LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com)
By Kianna Vestuto â€" UNLV Athletic Communications Assistant

The 2016 Rebel offensive line boasts a strong core leader -- indeed one of the elite in collegiate football. Center Will Kreitler is a candidate for the Rimington Trophy, which is presented to the most outstanding center in college football.

"Will Kreitler is simply the man in the middle," said Head Coach Tony Sanchez, who told members of the media that the center was the squad's MVP after the 2015 season.

Now suiting up for his second year as a Rebel, Kreitler exemplifies exquisite seniority and leadership. There is certainly no doubt as to why he was chosen to be one of four captains of this team. With such a young depth chart on the offensive line and Kreitler as the sole senior, he acts as an anchor for the rookies.

"I don't have that counterpart senior that can also help me, but we still have experienced guys like Kyle Saxelid, who is a junior and has been here longer than me," he sadi. "I look to him to help me out. Being a senior definitely means you have to be a leader, automatically, but it works better when the younger guys and freshmen look up to you. They really want to get better and they're here to work."

He described being the only senior as "tough" but he continuously pushes forward, which is evident on and off the field. Being a team captain, Kreitler holds himself responsible for getting the guys going and "lighting the fuse," especially during early morning practices when people just don't always want to be out there.

"Not everybody reacts to the same kind of leadership," he said. "It's all about knowing your players."

It comes easy for Kreitler, as he was a captain for his previous school, Scottsdale Community College. Kreitler described his recruiting process as "interesting." Being one of Coach Sanchez's first recruits, he even missed his own signing day ceremony to commit to UNLV. It was an incentive to be reunited with last year's starting quarterback, Blake Decker, whom transferred in from Scottsdale as well.

Kreitler said that playing for the Fighting Artichokes prepared him for this journey as a Rebel. "Community college is different -- it's just a different animal. It definitely builds your character and gets you ready for the next level."

This Arizona native earned several awards in his collegiate career. Not only is Kreitler in the lineup for the Rimington Trophy, but he was named preseason Second Team All-MW by Phil Steele's preview magazine and third team by Athlon. He was also ranked the No. 3 JC center in 2015 by 247Sports and was one of the nine Rebels to earn a spot on the 2015 Academic All-MW Team.

On a less serious note, Kreitler and his O-Line named themselves the Orcas, as in the type of killer whale. In comparison to other teams that have used animals like the hogs to describe themselves, they decided do some research to be different up front.

"We were looking for a group of animals that hunt together and came across the orcas. They hunt in five so it's just like the line, and they're always just so cohesive and work as a unit. At the end of the day they always get the job done."

Having the mentality of an orca is a key for these guys. Not to mention the importance of Kreitler's hair. Frequently seen diligently attending to his coif whenever the helmet comes off, Kreitler confidently claims to have the best flow on the team.

"How's it look right now?" he asked. "I don't think it looks too good because I just got out of practice. But (sophomore defensive back) Dalton Baker is giving me some competition, he put braids in his hair."

Whatever the look, it seems to be working. Through four games the Rebel offensive line has allowed only two quarterback sacks, which is tied for seventh in the nation, just one year after giving up 33 such takedowns. The rushing stats are equally impressive as UNLV's 250 yards per game ranks 13th in the country and sophomore tailback Lexington Thomas sits 13th with 113 yards on the ground per outing.