Nevada Wolf Pack College Football Preview 2023
Nevada Wolf Pack College Football Preview 2023
© Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Record: 2-10 overall, 0-8 in Mountain West
Head Coach: Ken Wilson, 2nd year: 2-10
@ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak
Keys To Season, Top Players, What Will Happen
- Nevada Schedule, Picks For Every Game
It was all about trying to keep things from being really, really bad.
Nevada went to 14 bowl games in 17 seasons from 2005 to 2021. It rocked through the WAC, became a player in the Mountain West, was on a decent roll under head coach Jay Norvell with four straight winning seasons from 2018 to 2021, and then …
Pfffffffffft. All of the air went out of the balloon as Norvell left for Colorado State, a slew of top players followed along, and last year it was up to former Nevada assistant athletic director-turned-assistant coach at several stops Ken Wilson to try making lemonade.
The defense struggled, the offense had even more problems, and in the end it was a 2-10 season with lots of effort and no production.
But now there’s hope.
Wilson is a terrific defensive coach, the staff is good, and there’s a decent base to go along with a slew of interesting transfers who should instantly play a big role.
This might not be the bounce-back season into Mountain West prominence like Wolf Pack fans want, but it’ll be a far more competitive run because …
Nevada Wolf Pack Preview: Offense
The offense has a few more options now. However, even with the upgrade in depth at the skill spots, it doesn’t work if the blocking isn’t there. It’s going to take some maneuvering around of the parts, but there’s just enough experience to hope for more after struggling too much to keep defenses out of the backfield. But …
There are plenty of players ready to carry the ball. Toa Taua was one of the few bright spots with 911 of the 1,429 yards, but he’s gone. In comes Sean Dollars from Oregon and Ashton Hayes from Cal to go along with a decent recruiting class of prospects.
Nate Cox did what he could. The big veteran former Wolf Pack quarterback tried to make the offense go last year, but it didn’t work. Former Oklahoma State star recruit Shane Illingworth saw some time, and he’s still in the hunt, but it’s up to Colorado transfer Brendan Lewis to come in and take over, adding even more mobility and experience to the mix.
Fortunately, he has three of the top four wide receivers back - senior Dalton Campbell should be the best of the bunch early on - and Cal transfer Keleki Latu is a great-looking tight end who should shine with more work.
Nevada Wolf Pack Preview: Defense
The defense has to be better. Ken Wilson knows defense, co-defensive coordinators Derek Sage and Kwame Agyeman can get guys into the backfield, and there’s hope for a quick turnaround with more plays behind the line.
Leading pass rusher Dom Peterson is done after a terrific career, but the Wolf Pack have a budding star to build around in outside linebacker Drue Watts on the outside. Tough enough to play anywhere the corps, he made 57 tackles with three sacks and nine tackles for loss. Jackson LaDuke is an interesting transfer from Oregon for the inside, and there’s enough overall depth to make this a potential strength.
There were big problems against anyone who could throw, even with the pass rush helping the cause. On the plus side, there should be a strong group of defensive backs helped by the transfer of Tre Weed from Eastern Washington to play one of the safety roles. The corner combination of Jaden Dedman and Isaiah Essissima potentially among the most productive in the Mountain West.
Keys To Season, Top Players, What Will Happen
- Nevada Schedule, Picks For Every Game
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