Alamo fullback/linebacker William Vea has verbally committed to UNLV, Panthers coach Ken Higbee said Sunday night (Jan. 21).

Vea, who has helped Alamo win two straight 1A state titles and put together a 24-game winning streak, made an official recruiting visit to Utah State - the other NCAA Division I-A school to offer him a scholarship - on Jan. 12. He met with UNLV head coach Mike Sanford on a home visit two days later.

"Coach Sanford did a great job during the meeting," said Higbee, who sat in on the visit. "The Utah State coaches were great to him, and he was very impressed, but it came down to UNLV being the only school that was there the whole time (after deciding to recruit Vea).

"I'm really impressed with what UNLV is doing ... they're going to bring in eight (Southern Nevada) recruits, and for them that's unprecedented."

Vea's brother George, who signed with UNLV out of high school last year, played extensively on special teams for the Rebels as a true freshman. However, he left Sunday on a two-year Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints mission and won't return until the spring of 2009, and because he was not a scholarship player at UNLV, he is free to go anywhere he wants once his mission is completed.

William Vea's mission plans haven't been finalized, although he may go on his mission after he graduates from Alamo in June. But he is getting a full scholarship, and thus will be committed to play for UNLV when he signs his letter of intent on Feb. 7, the first day football recruits can sign binding national letters of intent with NCAA Division I-A schools. (The regular LOI period ends April 1, and is followed by a late signing period, which lasts from April 11 until the end of July.)