Chris Murray

cmurray@rgj.com

Wolf Pack football coach Jay Norvell announced his first recruiting class Wednesday, a 20-player haul that included 11 offensive players and nine defensive players. Nevada has two scholarships remaining in the class and Norvell said he would be on the lookout to add two more players before the 2017 season begins. Here is a look at the 20 players who signed with Nevada on Wednesday.

Quarterbacks

David Cornwell

Position: Quarterback

Height/weight: 6-5/228

Hometown: Jones, Okla.

High school: Norman North High

Previous School: Alabama

In short: Cornwell becomes the highest-rated prospect to sign with the Nevada football team. The quarterback was ranked 57th by ESPN, 65th by 247Sports and 104th by Rivals when he signed with Alabama out of high school in 2014. Cornwell played in two games with the Crimson Tide but never threw a pass. He will battle with returning starter Ty Gangi for the starting gig at Nevada in 2017. Cornwell is a graduate transfer, so he's eligible immediately and will have two years remaining at Nevada. At 6-5 and 228 pounds, Cornwell is a big quarterback who has a strong arm and had offers from a number of big-name schools coming out of Norman North (Okla.) High. Norvell was a member of the Oklahoma staff when Cornwell was in high school, so he's clearly kept tabs on Cornwell since his high school days. Cornwell was behind true freshman Jalen Hurts on the Alabama depth chart and is one of three Crimson Tide quarterbacks who transferred this season.

Kaymen Cureton

Position: Quarterback

Height/weight: 6-2/205

Hometown: Lawndale, Calif.

High school: Leuzinger High

In short: Cureton is an excellent athlete who had offers from Alabama, LSU and other big schools to come in as an athlete. He wanted to play quarterback and eventually picked Nevada over New Mexico after originally committing to San Jose State. Cureton played his first two seasons at Los Angeles High under Nevada outside receivers coach Eric Scott before transferring to Leuzinger High. Norvell said he's an excellent leader and passer and the future of the program. He completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,150 yards, 32 touchdowns and only five interceptions as a senior. He also rushed for 496 yards and six scores. He's a three-star prospect with a high ceiling, although he'll almost assuredly redshirt in 2017.

Wide receivers

McLane Mannix

Position: Wide receiver

Height/weight: 5-10/178

Hometown: Midland, Texas

High school: Midland High

In short: Mannix was a late addition to the class after he de-committed from Vanderbilt on Monday and committed to the Wolf Pack on signing day. He's a smaller slot receiver who is one of five pass-catchers in the class. Mannix was a four-year varsity player in football-crazed Texas and caught 46 passes for 941 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior. In his career, he caught 162 passes for 2,798 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also rushed 157 times for 1,006 yards and eight touchdowns. Mannix also was a kick and punt returner and played defense, where he had 122 career tackles. Versatility certainly isn't an issue for Mannix, who had the athleticism to get an offer from the SEC (he clocked a 4.35 40-yard time).. He's also smart as he had offers from Army, Air Force and Columbia.

Tyson Williams

Position: Wide receiver

Height/weight: 5-10/190

Hometown: Dothan, Alabama

High school: Dothan High

In short: Williams was used as both a running back and receiver in high school. He's excellent in space and is a tough-to-tackle player. Williams will be undersized at the FBS level but could be dynamic if put in space. He has good vision and the versatility to play multiple positions for the Wolf Pack. A good athlete, Williams is listed as a three-star recruit by Scout.com and had offers from Cincinnati, Memphis, Purdue, South Alabama, Tulane, Southern Miss and Troy. Williams has solid speed and is shifty. Running back wasn't a position of need for Nevada, so Williams will start out at slot receiver. Nevada doesn't recruit Alabama all that often, although Williams is the second player the Wolf Pack has recruited out of Dothan in the last four classes (All-MW defensive end Malik Reed also hailed from the school).

Ian Zamudio

Position: Wide receiver

Height/weight: 5-9/155

Hometown: Riverside, Calif.

High school: Notre Dame High

In short: What Zamudio lacks in size, he makes up for in athleticism and versatility as he's played receiver, running back, defensive back and returned kicks and punts in high school. He could fill a variety of roles at Nevada. During his senior season, Zamudio rushed 68 times for 795 yards and caught 20 passes for 513 yards. He scored 14 overall touchdowns, including two on returns (one punt, one kickoff). He averaged 33.3 yards per kick return and 16.3 yards per punt return. Zamudio put up similar numbers as a junior, accounting for 1,155 yard of offense and 19 touchdowns. Unrated by the major recruiting services, Zamudio also had offers from Dixie State and Kentucky Christian. At 155 pounds, he'll have to put on some weight to get on the field.

Elijah Cooks

Position: Wide receiver

Height/weight: 6-5/215

Hometown: Atascadero, Calif.

High school: Atascadero High

In short: The biggest of the five receivers in Nevada's class, Cooks caught 57 passes for 967 yards and 12 touchdowns as a high school senior. He rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Unranked by the major recruiting sites, Cooks also had offers from Wyoming and San Jose State and interest from a number of other Mountain West schools. He certainly has FBS size at 6-5 and 215 pounds, which will make him one of Nevada's biggest receivers. “It’s not just big catches, it’s the normal catches,” Atascadero coach Vic Cooper told the Tribune News of Cooks during the season. “At times, when the offense wasn’t necessarily firing on all cylinders, he was able to carry us a little bit." Cooks, who also returned punts, is a two-sport star at Atascadero High. He's averaging 13.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, two steals and two blocks per game for the basketball team.

Theo Goodwin

Position: Wide receiver/cornerback

Height/weight: 6-1/182

Hometown: El Cajon, Calif.

High school: Christian High

In short: Goodwin is an athletic two-way high school player who fits Norvell's ideal of having versatile players. During his senior season, Goodwin caught 60 passes for 1,140 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for 150 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown, threw two touchdowns and averaged 36.9 yards per kick return, scoring four times on returns. He has good speed (he reportedly runs a 4.39-second 40-yard dash) and length and averaged 19 yards per catch. Unranked by the major recruiting services, Goodwin also had scholarship offers from New Mexico, San Jose State, Montana State, Duquesne, Dixie State, Cal Poly, Southern Utah, Southwestern College and Sacramento State. Nevada's recruitment of Goodwin actually started under former coach Brian Polian, who offered him last May, which at the time was his first scholarship offer. He was re-recruited by Norvell's staff and was offered again by Nevada in late December.

Offensive linemen

Marshall Levins

Position: Offensive line

Height/weight: 6-6/305

Hometown: Mansfield, Ohio

High school: Mansfield High

Junior college: Fullerton College

In short: Levins is a hulking product of the JC ranks who is a three-star recruit by Scout. He also had offers from Toledo, Utah State and Texas State, which he committed to a week before flipping to Nevada. Levins was a part of the Fullerton College team that was named the junior college national champions by JCFootball.com. Levins played his high school ball in Ohio but wasn't an NCAA qualifier and headed West to play in junior college. He has two years of eligibility at Nevada over a three-year period. He played left tackle in college and could end up at tackle or guard at Nevada. "I'm best at getting back in my stance and stopping fast pass-rushers since I'm more athletic and have better and lighter feet," Levins told Scout. "I'm flexible athletic and I understand the game and what different looks a defense can bring and I'm faster than most linemen. I'm also becoming a better run-blocker. I get off the ball faster and can climb to the second level."

Gray Davis

Position: Offensive line

Height/weight: 6-5/302

Hometown: Dallas

High school: Parish Episcopal School

In short: At 6-5 and 302 pounds, Davis is a big offensive lineman whose size gives him a shot to land on the depth chart early in his career. He also played in the football hotbed of Dallas, so he should be more advanced than the average high school recruit. Davis' addition gives Norvell two commitments from Texas in the class. He is a three-star recruit who had offers from New Mexico State, Illinois State, Liberty and four Ivy League schools. He also had interest from Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Tulane and is listed among the top-100 offensive guards in the 2017 class by Scout. Nevada needs depth on the offensive line and Davis is one of four who plays that position in the class and one of two from the high school ranks.

Chase Windham​

Position: Offensive line

Height/weight: 6-4/260

Hometown: Murrieta, Calif.

High school: Vista Murrieta High

In short: Windham is one of two high school offensive lineman in Nevada's class and one of four offensive linemen overall. Windham was a two-way player in high school and fit at left tackle on the offensive line, but he has a guard body at this stage for the FBS level. He was originally committed to Cal Poly before flipping to Nevada. He also had offers from Air Force, Army, Dixie State and Northern Colorado. His film shows he has good athleticism (he was a defensive end on defense) and a good motor, although he'll have to add more weight before hitting the field for Nevada. Like most trench players coming from the high school level, Windham is likely in line for a redshirt season in 2017 before potentially cracking Nevada's depth chart. MaxPreps.com listed Windham as posting 42 pancake blocks in nine games as a senior.

Anthony Palomares​

Position: Offensive line

Height/weight: 6-4/290

Hometown: Riverside, Calif.

High school: Patriot High

Junior college: Victor Valley College (Victorville, Calif.)

In short: With the offensive line being an area of concern heading into next season, the Wolf Pack is in search of plug-and-play guys on the line. Palomares could fit that role. He was a Junior College Gridwire First-Team All American in 2016 and had offers from Purdue and UAB. Palomares actually began his JC career as a linebacker but was quickly switched to offensive line against his wishes. "I came in as a linebacker and they converted me and I wasn't happy about it," Palomares told the Victory Valley Daily Press. "I was thinking I wouldn't get the recognition there. But I like being able to physically, mentally and technically beat the opponent in front of you. It's just being consistent. That's really what you need to play on the offensive line." With the Wolf Pack losing three starting linemen in the offseason, Palomares could push for playing time. He played left tackle at the JC level but could also fit at guard at Nevada. "This is one the hardest working guys I've had since I've been here," Victory Valley coach Dave Hoover said. "He's what JuCo football is all about."

Defensive linemen

Chris Green

Position: Defensive tackle

Height/weight: 6-2/285

Hometown: Los Angeles

High school: Los Angeles High

In short: Green is one of two defensive linemen in the class (both are tackles). He is a three-star recruit on Scout and two-star recruit on ESPN. Green had offers from Arizona and Hawaii and also took an official visit to UConn. Green is one of three commitments from prospects who played at Los Angeles High, where Scott was the head coach last season. Green played at Mater Dei High as a junior before transferring to Los Angeles High. He is an excellent student who aspires to be an engineer and he has the size (6-2/285) to potentially play early. Scout ranks Green as the 79th-best defensive tackle in the nation. While Nevada is deep at defensive end, it could use some help at nose guard in the team's new 3-5-5 scheme.

Dominic Peterson

Position: Defensive line

Height/weight: 6-0/265

Hometown: Harbor City, Calif.

High school: Narbonne High

In short: Peterson was a wrecking ball last season on the defensive line and was named the area's player of the year by the Daily Breeze newspaper after he had 109 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and forced three fumbles for Narbonne High, one of the top football programs in Southern California. Peterson, a three-star recruit, also had offers from Syracuse, Sacramento State and West Liberty. The only thing holding him back from Pac-12 offers was his height. Peterson is a constant performer, racking up back-to-back 100-plus tackle seasons from the defensive line. Defensive line wasn't really a position of need for Nevada, but the Wolf Pack couldn't pass up Peterson, who it offered about a week before he committed. “He plays so hard all the time and is so versatile,” Narbonne coach Manuel Douglas told the Los Angeles Times. “He’s unblockable inside. He’s so quick off the ball.”

Linebackers

Lamin Touray

Position: Linebacker

Height/weight: 6-1/225

Hometown: Mission Hills, Calif.

High school: Bishop Alemany High

In short: Touray is a three-star recruit who Scout.com ranks as the 41st-best inside linebacker in the nation and the eighth-best inside linebacker in the West. Rivals lists Touray as a three-star recruit with offers from San Diego State, Colorado State, San Jose State, UNLV, Wyoming, Hawaii and UTEP, among others. Touray suffered a season-ending broken fibia in September, which sabotaged his senior season. He earned linebacker MVP honors at the The Opening Oakland, a prestigious camp, prior to his senior season. His film shows he's a sideline-to-sideline player with good pursuit skills. The Wolf Pack is thin at linebacker and needs athletic prospects who can run in Jeff Casteel's new 3-3-5 scheme. Touray might not have ideal height, which probably kept him from getting Pac-12 offers, but he has all the other skills you want in a middle linebacker. He's a well-built, athletic, smart kid who played in one of the tougher leagues in Southern California.

Trevor Price

Position: Linebacker

Height/weight: 5-10/210

Hometown: Round Rock, Texas

High school: Cedar Ridge High

In short: At 5-10, Price is an undersized linebacker, but he has solid weight already and excellent speed, which he's displayed in track. Speed is the most important aspect of Nevada's new 3-3-5 defensive scheme. Cedar Ridge is one of the stronger programs in football-rich Texas, so Price should be well groomed before he joins Nevada. The Wolf Pack was the first school to offer Price, doing so when Brian Polian was the team's head coach. Price and Touray are the only commitments from Polian's tenure (out of 18) to sign with Nevada on Wednesday. He also is an excellent wrestler, so despite Price's low profile Nevada is getting a good athlete out of a state that knows its football.

Defensive backs

Berdale Robins

Position: Cornerback

Height/weight: 5-9/163

Hometown: Los Angeles

High school: Los Angeles High

In short: Scott, the Wolf Pack assistant, is plenty family with Robins as he was his high school coach at Los Angeles High last season. Robins is an unrated recruit who picked up late offers from Dixie State and Western New Mexico. Nevada was his only FBS offers and he gobbled it up. Robins is small for this level, but the Wolf Pack clearly has good insight into his character, work ethic and athletic abilities given his ties to Scott, who was pounding the desk to get Robins an FBS offer before he was hired by Nevada. He had a rough start in high school, doing poorly in school and failing to be academically ineligible to play. But he matured late in his sophomore season, clocked some As in class and showed enough versatility to get college interest while working his was to NCAA eligibility. “I wanted to play (football), so I had to get it together," Robins told the Los Angeles Times. Robins played receiver, cornerback and returned kicks and punts for Los Angeles High. He's pegged for a cornerback spot at Nevada and has the athleticism and speed to make up for his relative lack of size.

Vosean Crumbie

Position: Defensive back

Height/weight: 6-1/195

Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.

High school: IMG Academy

Junior college: Ventura (Calif.) College

In short: Crumbie is a JC defense back who was committed to Fresno State before flipping to Nevada. He also had an offer to Oregon State. He's a big cornerback who is a Florida native who will have two years of eligibility at Nevada. Cornerback is a position of need for the Wolf Pack and rarely do you see cornerbacks with his size. Crumbie had 41 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass breakups in 11 games last season at Ventura College. He also served as Ventura's kick and punt returner. He averaged 23.4 yards per kick return and had one score and averaged 9.3 yards per punt return with two scores. “He has the ‘it’ factor and he gets it,” Ventura coach Steve Mooshagian told the Ventura County Star. “His football instincts are really good. He sees and anticipates things.”

Brandon Brooks

Position: Defensive back

Height/weight: 6-3/185

Hometown: San Diego

High school: Patrick Henry

Junior college: Riverside (Calif.) City College

In short: Brooks is a big cornerback who will have two seasons of eligibility with the Wolf Pack. With Nevada moving to a 3-3-5 scheme, Nevada was looking for good athletes who can run and hit. Given the relative dearth of defensive backs on the 2017 roster compared with the defensive line, reeling in cornerbacks and safeties was a big priority for Norvell. Brooks had 13 tackles and an interception in 10 games for Riverside City College last season. Brooks had initially committed to Idaho. He also had offers from Alabama A&M and Hawaii. He should battle for playing time in 2017.

Nephi Sewell

Position: Defensive back

Height/weight: 6-0/190

Hometown: St. George, Utah

High school: Desert Hills High

In short: Sewell's last name should be familiar as he is the brother of Nevada linebacker Gabe Sewell. Nephi can player either safety of cornerback (he also played running back in high school). He broke his neck in the first game of the 2015 season and it was thought he might never play football again. But he returned in the third game of the 2016 season and had a standout senior year. He also had offers from Washington State, Weber State and Southern Utah. Sewell, a two-star recruit, rushed for 1,241 yards (11 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns in 2016. He had 17 tackles and an interception on defense. The next Sewell kid coming through the pipeline in Penei, a class of 2018 offensive tackle who is a top-250 national recruit with offers from Washington, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Nebraska and Mississippi State, among others.

Athlete

Austin Arnold

Position: Wide receiver/athlete

Height/weight: 6-1/206

Hometown: Las Vegas

High school: Bishop Gorman High

In short: Nevada hasn't mined Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman too often in the past -- walk-ons K Colin Ditsworth (at Nevada from 2011-13) and WR Joe Huber (2009-13) hailed from the school -- but the school will be more of a focus under Norvell, who hired former Gorman head coach David White as an assistant (running backs coach). Arnold is listed as an athlete, so he could play multiple positions. He is a three-star prospect by Rivals.com (unranked by ESPN and Scout) and Nevada was his first scholarship offer. A three-year varsity player, Arnold caught 18 passes for 299 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He also rushed 24 times for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Arnold also has returned kicks and punts. He's explosive in space and is both quick and fast.