Some players run toward the spotlight.
Some keep working until they find them.
Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas didn’t chase attention. He earned it.
Twelve touchdowns as a freshman. A team-high 72 yards rushing in the LA Bowl. 1,400+ yards and 19 scores across two seasons. And now, in 2025, he’s the face of UNLV’s backfield and a rising star in the Mountain West.
“I’m trying to take it my own way,” Thomas says. “Just trying to do something. You inspired me some more.”
He’s talking about a comparison I made — that he could be Dan Mullen’s next explosive weapon, the kind of back that turns a good offense dangerous. Think Demps. Think Harvin. Think Jet.
From Westlake to Workhorse
Thomas came out of Westlake High in Georgia with the nickname already in place and the speed to match. But it wasn’t an instant success. He missed UNLV’s 2023 bowl game. Carries were limited early on.
“Really just trying to stay down,” he says. “Knowing I’m gonna get my opportunity. Control my controllables, really.”
That opportunity came fast. Fall camp scrimmages turned into breakout moments—a true freshman season with record-breaking touchdowns. A sophomore year that ended on the biggest stage UNLV’s seen in decades.
That night in Los Angeles was no fluke. It was UNLV’s first bowl win since 2000, and Thomas played a key role. In a 24–13 victory over Cal at SoFi Stadium, he ran for a team-high 72 yards on 18 carries, helping seal the program’s first postseason win in nearly a quarter-century.
“Just being there, it was a blessing,” he says. “Many teams don’t even have the opportunity. So really, I was just honored to be out there.”
Ask him when he knew he belonged at this level, and he doesn’t pick a game. He goes back to camp.
“My freshman year, we had those little fall camp scrimmages, and I just took off from there. It’s football. It’s the same thing. Nothing changed.”
Now, with two seasons under his belt, Thomas has his sights set on a bigger goal: Charles Williams’ all-time rushing record at UNLV.
“Yeah,” he says when asked if it’s on his radar. “It’s somewhere around 3,600, 3,700 yards. I believe so.”
Staying When It Would’ve Been Easier to Leave
Barry Odom and Brennan Marion recruited Thomas. Then came the coaching change. Dan Mullen took over. Derrick Dennis brought a new offense. The portal cracked wide open.
Thomas stayed.
“Vegas, that was really my first shot,” he says. “Despite Coach Odom and Coach Marion being the ones that offered me… just playing here, building a community here, was something that made me want to stay.”
He also wanted to give the new staff a fair shot.
“Since people gave me a chance, why not just see what it is? If I like it, I like it. If I didn’t, then I’d leave.”
One moment stood out. Mullen pulled him aside and coached him on a wheel route during bowl prep.
“He’s an offensive-minded coach and I play offense,” Jet says. “That little tweak just made sense. Stuff like that sticks with you.”
Was there a pitch to get him to stay?
“I wouldn’t say pitch,” he says. “Just his personality. You can feel his presence when he walks into the room.”
Brotherhood in the Backfield
UNLV’s 2025 running back room is deep.
Jai’Den Thomas. Jaylon Glover from Utah. Keyvone Lee from Penn State.
“It’s lovely,” Thomas says. “We are all brothers. We all compete. We all push. It’s a familyhood in the backfield.”
They rarely even talk about football until it matters.
“When it is football, I just watch what they do and add it to my bag,” he says. “Glover’s got great blocking technique. Keyvone too. Just little stuff.”
In a previous piece, I called Jet the workhorse, Glover the tempo-changer, and Lee the bruiser, the closer. Thomas doesn’t argue.
“You can say that,” he laughs. “But we all gonna do it to you. If I’m not in, another back can do something. If he’s not in, the next one can.”
More Than a Runner
Under Marion, the offense leaned on the ground game. Under Mullen, the playbook opens.
“Just showing my versatility, that’d be great,” Thomas says. “Catch out the backfield, make a one-go move, go, score. House call. Whatever.”
His preparation has shifted more toward film and mental reps. Visualization. Studying other backs. Devon Achane. Josh Jacobs. Alvin Kamara.
“I don’t really have a favorite,” he says. “I watch a lot.”
He hasn’t yet linked up with Ashton Jenty (now with the Raiders), but he says it’d be great. Charles Williams, the all-time rushing leader, stops by practice from time to time.
“He’s a great guy,” Thomas says. “Talked to him here and there. He’s from Texas, too, right?”
When asked if the record is realistic?
“Yeah,” he says again. “If I stay through my senior year? It’s in reach.”
Built in Vegas
Thomas is from Atlanta. Vegas took some adjusting.
“The West Coast culture, little stuff,” he says. “People wear a lot of gold chains. The food. The heat.”
But the people?
“You got your grumpies. You got your nice. It’s just people.”
He loves soul food, L&M’s on the north side, pork chops, or oxtails. Wingstop is a guilty pleasure. He’ll smash a 30-piece order with fries and corn without hesitation. Late-night Roberto’s? Always. Taco de Julio near campus? Solid.
Day off?
“Music. Gaming. Thrifting.”
Favorite Call of Duty?
“BO3. I’m playing BO6 right now. Modern Warfare 3’s been hitting lately too.”
He’s played as himself in NCAA 26.
“It’s crazy,” he says. “But EA needs to watch more film. They need to fix it.”
If someone grabs his aux?
“They hitting YoungBoy,” he says. “Top three? YoungBoy, Gunna, LOE Shimmy.”
Hidden talents?
“I like archery. I used to build bows and arrows when I was little. I’m good with computers, too.”
Leading the Next Wave
Thomas is more vocal now with teammates, in the locker room, and with recruits.
“Letting guys see how they feel about the program,” he says. “Giving them advice when they need it.”
He stayed when it would’ve been easier to leave. Now he’s helping build the future.
“Vegas is Vegas,” he says. “You come here, you connect. And if you connect, you’ve got a life outside football too.”
When it’s all said and done, what does he want people to say about the 2025 version of Jet Thomas?
“Where was this kid at before?”
“Why haven’t we heard of him before?”
“I’m a household name?”
And when I ask him to finish the sentence: “In 2025, UNLV will be…” — he doesn’t hesitate.
“Mountain West champions. And hopefully, national champions.”
He means it.
And more importantly, he’s doing the work to back it up.