native joined UNLV during the offseason from Garden City Community College and racked up seven tackles in the Rebels’ last game, a 44-20 home win over Hawaii on Sept. 30.

“Jett probably improved as much or more than anyone last week in the way he practiced,” Odom said. “Now, hopefully it will carry over to live reps.”

Odom said starting safeties Johnathan Baldwin and Jaxen Turner, along with reserve safeties Cameren Jenkins and Trenton Holloway, may rotate in behind Elad against UNR.

Williams also had value to this UNLV team outside his statistics. Woodard said Turner, Baldwin and the entire defensive line have stepped up as leaders in his absence, and added that Williams has been around the team to continue encouraging them.

“It brings a team together when you lose a piece like Jerrae,” Woodard said.

Quarterback update

Junior quarterback Doug Brumfield is making progress, Odom said. He has not played since taking two big hits against Vanderbilt, with injuries described as soreness from his ribs to his hip.

Brumfield and redshirt freshman Jayden Maiava were both listed as starters on the depth chart Monday. Maiava finished the Vanderbilt game, then led the Rebels to wins over UTEP and Hawaii.

Odom declined to name a starting quarterback for UNR. But he said Brumfield has not been cleared for full practice yet, and he will not be named the starter unless he gets enough repetitions in practice this week.

“If you don’t practice at the level you need to because of health restrictions, then there’s no way you can go play really at the level we need that position to play,” Odom said. “Or any position for that matter.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on X.