Interview: 2018 QB Dalton Sneed Taking UNLV Starting Experience to JUCO Level

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Class of 2018 quarterback Dalton Sneed is the envy of many. The dual-threat quarterback has a long list of accomplishments under his belt but being the ultimate competitor that he is, Sneed is now pushing himself to take his talents to another level that includes a big jump into the unknown.

There are many ways to delve into the playing abilities of Sneed on the gridiron with perhaps the biggest being the way he slings the rock around the yard. Sneed threw darts in high school for Horizon tossing for 3,740 yards with 44 touchdowns as a junior and another 3,565 yards with 28 scores during his senior season in 2014. During his senior season he also led the Huskies in rushing yards with 984 yards off 152 carries with 14 more scores.

All of that talent and productivity for the Scottsdale area recruit culminated in a letter of intent signed with UNLV as part of the 2015 recruiting class. A redshirt season in 2015 helped Sneed learn more about the game while catching up his arm and timing to the speed of the Division-I game. That extra seasoning paid off in 2016 when the 6-0, 195 pound, gunslinger started five games for the Rebels connecting on 39 passes for 632 yards with five touchdowns against just two picks.

The area of his game that has become en vogue at the collegiate level, what he can do with his legs when plays breakdown. Off 57 totes, Sneed added 348 yards on the ground for the Rebels in 2016. A play most fans cannot forget is Sneed’s 91-yard touchdown run against Fresno State; highlight of the play at the bottom of the interview!

Sneed has earned 6A Arizona All-State honors during his high school days, twice tossed for over 3,500 yards in a season, and commanded a Division-I program as a starting quarterback during his redshirt freshman season; all attributes quarterbacks at the high school and college levels would love to have going for them. With a wealth of ability and experience, Sneed is now taking on a new challenge, heading to Fort Scott Community College reopening his recruitment to show college coaches across the country what he can do in a true spread offense.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Sneed to get an in-depth look at the dual-threat quarterback who is ready to bring the recruiting spotlight his way once again.

Interview

Dalton, before we get into your college experience, how did your senior season with Horizon go overall?

“Overall I think it well. It was not as good as we had hoped. We wanted a state title but we lost in the first round to a really good Desert Ridge (28-17) team. We did not end up where we wanted to be but we did a pretty good job that season.”

What type of offense did Horizon run when you were there?

“We ran a spread air-raid offense. My coach brought over from U-of-A under Sonny Dykes. It was an up-tempo offense. He was a GA (graduate assistant) there.”

You had a redshirt season in 2015, how did that year on the sidelines, on the practice field, and in the weight room help you during the 2016 season?

“I think it helped more with the mental aspect of the game than the physical. We were learning all the different things like the speed of the game, route combos, and coverages. The football IQ that I gained over the year with Coach Blake Decker was great. That was the biggest thing for me learning off the field and in the film room.”

What type of offense did the Rebels run last season?

“We kind of ran more of a pro-style slash spread offense. We were under center doing play-action or in the gun doing play-action. It was a pro-style spread.”

What were some of the adjustments you had to make to your game going from the high school to Division-I level?

“I’d say a lot of timing with the receivers. Going from high school to D-I, the athletes and how good they are is a big jump. You have to be able to throw it before the receivers are out of their breaks and trust they will be there. The timing and speed of the game was a big adjustment.”

What are some of the strengths of your game?

“I’m an extremely hard competitor. I hate losing more than anything. I show up early and I’m one of the last ones to leave. I am a non-stop grinder. I am always watching film and working my ass off. My mental aspect to the game is really good. I can recognize defenses. On the field, I’m very good at getting our offense into the best situation possible checking into a run, a pass, or checking protection. I think I make all the guys around me better and push them to be the best they can be. I push to get the best out of my teammates.”

What was the quarterback battle for the starting spot like at UNLV in 2016?

“It was between me, Kurt Palandech, and Johnny Stanton. Kurt had been there the year before and started some games. Johnny transferred in from Saddleback after being at Nebraska under Coach Cotton. We competed really well. We were all really close. We had a tight QB group. It was a fierce competition on and off the field. We pushed each other. We all wanted to play and we pushed each other to be better.”

Which team was the toughest you faced last season and how did that competition make you a better quarterback?

“It was definitely San Diego State. That was a really tough game for us. They kind of shut us down on offense and we really never got going. That was a take a look in the mirror performance, as I did. That was a get in the film room right now to correct mistakes opportunity and come out next week ready to play. Bouncing back is another strength of mine. I think I was 2-of-9 with an INT against San Diego State. The next week against Hawaii, I had my best game of the season. That was all off my off-field prep coming in to work hard after performing so poorly.”

What are you working on throughout the off-season to improve upon for your sophomore season?

“Right now I’m hitting the weight room hard and I want to know Fort Scott’s offense in and out. I want to know every check and everything before spring ball. If a guy runs a route a yard short or too far, I can be another coach on the field for Coach (Kale) Pick (head coach).”

What drew you to commit to Fort Scott?

“After I announced I was transferring, someone sent me a direct message on Twitter. They told me that there is a school in Kansas looking for a quarterback. Their defensive line coach contacted me and then got me in touch with Coach Pick. Coach Pick flew down to see me at the beginning of January. He kind of sold me on his offense right away. He showed me what we would be running. It is almost the same offense I ran in high school. They have guys I could see myself playing for and with, and I know they can help me get to the next level. Coach Pick is the reason I went to Fort Scott. We mesh well and we see the offense the same way with the same goals. That is what led me to Fort Scott.”

How will Coach Pick use you in their offense?

“I think I will be more of dual-threat kind of guy. This is a huge comparison but it is the same type of offense they ran at Texas A&M when Johnny Manziel was there. They sling it around like a west coast offense but take shots downfield. There are some zone and power reads. That is what Coach Pick and I see alike. If you have a QB that can run and throw that can be deadly.”

Now that you have officially transferred schools, have any four-year college programs reached out to you yet?

“Yeah, there are a few D-I AA and a few other D-I schools that have reached out. I am waiting. I did not want to go D-I to sit out a year. My dream is to play on the biggest stage with the brightest light shining on you. When the chips are down playing you’re playing your best. That is why I went JUCO. I am looking forward to their contact during my year at Fort Scott.”

Having been through the recruiting process already, what are you looking for in a four-year school the second time around?

“I want to go somewhere that I fit into their offense. I think that is what was missing for me at UNLV. That was not the offense where all my strengths come out being under center with heavy play-action. I am more back in the shotgun quarterback that can sling it around. My junior year we threw it around a lot in the vertical game. That was kind of missing at UNLV in their offense. I think that is why I did not do as well as I could have done at UNLV. I want an offense I fit in completely. I feel like I do fit in at Fort Scott. They are a spread- up-tempo offense with a high amount of control for the quarterback.”

Dalton, thanks for your time today and good luck with your transfer to Fort Scott.

“Thank you.”

Please help keep RecruitingNewsGuru.com FREE!

If RNG has helped you, a friend, or a family member through an article, video, or stylized interview with our countless hours of free promotion for high school, junior college, and college athletes – please donate. Any amount is appreciated!

Photo credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal; No. 18 Dalton Sneed at a UNLV practice.

Photo credit: Sneed family; Dalton Sneed (right center) with parents (left) and Coach Pick (right).

Photo credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal; No. 18 Dalton Sneed breaks a long run against Fresno State.