UNLV Lands 2026 O-Line Commit Eli 'The Big Pirate' Sanchez From Ohio

The UNLV Rebels football team have landed another 2026 recruit. Eli Sanchez, a 6'4, 275-pound offensive lineman from Perkins High School in Sandusky Ohio has committed to UNLV for the 2026 season. Sanchez, known as "The Big Pirate" was nervous to go to a school so far from a home but his connection with offensive line coach Mike Sollenne, who called him in late January, was enough to sway him to make the move to Vegas. Sollenne is a former assistant offensive line coach at Ohio State. 

Sanchez talked about his decision to come to Vegas and how Sollenne impacted it:

“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... I’ve known coach Sollenne for a long time. 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. I was a little too small to play in the Big Ten, was what Ohio State 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... I was very close to the players instantly and liked the family aspect to everything. As soon as I met up with them we went out for lunch. It felt like home; it was easy.” 

This is another big addition for this program. Bringing in an impressive three-star recruit from Ohio shows what a great job this new regime has been able to do when it comes to recruiting. Sanchez will look to help solidify the Rebels in the trenches and he'd like to start as a freshman, but either way he's in it for the long haul.

“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."

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