Nevada Wolf Pack football has 4-way quarterback battle ahead of 2023 season opener at USC

Reno Gazette Journal
Nevada quarterback Brendon Lewis throws a pass in the Battle Born Showdown spring game at Mackay Stadium on April 22.
With the Nevada football team getting ready to start practice for the fall season, coach Ken Wilson addressed some key issues facing the team at the Mountain West Conference media days last week in Las Vegas.
The biggest issue for Wolf Pack fans is who will play quarterback. Wilson mostly used senior Nate Cox there last year, with Shane Illingworth also getting playing time.
This year, Wilson brought in Brendon Lewis from Colorado and has at least three more QBs expected to compete for the job: Illingworth, AJ Bianco and Jax Leatherwood.
Wilson coached against Lewis when he was an assistant at Oregon and noted his speed and agility.
He said Lewis brings more mobility to the position than the Pack had last season.
“He can get first downs with his feet, he can move around the pocket, and keep his eyes downfield. If there’s a hole there, he can get you a first down or more,” Wilson said of Lewis.
Oregon, Cal transfers could spearhead Nevada's running game
Not only will the quarterback spot be different; the Wolf Pack will present some new wrinkles at running back this season after Toa Taua and Devonte Lee held that position down the past few years.
This season, at least two transfers are expected to run the ball for the Pack: Sean Dollars, who moved to Reno from Oregon, and McQueen grad Ashton Hayes, who played at Cal last fall.
“These guys, I don’t know how high they can go, but they’re very talented and they will give us things other than the running game, with special teams and receiving that we didn’t have as much of last year,” Wilson said of Dollars and Hayes.
Wilson said depth overall on the team should be much improved this season and there is more competition for starting spots.
“I know that every day when our guys come to work now, the guy behind them can push them further than we ever had last year,” Wilson said. “When you’ve got two or three guys competing for every position, that makes everybody better and that makes guys work harder.”
Nevada finished 2-10 last season after winning its first two games, then dropping all eight Mountain West games.
The Wolf Pack opens the season at USC on Sept. 2. The first practice of fall camp is set for Aug. 2.
Going cashless at Mackay Stadium, Lawlor Events Center
Nevada Athletics announced two updates for the 2023 athletic season.
Starting in August, concessions at Mackay Stadium and Lawlor Events Center will go cashless for Nevada Athletics events. Nevada Athletics concessionaire Sodexo will be removing cash as a payment option for athletic-sponsored events at both Mackay Stadium and Lawlor Events Center to help efficiency at checkout. Concession stands will only accept credit or debit cards.
Also this fall, Nevada Athletics will begin a new postgame exit plan from around Mackay Stadium to make exiting the venue and the campus area more timely and efficient for fans following football games.
In an effort to reduce traffic and wait times for fans leaving Mackay Stadium, specific exit routes have been devised for the West, East and South lots between Virginia Street and Evans Avenue.
East Stadium Way will serve as the boundary separating the West and East Lots, while 15th Street is designated the northern boundary for the South Lots.
Road closures (postgame)
N. Virginia Street will be closed to all southbound traffic from N. McCarran Boulevard to 15th Street before halftime on each game day.