Sanchez stands firm as UNLV commit

PERKINS TWP. — An Ohio connection in Las Vegas led to an offer Perkins lineman Eli Sanchez couldn't refuse. Sanchez, who is preparing for his senior football season at Perkins, plans to play college football at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. The big Pirate — Sanchez checks in at 6-foot-3 1/2, 285 pounds — committed to play for the Rebels in April and came home from his official visit last weekend firmly entrenched in the UNLV camp. "I've seen it all in Ohio; I want to see something else," Sanchez said. "I'm a little nervous to be out there by myself. But if I make Vegas what I want it to be, I'll be just fine and have a good four, five years." Sanchez, who was an honorable mention All-Ohio selection in Division IV last year, was contacted by new UNLV offensive line coach Mike Sollenne in late January. Sollenne was an offensive line graduate assistant for Ohio State for three seasons before taking the offensive line coaching job at UNLV. Dan Mullen, who most recently coached at Florida, is entering his first season as the Rebels' head coach. "I've known coach Sollenne for a long time," Sanchez said. "He was at Ohio State last year and was recruiting me a little bit. He got in contact with me as soon as he got this job. He offered me two days after the national championship game." Sanchez had 15 offers before settling on UNLV, which did not have one player from Ohio on its roster last year. "I was a little too small to play in the Big Ten, was what Ohio State said," Sanchez said. "I was about 6-3, 6-3 1/2. That's fine. I kept my head down and kept working and picked up a lot of good MAC offers, Virginia Tech, Coastal Carolina, some good schools. Then UNLV came along. "I never thought I'd be committing to a school that far away. The relationship I built with (Sollenne), it's just like having another dad. My dad loves him; they're really close. This weekend really solidified that decision." Sanchez traveled to Las Vegas last Friday with his dad, Jose, and his dad's girlfriend, Caitlyn Fisher. Friday, Sanchez went through a photo shoot and got to meet some of the Rebels. More than 20 recruits also visited campus. Sanchez went through meetings Saturday and visited Allegiant Stadium — home of the Rebels and the Las Vegas Raiders — before rounding out the day at Top Golf. "I was very close to the players instantly and liked the family aspect to everything," Sanchez said. "As soon as I met up with them we went out for lunch. It felt like home; it was easy." He took a tour of the campus Sunday before heading home. Sanchez didn't get home until Monday, though, because his flight from Denver got canceled. It was Sanchez's second trip to UNLV. He visited for the first time in April and watched a couple spring practices. "Last time was straight business — make sure I know what I want to major in, find that they got it, see everything," he said. "I made my decision on the last day (of the April visit). This time it was just have some fun. Take it all in, eat a lot of good food, get closer to the coaching staff." Sanchez met with Sollenne, who provided feedback for the big lineman during a film session. "He had everything good that I do, then he flipped the slide and was 'this is what we need to fix.' I was like 'oh no,' " Sanchez said. "But when we got done, he said this is what I lack and how he was going to fix it. He said I do the hard things right — running my feet, finishing people, being aggressive, coming off the football. It was nice to hear that instead of hearing 'you're great, you're great.' I'm a realistic and I appreciate that." Perkins coach Jalen Santoro thinks Sanchez is getting into a good situation at UNLV, which is a Mountain West Conference member with aspirations of moving up to a power conference. "It's unique. It's not very often that schools out there come this way," Santoro said. "With Coach Mullen taking over, it's a great situation. He gets to play for a coach who's been there, done that. I met his position coach and he's a really good dude. "A guy like Eli, a guy you care about and have been through the battles with, you want to make sure he's going to a place that will treat him right. From what I've seen, I'm confident that's what he's going to get out there." Sanchez, who plans to study healthcare administration, enjoys warm weather and said it was 110 all weekend in Vegas. "The Mexican culture is huge there (Sanchez's grandfather lives in Mexico) and I love deserts," he said. "I love hiking, being outdoors. It's always warm, it doesn't rain. You're outside 98 percent of the day. The only time you don't go outside is when it's 120." Sanchez's dad, Jose, is from Plymouth and was recruited by some Mid-American Conference schools before he got married. "He ended up playing semipro ball for the Toledo Knights," Sanchez said. "There's this picture of him and me. He was this big left tackle and I was this little kid in the rain hugging my dad after a game. It's one of my favorite pictures in the world." Sanchez's mom died last year, which was another reason the big lineman cited for heading west. "I've been through a lot. My mom passing, there's a lot of stuff that's happened and I want to make a new life for myself," he said. "Go out there and do something special. "I just feel comfortable there. I know things happen — coaches leave, transfer portal; I'm always open minded. Some of the coaches from other schools are still hitting me up. You have to keep an open mind — be kind, very respectful, professional, because you never know." Sanchez will be transitioning to college football as the sport grapples with how to pay players. There is money to be made in the sport, and Sanchez's Type A personality should open some doors. "I'm gonna market myself. I'll be talking to everybody," he said. "If you have a voice like me, you can market yourself pretty well. "If there wasn't NIL (Name Image Likeness), I don't think I would've made the decision to go to Vegas, just because it's so far, and if I'm not making money, it's a lot of stuff to pay for." Sanchez got to see the sights in Vegas and made a stop at Caesars Palace. He's a big fan of the Hangover movies and some scenes in the original were filmed at the famous hotel. "We went to Caesars Palace and there's a big picture board of everything filmed there," Sanchez said. "There's a picture of Alan holding the baby, Stu and and Phil in the elevator. I took a picture next to that. It was pretty sweet." The Strip, though, did not impress Sanchez. "That place was wild. It was not my thing," he said. "I only go to the Strip if there's a show I want to watch or a concert. I never go to The Strip and walk. By the time you're done, you just wanna go to sleep." Sanchez now has his sights set on helping Perkins make a run at a state championship after a runner-up finish last year. He plans to graduate in January and head to UNLV, which means the defending Division II heavyweight runner-up won't wrestle next winter. Instead, he'll work on impressing the Rebels' new coaching staff. "We've got some D-linemen who are transfers who are some dudes. If I can hold my own against guys like that, that's good for a freshman," Sanchez said. "I have the goal to play as a freshman. If it doesn't happens, am I gonna fall apart and leave? No, but I'll be chasing. Every second someone slips up, I'm gaining another step. "A lot of guys in college football now, they don't get the job right away, they're gone. They forget about the hard work. I think with that attitude, it'll help put me on the field."