Sorting through UNLV’s QB options for 2020 – Las Vegas Sun

Steve Marcus

UNLV Rebels quarterback Kenyon Oblad (7) passes during a game against Boise State at Sam Boyd Stadium Saturday, Oct. 5,2019.

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Tuesday, July 14, 2020 | 2 a.m.

Even before the college football offseason was blown to pieces by the COVID-19 outbreak, UNLV was looking at a question mark at the quarterback position. Now, after months of topsy-turvy developments on and off the field, the team seems to be further than ever from a solution.

At the end of the 2019 season, it looked like the Rebels were headed for a competition between fifth-year senior Armani Rogers and redshirt sophomore Kenyon Oblad, but with new head coach Marcus Arroyo taking over and installing his own system, nothing was set in stone.

Arroyo added another highly touted quarterback to the mix in TCU transfer Justin Rogers, and the new guy would seem to be the favorite to win the job except that the NCAA has yet to rule on his waiver for immediate eligibility.

Adding to the state of flux, Armani Rogers announced last week that he entered the NCAA transfer portal and will play his final season at another school.

Player movement and schematic questions are par for the course in college football, however. The coronavirus canceled spring practice, limited the number of voluntary summer workouts and could very well lead to a reduced training camp. Heck, it might even push the start of the season to October (or even the spring). That has only gone to make the Rebels QB question exponentially more difficult to solve.

A look at the options under center for UNLV this season:

Kenyon Oblad, sophomore

After sitting out a redshirt year, Oblad opened the 2019 season at No. 2 on the depth chart and eventually beat out incumbent starter Armani Rogers over the second half of the year. Oblad had his ups and downs, but showed off playable arm strength and good touch for leading his receivers. For the season, he completed 54.2 percent of his passes for 2,081 yards while throwing for 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He finished the year on a strong note, passing for 229 yards, three TDs and no interceptions in UNLVs overtime win at UNR.

Does Oblads hot streak at the end of 2019 set him up as the starter heading into 2020? He has to be considered the leader in the clubhouse at this point, even if its by default; Armani Rogers has transferred and Justin Rogers is battling for eligibility, so as of now Oblad is No. 1 on the depth chart.

Justin Rogers, sophomore

Rogers was a top recruit in the class of 2018 (No. 52 overall), but a knee injury in the opening game of his senior year sidelined him for the rest of that season. He redshirted at TCU in 2018, then found himself buried on the depth chart as a freshman in 2019. Rogers didnt play in a single game for TCU.

If Rogers is granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA, his recruiting pedigree suggests that hell be the most talented player on the entire roster. Thats exciting. And judging by the way Arroyo liked to utilize Justin Herbert at Oregon, the coach may prefer a QB with good mobility. Rogers certainly has that, as he was rated the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in his class (before the knee injury, anyway).

If the NCAA comes through and rules him eligible for 2020, Rogers becomes the most exciting option for UNLV.

Max Gilliam, senior

Last year, Gilliam was locked in a training-camp battle for the No. 2 job with Oblad before a foot injury sidelined him and paved the way for Oblad to become the primary backup. In 2018, Gilliam proved to be a capable if nondescript passer as he completed 55.3 percent of his passes for 1,394 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Gilliam is probably best suited for a backup role behind Oblad or Rogers, both of whom appear to be more physically talented. Gilliam also only has one year of eligibility remaining, which doesnt offer much upside as compared with Oblad and Rogers (both third-year sophomores).

Travis Mumphrey, freshman

A former 3-star recruit from Louisiana, Mumphrey alternated between nice throws and wildly inaccurate balls in practice last year while redshirting. Hes another player who brings mobility to the position, but its hard to see him rising up the depth chart in the span of one offseason.

Marckell Grayson, junior

Much like Rogers, an injury limited Grayson to one game as a senior in high school. So between that, this redshirt year in 2017, and two years of inactivity in 2018 and 2019, he has seen the field just that one time since the end of the 2015 season. Thats a long time to go without playing real football. Heading into his junior year, Grayson looks like practice depth at this point.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [emailprotected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.