UNLV rolled into Championship Week with more hardware than anyone in the Mountain West, and the headline is exactly what it should be: Anthony Colandrea just became the first Rebel QB since Randall Cunningham (1984) to win Offensive Player of the Year.
That’s not hype, that’s history.
Colandrea’s Year Was Different
Colandrea didn’t just play well. He put together one of the most complete seasons by any QB in the country. He’s one of only four players in the FBS with 3,000+ passing and 500+ rushing yards, and he’s the only player in America who threw a touchdown and ran for 15+ yards in every single game.
He leads the Mountain West in:
Passing yards (3,050)
Pass efficiency
TD passes (22)
Total offense (300 yds/game)
And he added 8 rushing TDs and 555 yards on the ground. His 68.2% completion percentage is trending to break the school record.
Then stack the awards:
First UNLV QB with multiple MW Player of the Week awards in a season
First with three career
First with four since Cunningham in ’83-’84
And oh yeah, he dropped 361 yards vs Air Force, the most by a Rebel since 2018, including that 86-yard bomb that now sits as the third-longest pass in school history.
We talk about raising the ceiling all the time. Colandrea has straight-up remodeled the house.
Jet Joins Him on the First Team
Running back Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas continues to be the most efficient back in the country. First Team All-MW after leading the entire FBS in yards per carry (7.43) and being the only player with four 100-yard games on fewer than 15 carries.
His 12 TDs this season push him to 5th all-time at UNLV (31 career). He’s also the second Rebel ever with multiple 4-TD games, and he just did it again in Reno to bury the Wolf Pack.
944 rushing yards this season → 2,365 for his career → 8th all-time.
Plus 35 catches for 211 yards and a score. Jet’s versatility is a cheat code.
Second Teamers: Four Key Pieces
LB Marsel McDuffie
The alpha of the defense. Team-leader in tackles (94) plus 5.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 INTs, 2 FRs, and multiple game-ending plays including the pick at Miami (OH) and the deflection that sealed UCLA.
DB Aamaris Brown
Four straight games with an interception which was a UNLV record. Two pick-sixes. AP and Sporting News Midseason All-American. 48 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven PBUs. Tone-setter.
WR Jaden Bradley
Colandrea’s chain-mover. Team leader in catches (51) and yards (834). Four TDs. Threw a TD vs Air Force. Blocked a punt and returned another for a TD at Wyoming. Started the year with 131 vs ISU and 125 at Sam Houston.
C Reid Williams
The adult in the room on a rebuilt OL. FCS Rimington winner last year, now anchoring an offense that has scored 29+ in every game. One sack allowed, zero penalties. That’s elite center play.
Honorable Mentions Who Made Real Impacts
DL Tunmise Adeleye – Team-high 6 sacks, three PBUs
OT Austin Boyd – Stabilizer at RT for one of the MW’s best offenses
DB Jaheem Joseph – 60 tackles, 8 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR
WR DaeDae Reynolds – 29 catches, 431 yards, team-high 5 TDs
DB Laterrance Welch – Tied for team lead with 4 INTs
These aren’t “honorable mention” players. These are high-impact dudes on a 10-win team.
