Among the approximately 20,000 fans expected at Mackay Stadium on Saturday for the Nevada football team’s season opener against SMU, one will be in diapers: John Oliver Bolles II.
And it will be a special moment for Wolf Pack offensive lineman John Bolles Sr., who had his first child in the offseason.
“I’m going to be excited,” Bolles said of Saturday’s game against SMU. “I’ll remember this day forever.”
After two junior college seasons from 2021-22, Bolles transferred to Nevada last season and played in just one game. But the redshirt junior in his fourth college season will play a much bigger role for the Wolf Pack in 2024. And Bolles said the main reason for the improvement that has put him on the brink of more playing time is his son.
“I had a newborn about five months ago,” Bolles said. “It was a blessing to come home and see him. I have to work hard for him. I want to give him the best opportunity possible. The motivation I have is not just about me. Now it’s about my family. Now I really have to put on my big boy pants and really put in the effort.”
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Bolles competed for Nevada’s starting right tackle spot this fall and is ranked No. 2 behind Josiah Timoteo. Whether he starts or not, Bolles is expected to be a key piece for Nevada’s union, which will need to play well to establish the type of running game coach Jeff Choate craves in his first year as the Wolf Pack looks to bounce back after back-to-back 2-10 seasons.
“One of the guys at right tackle, John Bolles, really had a great summer,” Choate said at the start of fall practice. “And he’s a really good athlete. He just needed to get his weight up and get his body where it needed to be. I’ve seen a lot of development in him.”
That was echoed by offensive line coach Brian Armstrong, who is also Nevada’s running game coordinator. Armstrong’s unit returned from last season with only two starters, giving the Wolf Pack’s other returnees, including Bolles, an opportunity for playing time. He has capitalized on his productivity in the offseason.
“I think he had a good summer,” Armstrong said of Bolles. “I think he’s made progress. He’s certainly going to play every Saturday going forward. I think we’ve got a couple of guys that fit the bill that may or may not be regulars but have earned the right to play and we need to continue to develop guys. It’s never going to be just five guys. It’s always five guys at once. But very rarely, very rarely in my career have I made it through a season where five guys have played the same position all season. So you have to have some depth and you have to continue to develop that.”
Originally from Daly City, south of San Francisco in San Mateo County, Bolles stayed home after high school to play at the College of San Mateo. He broke out in 2022, playing in 10 games and being named to the All-Bay 6 first team after his school went 12-1 and won the CCCAA state championship. He transferred to Nevada as a developmental player in 2023 and said being on the verge of significant playing time is a reward for his hard work over the past four seasons.
“It’s really a dream come true,” Bolles said. “I’ve always been looking forward to this moment since high school. In JuCo I ate Top Ramen every day, so now I really have to keep going or it’s a waste of time. What I’m doing better is watching my video and analyzing every technique and everything I did wrong. I’m just getting better every week by stacking days.”
Nevada’s need for improvement on the offensive line is obvious, as the Wolf Pack hasn’t had a 1,000-yard runner since 2016. That streak could end this season, as Choate implements a run-first attack and the Wolf Pack has a strong group of running backs, almost all of whom began their careers at power conference schools. But the key to that success in the run game will depend on a Nevada offensive line that has cycled through double-digit position coaches over the past 15 years, with this move not helping the program re-channel the old Wolf Pack methods of ground dominance.
Left tackle Isaiah World and center Andrew Madrigal return for their third season as starters, while Nevada introduces new starters at left guard (Tyson Ruffins), right guard (Spencer Lovell) and right tackle (Timoteo). This group is being assembled by Armstrong, who coached under Choate at Montana State from 2016-2020 and was Fresno State’s offensive line coach in 2023.
“We’ve been working hard,” Armstrong said. “We’re making some progress. We’re nowhere near where we need to be. We’re still trying to get the temperament and the mindset right. I think that’s where we can make the most progress. I think we’re improving and we’ve made progress. We’re trying to be consistent and repetitive with our message. I’m stubborn. I’m not going to change what I believe. We’re going to stick with it. We’re getting there. It’s certainly not happening as quickly as anyone would like. But the important thing is that we’re making progress and they’re making progress.”
Nevada hasn’t had an elite offensive line since 2012, the final year of Chris Ault’s tenure. Since then, the Wolf Pack has produced some great individual players, like future NFL starters Joel Bitonio and Austin Corbett. But Nevada has averaged 3.4 yards per carry or less over the past three seasons and hasn’t averaged 5.0 yards per carry since 2012, when Stefphon Jefferson ranked second nationally in the running game.
“I feel like I have a huge responsibility to the guys that came before us and I have to give that huge responsibility to our players,” Armstrong said of the Union’s rebuild. “It’s not about the name on the back of the jersey. It’s about the name on the front of the jersey, and that’s the University of Nevada and that’s being an offensive lineman at the University of Nevada. That’s what’s important and that’s what we’re going to build here. That’s what’s being built right now.”
Bolles said he has high hopes for soccer for his son, who weighed more than 10 pounds when he was born. Bolles said he gets up every few hours to help care for his son and that juggling fatherhood, soccer and school starting next week will be a fun but difficult challenge.
“It’s not easy, but my future wife really keeps me busy at home,” Bolles said. “We get a lot of help from her parents, which is also good.”
Sports columnist Chris Murray provides insight into Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.
