UNLV football needs its defense to shine to achieve 2026 goals

UNLV football needs its defense to shine to achieve 2026 goals During every recent UNLV training camp, someone has stressed the same word: communication. The unit struggled early in past seasons, and even while winning games, the Rebels needed to improve their discipline to stop opponents. Their difficulty halting drives stemmed from inconsistent communication from the front line to the secondary, which produced big plays, blown coverages and, over the course of a season, allowed averages of 28 points and 419 yards per game. Although many analysts believe the current roster has the talent to contend for a College Football Playoff berth, that outcome hinges on the defense fulfilling its role from the outset. “(Communication) was about as close to the No. 1 thing we had to work on,” said second‑year coordinator Paul Guenther. “Understanding where everyone needed to line up in coverage, run, whatever it might be. That’s been an emphasis this camp, and I think the guys are doing a really good job with it.” The ‘Moneyball’ feeling Establishing consistency early proved difficult when Guenther was thrust into the defensive coordinator role mid‑spring after Zach Arnett’s departure. An NFL veteran, he shifted from his previous position as assistant head coach/safeties to lead the defense. “I kind of looked at it like the movie ‘Moneyball,’ where they fire the head scout and then tell a guy, ‘What’s your name? You’re the new head scout,’” Guenther said. “That was the coaching staff all the way down.” “I feel a lot more comfortable having seen it for a year, the complexities of one defense and something different the next week. So when that week arrives, we can pull it off.” The college game differs from the NFL in spacing; at this time last year UNLV was still installing its basic coverages. Now the situation has changed. “We’re way, way ahead of last year,” head coach Dan Mullen said. “Paul is simply a lot more comfortable with the college game and how college players learn and process things. We have an idea of what guys can do, and obviously a lot of these guys are returning for their second year in the system. We’re way, way ahead.” Fact: UNLV’s defense improved as the 2025 season progressed, with its best performance coming in a 17‑10 loss to Ohio in the Frisco Bowl. Still, the unit laments not finishing the season as strongly as hoped. Players say mastering the finer details of Guenther’s scheme—and preventing a single mistake from snowballing—is key. Those who have put in extra work during camp already notice a difference. “They’re going to play really tough this year,” middle linebacker Austin Boyd said. “We have a strong defensive line. Those guys are going to get after it this year. We also have a bunch of guys coming back in the secondary, linebackers returning. I think they’ll communicate really well and get after guys. They’re going to win us a lot of games.” It is a tall order, but one side of Guenther’s belief says it can become reality. For each player, there is that proverbial spot on the shoulder to own. UNLV featured an explosive offense last season that produced points until the Frisco Bowl setback and should again put up numbers near the top of the Mountain West Conference. Now the focus shifts to the other side of the ball doing its part. Talent is not the issue; execution is. “We weren’t ever at our best last year and fell short sometimes,” defensive tackle Lucas Conti said. “The only thing we need to work on is getting everybody intellectually up to speed. I’m not really worried. We’ll be better than last season.” “We have to hold people accountable for mistakes. That’s everybody. It’s part of our culture. We also know how far we’ve come. We’ve realized our mistakes in the past. Especially with a chip on our backs.” “I mean, (Guenther) was an NFL coach coming into college with a pro system. There was going to be a learning curve at first, but I think our team leaders are helping bring everyone along. We’re going to be a lot more adaptive this year.” Play fast It’s simple this way: you can’t have ten guys doing one thing and an eleventh doing another. Everyone must be on the same page each snap. That became more of a norm as the season progressed last year. The addition of Mike Scherer as linebackers coach has been a positive move. The former UNLV defensive coordinator is well respected and, Guenther said, has collaborated fully with the defensive staff. The unit wants to play fast, to be more multiple in its scheme and to make a significant leap forward, beginning with the season‑opener against Memphis on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium. “Obviously, we started off slow in the opening of last year,” Guenther said. “We have to recognize now that we have to come out of the gate. We’re playing a good team our first game and we have to be ready to go from the jump.” Ready, above all, to communicate.