ASSOCIATED PRESS Nevada receiver Caleb Spencer slipped away from UNLV's John Guice, left, and Chanti Bloomer for a 15-yard gain during last Saturday's game.

Catching on

Kamehameha alumnus Caleb Spencer
is the nation’s third-leading receiver

RENO, Nev. » The third-leading receiver in the nation has a smile for visitors and jokes for his teammates as he casually walks onto the turf at Wolf Pack Park.

It's hard to tell by looking at Kamehameha graduate Caleb Spencer that he is off to a tremendous start this season, has a wedding coming up in June and is only in his third year playing receiver.

"He just has that Hawaiian style, that laid-back attitude," Nevada quarterback Jeff Rowe said. "His spirit, his attitude -- he is great to be around. And he is a pretty good athlete, too."

On the surface, there isn't much different this season from last season for the 6-foot, 180-pound junior receiver. He still works hard in practice. He still jokes and laughs with teammates. He still has a smile on his face.

But there has been a big difference in terms of results. Through two games, Spencer is averaging 9.5 catches per game (third nationally) and 137.5 yards (fifth) per game.

"It is just the experience coming into this year," said Spencer, who spent one year at Palomar Junior College in California before coming to Nevada last season.

"I had a better idea of what to expect. And having a year at the D-I level under my belt, I was able to set higher expectations for myself because I have that experience now," he told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

He's just 20 years old, but his maturity level is higher than the average college junior's. In May, he got engaged to high school sweetheart Megan Kanoa.

"She is stressing me out about the wedding sometimes, but everything is really cool right now," Spencer said.

He said the experience of going to school on the mainland has been a good one.

"Being away, it helps you grow up," Spencer said. "You don't have that back leg to fall back on, your parents or your family. They are there for you but you are more independent. It's funny because that is the talk you always hear (from football players in Hawaii) is, 'I'm going away for school.' And then what happens, most go back after a year and play for UH.

"I'm glad that I am sticking it out."

Nevada coach Chris Ault said the biggest difference in Spencer, who caught 67 passes for 761 yards and four scores last season, is the extra year of experience.

"He went through some tough times and in the middle of the year, he dropped off dramatically," Ault said. "From there, there were two ways to go, up or down. And he came out in the spring and just kept getting better.

"He has built an excellent work ethic and he is just a lot of fun to coach because he is a good person."

Ault and Rowe both credit Spencer's route-running as one reason for his success. Spencer credits his background as a quarterback for that. All through his prep career at Kamehameha, Spencer was throwing passes, not catching them. He went to Palomar intent on being a quarterback, but a shoulder injury combined with the team having a shortage of receivers forced the switch.

"I have only done this for three years, but, in a way, it feels like I have been doing it all my life," he said. "It is just being an athlete and going out there and playing. The quarterback skills have helped me in terms of reading defenses and coverages and finding the zone areas."