Arizona adds former UNLV tight end Alex Lines

When the Arizona Wildcats begin their first spring practice under Jedd Fisch next week there will be a handful of large crop of transfers the program has added this offseason. Included in that lot is one that never made his choice of the UA public.

Alex Lines, a tight end who played at UNLV in 2020, is the 10^th player the Wildcats pulled from the NCAA transfer portal. Fisch confirmed Lines’ addition during a media luncheon on Wednesday where he also reaffirmed his promise to make spring practices open to the public.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Lines signed with UNLV a year ago out of Higley High School near Gilbert, Ariz., though he was born in Tucson. He appeared in six games for the Runnin’ Rebels last fall, returning a kickoff for two yards against Fresno State.

Lines was a 3-star prospect in the 2020 class, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1,118 player in the country as well as the 49th-best tight end and No. 26 player from Arizona. He picked UNLV over offers from Boise State, BYU, Colorado and Iowa State, among others.

By coming to Arizona, Lines is reunited with his position coach at UNLV, Jordan Paopao, who is coaching tight ends and special teams with the Wildcats.

Lines gives Arizona four scholarship tight ends for spring ball along with senior Bryce Wolma, junior Stacey Marshall and redshirt sophomore Zach Williams. A fifth, 2021 signee Colby Powers, is expected to join the team in June.