When UNLV hired Dan Mullen, the splash made headlines, but beneath the national buzz, what truly matters in 2025 is what he brings to the field, which means understanding his offense.
Mullen doesn’t just call plays. He builds systems. His spread offense is a versatile, calculated machine designed to stress defenses horizontally and vertically, forcing them to defend the entire field from sideline to sideline and hashmark to end zone. If you want to understand how UNLV’s offense might evolve under Mullen, you have to start with the core principles of his philosophy.
Spread to Run, Spread to Throw
Mullen’s spread isn’t just about tempo or pretty formations. It’s about leverage and numbers.
At its core, his system forces defenses to make decisions before the snap. How many safeties are deep? Who’s in the box? Where are the numbers imbalanced? From there, Mullen manipulates matchups, creating favorable run boxes or isolating one-on-one coverage outside.
In short, if you stack the box, he throws. If you drop deep, he runs. It’s not a gimmick; it’s geometry.
Attacking Safety Structure: 0, 1, and 2-High
Defenses typically show three coverage structures: zero (no safeties deep), one-high, or two-high.
Against Two-High: Mullen’s offense aims to equate numbers in the box. With only six defenders in the box and five offensive linemen, the quarterback or a lead blocker often becomes the sixth, evening the count. This means inside zone and read-option concepts are in play, and the offensive line can fire straight ahead, so no exotic blocking is needed.
Against One-High: The quarterback becomes the difference-maker. Reads, RPOs, and zone-read elements are emphasized. The QB must account for the extra box defender with his legs or quick decisions. This is where Mullen’s dual-threat QB legacy — from Dak Prescott to Nick Fitzgerald — comes into focus.
Against Zero (No-Deep) Coverage: It’s go-time. Mullen dials up quick passes and vertical shots. With no safety help, the offense attacks favorable man-to-man matchups, especially with seam routes and quick-breaking combinations.
The 14/15 Read: Inside Zone, Spread Style
One of the bedrocks of Mullen’s rushing attack is the 14/15 read, a traditional inside zone run tailored for spread formations.
15 Read (left): The offensive line blocks according to leverage. The center and left guard combo is the MIKE linebacker. The right guard handles the nose. The right tackle picks up the SAM linebacker (B-gap). It’s simple math.
The running back can follow the interior push or bounce based on the defense’s flow. If the right side collapses inward, the QB can keep the ball or give it late.
Receivers block the front side to widen lanes. On the back side, they maintain leverage if the play breaks that direction, especially if the QB keeps the ball.
This play is flexible enough to work from multiple looks with tight ends, 2x2 sets, or empty. Mullen uses motion and formation variation to keep defenses guessing.
The 10/11 Trap: Punch You in the Mouth
While the 14/15 read is methodical, the 10/11 trap is sudden violence.
On the 11 trap, the center blocks back, the left tackle climbs to the WILL, and the left guard pulls to the front side to open a crease.
Meanwhile, the right guard pulls across and seals the interior, while the right tackle takes the MIKE.
This play is instrumental against aggressive fronts — trapping the five-technique (defensive end) inside while kicking out second-level defenders. It’s quick-hitting and downhill. Think short yardage or goal line. Think statement.
The Passing Game: Stress, Spread, Space
If you stack the box to stop Mullen’s run game, he’ll carve you up through the air. And it starts with spacing.
Mullen uses 3-, 4-, and 5-wide sets, motion, and personnel diversity to force defenses into uncomfortable coverage rotations. His favorite concepts?
Four Verticals (“All Go”)
Outside receivers sprint down the numbers. Inside receivers split the hashes.
The quarterback reads the free safety. If the safety cheats, the seam is open.
Against Cover 2, inside WRs bend underneath the safeties, behind the linebackers.
In 3x1 sets, Mullen stresses the boundary safety. The No. 3 receiver becomes the key, working the hash and pulling safeties out of position.
This isn’t an air raid; it’s structured, intentional vertical stretching.
Quarterback-Friendly, Not Quarterback-Dependent
What separates Mullen’s offense from many other spread schemes is quarterback clarity. Every play is designed to offer pre-snap cues:
Box count tells you to run or pass.
Safety alignment tells you who to target.
Defensive leverage determines the read.
From Dak Prescott at Mississippi State to Kyle Trask at Florida, Mullen has maximized vastly different quarterbacks by simplifying decision-making and leveraging strengths.
What This Means for UNLV in 2025
UNLV fans have seen it all: pass-heavy collapses under Marcus Arroyo, power-run resurgence under Barry Odom, and now a true spread architect in Dan Mullen.
The Rebels return a roster that’s been run-first the past two years. But make no mistake, Mullen’s offense isn’t about labels. It’s about adaptability. If the run game clicks, he’ll ride it. If defenses crash, he’ll throw. And with UNLV’s depth at receiver and tight end, the vertical game will absolutely be in play.
Look for:
Increased use of RPOs and QB zone-read
More tempo, especially in 3x1 formations
A blend of gap-scheme traps and zone reads
Clean vertical spacing with 4-wide base sets
If you want a preview of what this offense can become, look no further than what Mullen did with Mississippi State in 2014 or Florida in 2020.
UNLV may not have a Kyle Pitts or a Dak Prescott, but with Mullen calling plays, the team will have structure, adaptability, and a system designed to score from anywhere on the field.
The Bottom Line
Dan Mullen didn’t come to Vegas to run Barry Odom’s system. He came to build his spread offense rooted in balance, math, and matchups. The film backs it. The history proves it. And the 2025 Rebels are about to show it.