The Nevada football team is looking to the high school ranks to try to improve and build the program in coming seasons.
Nevada coach Jeff Choate announced the signing of 26 football players on Wednesday, the start of national signing day for college football. Of the signing day class, 25 are high school seniors and one is at Cerritos Junior College. Choate was hired at Nevada on Dec. 4, 20-23, Last year, his signing class had five high school players.
He said players in this year’s class come for winning programs, including four who are still playing for state championships, two who already won state championships, and seven others who were in state finals.
“If you’re going to build a winning program, it starts by having that understand what a winning program looks like,” Choate said.
There are five players with ties to Northern Nevada in the class: Joe Birnbaum, Truckee; Mataio Aiono, Reed; Colin Banning, Spring Creek; Jackson Ramsey, Bishop Manogue; and Cian Stack, Bishop Manogue.
Choate said Aiono is the best lineman in Northern Nevada and Stack is one of the top long snappers in the country.
The members of the class are from nine different states covering four time zones — while five states are represented by one member, states with multiple members of the Nevada class are California (12), Nevada (four), Texas (three) and Arizona (two).
“It’s a group that I’m really excited about — we met a lot of needs. Top to bottom, every phase — offense, defense, and special teams — we were able to get guys that I think can have an immediate impact in our program, and a long-lasting impact on our program,” Choate said. “I mentioned that I think this is the most important class that we’ll sign, and I think we can build a strong foundation for the future. Now what we’ve got to do is stack classes on top of one another so that we can be competing for championships.”
Choate has said in the past that keeping local players with the Wolf Pack is critical.
“One of the hallmarks of the class is obviously that we were able to tap into Northern Nevada. I think between Colin, Mataio, Jackson, Joe and Cian, there are a lot of guys that are familiar names to football fans in Northern Nevada. We’re excited about having those guys join the program, and continuing to make our Northern Nevada athletes the heart and soul of our program,” Choate said.
Choate said the Pack’s class is ranked No. 4 in the Mountain signing day classes, behind Boise State, UNLV and San Diego State.
Choate raved about quarterback Carter Jones (6-foot-4, 190 pounds), currently at Lancaster High School in Texas.
“I look forward to our fans getting a chance to meet this young man. He is a first-class human being. He was raised the right way,” Choate said. “He’s a winner. He’s a tough kid. He fits exactly what we want to do on offense.”
Choate said Jones played in the toughest football district in the country.
Choate said running back Carter Jackson is also an outstanding football player. Jackson (5-9, 180) is at Folsom High School in California.
Jackson, a three-star recruit, had multiple Power Four offers. Choate said he could play immediately.
Birnbaum will walk-on and become the second player from Truckee on the Wolf Pack, following Marcus Bellon. Birnbaum, one of the fastest sprinters in the state, will be at running back.
“He exudes enthusiasm and energy,” Choate said. “A kid from a winning program that is all about what we’re trying to build here at Nevada. Toughness, grit.”
He said more players could be added from high school and that he will be active when the transfer portal opens Dec. 8.
Player, position, height, weight, previous school(s)
Mojave (Nev.) head football coach Wes Pacheco announced on Sunday morning that he’s stepping down from his position, according to a social media post.
Pacheco announced his resignation after six seasons at the helm of the Rattlers, putting together a 29-22 overall record from 2020-2025.
“I have officially stepped down as Head Coach of the Mojave Football Program,” Pacheco said in his social media post. “Thank you to Principal Cole for giving me the opoortunity make an impact on the lives of Mojave Student-Athletes. I am grateful and blessed to have labored through a 6-year journey of successes, failures, life lessons, character building and growth with the student-athletes myself and my coaching staff have served. I will forever love my Mojave Family, the Mojave Community and believe in the notion that SUCCESS can be attained by showcasing character, treating everyone with respect, and always have the courage to dream big and trust that “ATTACKING THE HARD WORK” & “HIGH MOTORING EVERYTHING” can yield SUCCESS that you want to achieve in life!”
During Pacheco’s half dozen seasons leading Mojave, his best record came in the 2024 season when the Rattlers finished with a 12-1 record. Located out of North Las Vegas, Mojave had to compete against the likes of national high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman during the regular season.
Mojave ended the last season with a 4-6 record and as the state’s No. 23rd ranked team, according to the final 2025 Nevada High School Football Massey Rankings.
Mojave High School, located in North Las Vegas, NV, is a dynamic public high school that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement. Home of the Rattlers, MHS offers a wide range of academic programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities. With a strong commitment to student success, Mojave emphasizes leadership, college and career readiness, and a supportive school culture that prepares students for life beyond graduation.
For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across Nevada.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas High’s baseball team claimed a 3-2 home win over Coronado on Friday.
Las Vegas (9-13-1) next hosts Rancho at 10 a.m. Saturday. Coronado (13-14) hosts Chaparral at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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