Every morning last fall when Omar Clayton rode a bus to UNLV, the quarterback got an education going from downtown Las Vegas to campus.
“Absolutely,” he said of the characters on the bus. “Every morning was something new.”
While teammates walked from their dorms, Clayton commuted from north of the city where he lived with his grandfather. He arrived at UNLV as an invited walk-on. No stars on the recruiting site. No scholarship offers. His grandfather provided the only way Clayton could afford the walk-on bid with the Rebels.
By midseason 2007, Clayton rose from third team to starter against Colorado State. That day, he became the first Rebels quarterback in school history to pass for more than 300 yards and rush for 100 in a game. CSU won 48-23, in part because Clayton threw three interceptions.
This season, Clayton ranks third in Mountain West Conference passing efficiency, behind BYU star Max Hall and Utah’s Brian Johnson. Clayton has 12 TD passes in five games with only one interception and the Rebels are a surprising 3-2.
“It was just getting experience,” he said. “Last year I was ready to play, but I don’t think I was ready to start.”
He is eager for another crack at the Rams, who host the Rebels on Saturday. A year ago, a UNLV team plagued by its annual QB turmoil was the cure for CSU’s 13-game losing streak.
“Our quarterback journey over the last four years has been a very difficult one,” said UNLV coach Mike Sanford, who worked at Utah previously. “I’m very excited by the fact we have a guy who can execute this offense. Omar has all the tools to be another Brian John-son. The only difference is experience. In some ways Omar could even surpass Brian, who is definitely the class of the league as a spread quarterback in this part of the country.”
Clayton and Sanford attribute the lack of recruiting to Clayton shuttling between Plano, Texas, and Normal, Ill., during high school. He disappeared from the radar.
“I always laugh at the recruiting process. I had zero stars on Rivals,” Clayton said. “There’s always going to be players people never heard of.”
Footnote.
Linebacker Ricky Brewer, the Rams’ leader in tackles with 31, remains in a protective ankle boot. The third-year sophomore from Mullen injured his right ankle on the first play against Cal but remained in the game. He insists he will play against UNLV. “I anticipate he’ll play, but there’s no guarantee,” coach Steve Fairchild said.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
