Powerlifter, small-town phenom Prin Fox gives UNLV football solemn pledge for 2026 recruiting class

Defensive lineman from Cashmere chooses Runnin' Rebels over Boise State, Boston College as top three

Prin Fox (UNLV) became Cashmere's first legitimate NCAA D1 football commitment since the Ken and Ron Collins of the 1980s. / Photo courtesy of Parsons Photography

When decision day came Monday, and the word was out - Prin Fox had decided on UNLV as his next football destination - what did the teenager do to observe the life-changing choice in small-scale Cashmere?

Fox bounced over to the high school's weight room and got in a maximum-lift workout before team practice.

That might seem like an odd way to celebrate a college commitment, but to really know this three-star defensive lineman, you have to understand how the weight room is his personal sanctuary.

"It is my home," said Fox, who holds three school weight-lifting records as a junior. "I train hard. It is my place and I love working out - getting better and getting stronger."

Fox (6-foot-3, 260 pounds) chose UNLV over Boise State and Boston College on Monday after making official visits to all three campuses. He was recruited as a defensive tackle (3-technique) by all three schools.

Not only does he become Cashmere's first NCAA Division I football recruit under eighth-year coach Bryan Bremer, he is the most lauded prospect since brothers Ken and Ron Collins played in the program in the 1980s.

"He's our first big recruit," Bremer said. "And he appreciates the support his community has shown him. He is a Cashnere kid.

"When he goes to these camps and is asked, 'What do you want to tell the world?' - he always gives a shout-out to Cashmere."

A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fox was adopted by a family in Cashmere in 2015, and has been in the town's school system since the second grade.

Back then, he was too young to grasp who the up-and-coming local sports hero was: Current WNBA rookie Hailey Van Lith.

"I just knew she was a big-time basketball recruit," Fox said.

As Fox grew, he was already working out with the high school players as a seventh grader, including future Oregon and WSU long-snapper Colson Brunner.

"My brother was a freshman on the team when he started bringing me along," Fox said. "And by freshman year, I started looking at the (record) board and wanting my name up there."

During his high school career, he has already grabbed the back squat (555 pounds), dead lift (513) and hang clean (290) marks. The only one remaining is the bench press (405; he is at 355).

Fox is more than just an iron-lifting fiend. He has shown natural pass-rushing skills as a defensive end, and is a two-time all-league first team selection on that side of the ball.

As far as recruiting, Fox has enjoyed seeing different parts of the country, but relayed his signature Las Vegas moment when he was on his visit, watching tourists bungee jump (Skyjump) from the STRAT Hotel and Casino where he was having a dinner with coaches.

"There's so much to do there, on and off the field," Fox said. "Coach (Dan) Mullen is building something special, and Paul Guenther (interim defensive coordinator) is someone I spent time watching film with, and he has been in the NFL.

"It just became the place to be."

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