Five reasons to believe UNLV football’s ascent has only just begun

UNLV head football coach Dan Mullen gives a thumbs up during practice at UNLV Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. Photo by: Steve Marcus

Optimism remains a foreign concept to some UNLV football fans.

The Scarlet and Gray transcended a reputation as one of the worst college football programs in the nation the last two years with back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1980. But memories like waiting 24 years between postseason victories until last December’s Los Angeles Bowl win over California still linger. 

The question is if this is the season it all falls apart again, with the architect of the recent success—coach Barry Odom—having departed for Purdue, gutting UNLV’s roster in the process.

The Rebels rank 132nd in the nation out of 136 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in returning production per ESPN’s SP+ ratings.

But fear not, and forget the past. Here are five reasons to believe in UNLV going into its season opener 1 p.m. Saturday against Idaho State at Allegiant Stadium, and why the best days are still ahead.

1. Dan Mullen is the man

Trivia question: Which coach helmed the first-ever team rated No. 1 in the College Football Playoff Rankings?

Yes, it was new UNLV coach Dan Mullen when the system was unveiled in 2014 while he was at Mississippi State with Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott as his quarterback.

Mullen won two national championships as offensive coordinator at Florida, in 2006 and 2008, and nearly brought the Gators to the CFP in 2019.

The 53-year-old has the best resume for a UNLV coach since John Robinson was hired in 1999. Going from Odom to Mullen is not a downgrade.

2. Running backs galore

The Rebels may not be bringing back many of the same players, but at least junior running back Jai’Den Thomas is one of them.

The Atlanta native broke out with 918 yards on 164 carries last year and earned All Mountain West honorable mention status going into this season.

He’s not the only veteran ball carrier who could shred defenses. The Rebels also plan to heavily feature a pair of senior transfers in Utah’s Jaylon Glover and Penn State’s Keyvone Lee.

Freshman Kamran Williams and sophomore Darrien Jones have also turned heads at training camp.

3. A special edge

UNLV fielded one of the best special teams units in the nation over the last two seasons, and new coordinator Adam Scheier is emphasizing maintaining the same high standard despite all the personnel turnover.

There’s particular buzz on the impact junior receiver DeAngelo Irvin could have as a returner considering he excelled in limited opportunities the last two seasons backing up transferred star Jacob DeJesus.

The Rebels also lost standout kicker Caden Chittenden to the transfer portal but replaced him with proven Memphis/Ole Miss kicker Caden Costa. Mullen meanwhile handpicked freshman punter Cameron Brown out of a prep program in his native Australia.

4. Newfound homefield advantage

Homefield advantage might be more valuable in college football than any other sport, and for years, the Rebels didn’t have much of it at Sam Boyd Stadium.

That’s changed at Allegiant, which has started to draw larger crowds with UNLV playing meaningful games more often. That was readily apparent last year, especially in a late October loss to Boise State when UNLV announced a program record attendance of 42,228 people.

The Rebels have gone 9-4 in their home building over the last two years, and that mark only figures to rise.

5. National plaudits

UNLV had never been ranked before last season when it broke into both the Associated Press and the Coaches’ polls midseason. The Rebels wound up finishing No. 23 and No. 24 respectively.

Those placements may soon be the norm rather a rarity. UNLV fell just short of the top 25 polls going into this season but received votes in both.

That means those who follow the sport the closest professionally believe in the program’s transformation, and you should too.

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.