A Post-Spring 2025 UNLV Football Preview

Spring football is supposed to be about evaluation. About position battles and depth charts. About getting better — not making headlines. But when you’re building something like what’s happening at UNLV, everything becomes a national story.

Dan Mullen didn’t just survive his first spring in Las Vegas. He owned it.

Despite losing Barry Odom, the architect of UNLV’s recent rise, to Purdue and facing the kind of roster upheaval that usually accompanies a coaching change, the Rebels kept almost everything intact. Mullen didn’t just plug holes — he enhanced the roster. He inherited a Mountain West runner-up and managed to retain nearly all of its core contributors while attracting one of the most loaded transfer classes in Group of Five history.

The national media is noticing. FanNation called UNLV “college football’s most intriguing program” in 2025. Athlon Sports projects the Rebels to finish second in the Mountain West. And Dan Mullen, once the man on top at Florida and Mississippi State, is now the face of a desert rebirth.

Roster Retention in the Portal Era

Normally, when a Group of Five program loses a coach to a Power conference — especially after a historic 11-win season — the roster splinters. Starters leave. Depth erodes. The reset begins.

Not here.

Mullen’s first success at UNLV wasn’t on the field or in the media — it was in keeping the roster together. As of the post-spring window, the Rebels have suffered minimal transfer losses, despite major staff turnover. The reason? Players bought in. Mullen and his staff made their pitch and the returning Rebels stayed.

That kind of roster stability — in this era — is more than rare. It’s a statement.

The Portal Reload

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UNLV didn’t just hold the line. They leveled up.

Mullen and his staff capitalized on Las Vegas’ growing appeal and their own recruiting pedigrees to bring in elite Power Five talent. The transfer list reads like a blue-chip directory:

This wasn’t a desperation class. It was targeted, high-upside recruiting — with real pedigree. It gives Mullen options at quarterback, depth at every level of the defense, and immediate production at skill positions. The challenge, of course, is chemistry. But if spring practice was any indication, this group is already starting to gel.

From Afterthought to Contender

Let’s remember where this program was just three years ago.

And then Barry Odom arrived. 9–5 in 2023. 11–3 in 2024. Back-to-back title game appearances.

That’s what Mullen inherited. A real foundation.

But it’s also what he’s now expected to exceed.

A Springboard Season

This fall is the final chapter before realignment hits. Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, and Utah State are all off to the Pac-12 in 2026. If UNLV is going to stake its claim as a future national brand — not just a regional success — 2025 is the moment.

The schedule is tough:

But with Mullen’s track record, a deep roster, and offensive firepower ready to explode under new coordinator Corey Dennis, the Rebels have more upside than ever before.

What Comes Next

Is 7–5 a failure? Not necessarily. But the standard has changed.

This is no longer about building credibility. This is about competing for a title — and doing it with national eyes watching.

Las Vegas has been the backdrop to many transformations. But if Dan Mullen can turn UNLV into a perennial power — in this era, with these tools — it might be the most impressive yet.

And this spring was just the beginning.