(Photo Credit - Kory Boyd)
Through two weeks, UNLV’s blocking unit has shown flashes of stability in pass protection but remains inconsistent in run blocking. Week 0 (Idaho State) featured cleaner efforts from the core offensive line, while Week 1 (Sam Houston) exposed weaknesses on the edge and from depth players. Still, the Rebels allowed 0 sacks in both games, and while hurries and pressures appeared, efficiency remained high. Run blocking grades dipped in key spots, particularly on the edge, though the interior linemen continued to grade well in protection. Tight ends and backs added mixed results, with some strong contributions in blitz pickup, but issues sustaining run blocks.
Player Stat Lines & Grades (Via - PFF)
Reid Williams (#64, C)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 72 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 37 | PBLK 35
Grades: OFF 79.5 | RBLK 74.1 | PBLK 83.8
Opponent: OPP 32 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: C 72
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 58 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 31 | PBLK 27
Grades: OFF 57.6 | RBLK 55.5 | PBLK 67.2
Opponent: OPP 25 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 1 | HUR 0 | PR 1 | EFF 98.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: C 58
Malik McGowan (#60, LG)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 72 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 37 | PBLK 35
Grades: OFF 75.4 | RBLK 73.7 | PBLK 86.5
Opponent: OPP 32 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: LG 72
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 53 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 28 | PBLK 25
Grades: OFF 59.8 | RBLK 59.0 | PBLK 58.3
Opponent: OPP 23 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 1 | PR 1 | EFF 97.8
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: LG 53
Austin Boyd (#79, RT)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 51 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 29 | PBLK 22
Grades: OFF 50.8 | RBLK 51.7 | PBLK 47.0
Opponent: OPP 21 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 3 | PR 3 | EFF 92.9
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: RT 51
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 50 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 28 | PBLK 22
Grades: OFF 58.4 | RBLK 67.8 | PBLK 21.8
Opponent: OPP 23 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 3 | PR 3 | EFF 93.5
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: RT 53
Will Thomas (#72, LT)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 46 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 21 | PBLK 25
Grades: OFF 50.5 | RBLK 61.4 | PBLK 39.8
Opponent: OPP 23 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 1 | HIT 0 | HUR 1 | PR 2 | EFF 93.5
Penalties: 1 (1)
Position Snaps: LT 46
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 42 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 20 | PBLK 22
Grades: OFF 61.5 | RBLK 53.1 | PBLK 84.1
Opponent: OPP 20 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 1 (0)
Position Snaps: LT 42
Alani Makiele (#73, RG)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 52 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 29 | PBLK 23
Grades: OFF 71.6 | RBLK 74.8 | PBLK 85.1
Opponent: OPP 22 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 2 (0)
Position Snaps: RG 52
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 42 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 24 | PBLK 18
Grades: OFF 73.2 | RBLK 73.0 | PBLK 72.4
Opponent: OPP 17 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: RG 42
Donavan Manson (#55, RG)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 20 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 8 | PBLK 12
Grades: OFF 56.1 | RBLK 61.9 | PBLK 17.3
Opponent: OPP 13 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: RG 20
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 21 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 10 | PBLK 11
Grades: OFF 54.9 | RBLK 59.6 | PBLK 15.2
Opponent: OPP 7 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 1 | PR 1 | EFF 92.9
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: LG 5 | C 16
James Faminiu (#66, LT)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 47 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 24 | PBLK 23
Grades: OFF 60.0 | RBLK 61.4 | PBLK 72.7
Opponent: OPP 20 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 1 (1)
Position Snaps: LT 26 | RG 21
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 21 | BLK% 100.0 | RBLK 7 | PBLK 14
Grades: OFF 54.9 | RBLK 60.9 | PBLK 15.2
Opponent: OPP 7 | OPP% 100.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 1 | PR 1 | EFF 92.9
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: LG 5 | C 16
Nick Elksnis (#84, TE-R)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 40 | BLK% 75.0 | RBLK 24 | PBLK 16
Grades: OFF 61.6 | RBLK 66.1 | PBLK 72.3
Opponent: OPP 5 | OPP% 33.3
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-R 32
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 32 | BLK% 78.8 | RBLK 19 | PBLK 13
Grades: OFF 66.5 | RBLK 70.6 | PBLK 59.3
Opponent: OPP 5 | OPP% 41.7
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-R 27
Var’Keyes Gumms (#30, TE-R)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 29 | BLK% 69.0 | RBLK 14 | PBLK 15
Grades: OFF 63.4 | RBLK 50.8 | PBLK 73.5
Opponent: OPP 5 | OPP% 35.7
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-R 21
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 25 | BLK% 68.0 | RBLK 15 | PBLK 10
Grades: OFF 57.6 | RBLK 46.8 | PBLK 69.3
Opponent: OPP 2 | OPP% 22.2
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-R 23
Velttray Jefferson (#88, TE-R)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 4 | BLK% 75.0 | RBLK 1 | PBLK 2
Grades: OFF 59.5 | RBLK 59.9 | PBLK 67.9
Opponent: OPP 2 | OPP% 66.7
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-R 4
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 3 | BLK% 66.7 | RBLK 2 | PBLK 1
Grades: OFF 55.7 | RBLK 56.3 | PBLK —
Opponent: OPP 0 | OPP% 0.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-R 2
Jae Beasley II (#43, TE-L)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 7 | BLK% 57.1 | RBLK 4 | PBLK 3
Grades: OFF 71.9 | RBLK 78.7 | PBLK —
Opponent: OPP 0 | OPP% 0.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-L 6
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 11 | BLK% 63.6 | RBLK 6 | PBLK 5
Grades: OFF 47.2 | RBLK 48.1 | PBLK 69.3
Opponent: OPP 2 | OPP% 50.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-L 4
Matt Byrnes (#85, TE-R)
Week 0 – Idaho State
Snap Counts: BLK 5 | BLK% 60.0 | RBLK 1 | PBLK 2
Grades: OFF 59.7 | RBLK 60.0 | PBLK 69.3
Opponent: OPP 2 | OPP% 66.7
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-R 4
Week 1 – Sam Houston
Snap Counts: BLK 3 | BLK% 66.7 | RBLK 2 | PBLK 1
Grades: OFF 54.2 | RBLK 55.2 | PBLK —
Opponent: OPP 0 | OPP% 0.0
Pressures Allowed: SK 0 | HIT 0 | HUR 0 | PR 0 | EFF 100.0
Penalties: 0 (0)
Position Snaps: TE-R 3
RB / QB Blocking Contributions
Jai’Den Thomas (#9, HB)
Week 0: BLK 37 | BLK% 32.4 | RBLK 6 | PBLK 31 | OFF 86.9 | RBLK 58.9 | PBLK 57.3 | OPP 4 | HIT 0 | HUR 1 | PR 1 | EFF 87.5
Week 1: BLK 30 | BLK% 26.7 | RBLK 3 | PBLK 27 | OFF 84.5 | RBLK 73.2 | PBLK 52.7 | OPP 4 | HIT 0 | HUR 1 | PR 1 | EFF 87.5
Keyvone Lee (#2, HB)
Week 0: BLK 18 | BLK% 50.0 | RBLK 8 | PBLK 10 | OFF 54.6 | RBLK 58.5 | PBLK 70.0
Week 1: BLK 14 | BLK% 21.4 | RBLK 3 | PBLK 11 | OFF 74.4 | RBLK 60.0 | PBLK —
Jaylon Glover (#20, HB)
Week 0: BLK 21 | BLK% 33.3 | RBLK 4 | PBLK 17 | OFF 65.8 | RBLK 60.0 | PBLK 38.1
Week 1: BLK 11 | BLK% 18.2 | RBLK 2 | PBLK 9 | OFF 53.7 | RBLK 48.0 | PBLK 69.3
Anthony Colandrea (#10, QB)
Week 0: BLK 58 | BLK% 32.8 | RBLK 19 | PBLK 39 | OFF 86.9 | RBLK 60.0 | PBLK —
Week 1: BLK 19 | BLK% 38.0 | RBLK 0 | PBLK 19 | OFF 92.7 | RBLK 60.0 | PBLK —
Alex Orji (#1, QB)
Week 0: BLK 15 | BLK% 26.7 | RBLK 0 | PBLK 15 | OFF 63.7 | RBLK 60.0 | PBLK —
Week 1: BLK 8 | BLK% 50.0 | RBLK 4 | PBLK 4 | OFF 73.3 | RBLK 60.0 | PBLK —
Conclusion
Across two weeks, UNLV’s blocking group has been steady in pass protection but below average in run blocking. The Rebels have not allowed a sack across Weeks 0 and 1, but pressures and hurries on the edge, especially from RT Austin Boyd, show where improvements are needed. Center Reid Williams and LG Malik McGowan remain anchors in protection, while LT Will Thomas rebounded with a strong Week 1 pass-blocking grade (84.1). Tight end blocking has been inconsistent, with Gumms and Elksnis providing flashes but no steady impact. RBs and QBs contributed in blitz pickup, but inconsistency remains in sustaining run lanes.
The takeaway: UNLV’s offensive line is keeping the quarterbacks clean, but the run game is suffering from weak push at the point of attack. Improvement in RBLK grades, particularly from the right side, will determine how balanced this offense can become moving forward.