UNLV Football: The July Reset Before The Final Fall Ball Run

UNLV football isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore. The Rebels have gone 20–8 over the last two seasons, made back-to-back trips to the Mountain West Championship Game, and just pulled off the most high-profile coaching hire in program history with Dan Mullen. For a team that spent most of the past 40 years losing quietly, 2025 represents something new: a national spotlight, real expectations, and a roster designed to meet both.

This isn’t about hope. It’s about pressure. And Mullen knows it. He didn’t come to Las Vegas to slowly rebuild a roster. He came to win now. And after a spring filled with retention wins, transfer coups, and scheme installs, UNLV looks ready to push the ceiling again.

Barry Odom and Brennan Marion transformed UNLV’s offense almost overnight. From 2021 to 2024, the Rebels jumped from 3,747 total yards to nearly 6,000. They went from 726 plays a season to 942. Marion’s Go-Go system was unrelenting: multiple backs, tempo, motion, deception, and raw aggression. Seven games in 2024 topped 450 yards. Three went over 500. One hit 694.

Now it’s gone.

Marion is at Sacramento State. Odom is at Purdue. The staff that built UNLV’s explosive identity is out. And in comes Mullen, a structured spread technician with a national resume and his own ideas.

But make no mistake: while the playbook will change, the expectations won’t. UNLV isn’t trying to climb anymore. It’s trying to stay up.

Mullen’s system lives and dies on quarterback control. And in 2025, UNLV has two high-ceiling options in Anthony Colandrea (Virginia) and Alex Orji (Michigan). Colandrea entered spring as QB1: experienced, mobile, and a clean fit for the Pro Spread. But Orji brings raw explosiveness and SEC tools.

Mullen’s offense doesn’t require a star. It requires clarity. Pre-snap box count. Safety alignment. Leverage reads. If the quarterback can execute that at tempo, this offense scores in bunches. If not, the whole thing stalls.

Colandrea has the edge in decision-making. Orji may have the higher upside. Either way, this race matters more than any other.

Spring ball is in the books, and summer workouts are heating up. While Dan Mullen might talk about “camaraderie” and “team culture” in front of the mic, don’t get it twisted. This quarterback battle is real. It’s high-stakes, national, and might shape the entire Group of Five season.

Two Transfers, Two Blueprints

Colandrea has 4,000+ passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 17 starts from his time at Virginia. He’s a high-variance gunslinger with functional mobility, and he fits Mullen’s quick-read rhythm game. Orji, meanwhile, has raw tools and physicality. Only 48career pass attempts at Michigan, but 392 rushing yards and a reputation as a tone-setter. His upside is massive.

The Mullen System: Built for Dual-Threat TDs

Mullen turned Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott, and Nick Fitzgerald into touchdown machines. He knows how to weaponize QBs. Whoever wins this job is going to run. And score. A lot.

Who Fits the Mold?

Colandrea has the head start. But Orji might be the one who can break games open. If his footwork and processing catch up to his tools, he could post national rushing numbers.

The Timeline

Week 0 vs Idaho State? Expect both to play. Week 2 vs UCLA? The real QB1 has to be ready. That’s the spotlight moment.

What changes under Mullen?

Mullen doesn’t run tempo to look modern. He uses it to dictate leverage. His best offenses — Mississippi State in 2014 and Florida in 2020 — were calculated and clear. Expect that structure to return, especially with a mobile QB.

UNLV lost nearly every starter from 2024. But it brought in Power 4 depth across the board:

This wasn’t a rebuild. It was a reload.

UNLV ranks No. 1 in the Mountain West in transfer class and No. 2 in overall recruiting. And the early returns from spring suggest the pieces are already meshing.

UNLV opened at 8.5 wins at Caesars — the highest preseason win total in school history. Athlon Sports ranked the Rebels No. 2 in the Mountain West. ESPN FPI projects:

Let’s be clear: this is new territory. But it’s not hype without foundation. UNLV has invested in coaching, facilities, and recruiting. And now the schedule offers a real chance.

Forget just the Boise game. If UNLV wants to win the Mountain West, they have to survive two brutal road trips:

The Oct. 18 trip to Boise is still the headline. But those two are where the title run is made or broken.

This isn’t a guarantee. The QB has to hit. The defense has to hold. The offense has to evolve. But this is the best roster UNLV has ever had, led by a proven Power 5 coach, and surrounded by expectation.

Prediction: 10–2 regular season. Mountain West title game appearance.

This isn’t about being built. That happened already.

This is about getting better.

Michael Cooper covers UNLV and Mountain West athletics for The Scarlet Standard. Subscribe for full game previews, recruiting coverage, and national realignment analysis throughout the 2025 season.