UNLV REBELS

July 21, 2009

LAS VEGAS - UNLV football saw two key seniors earn spots on the official preseason All-Mountain West Conference football team, which was released Tuesday as part of the league's annual media gathering at Green Valley Ranch Resort.

Leading the way for the Rebels is All-America wide receiver candidate Ryan Wolfe (Santa Clarita, CA/Hart High School), who is already his program's career leader in receptions and receiving yards and has a chance to break multiple conference records in 2009. The only Rebel receiver to earn first team All-MWC twice in a career (2006, '08), Wolfe is college football's second-leading returning WR with 209 career catches.

"It is a big honor and it is always good to have other people recognize the hard work that you put into this game," Wolfe said.

Joining him was defensive leader Jason Beauchamp (San Diego/Steele Canyon High School). The linebacker led the Mountain West in total tackles in 2008 with 127 en route to second team all-league honors.

"It shows that we have been working extremely hard and that it has been noticed," Beauchamp said. "But at the same time it doesn't mean too much since it is the preseason, and we are focused on the upcoming season."

In polling of members of the media from all nine MWC cities, BYU senior quarterback was voted the league's preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Senior TCU lineman Jerry Hughes was named preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Horned Frog kick returner Jeremy Kerley won the preseason Special Teams Player of the Year nod and TCU rookie runner Ed Wesley was named preseason Freshman of the Year.