UNLV Football Preview 2025: The Rebels Will Keep Winning Under Dan Mullen

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UNLV Football Preview 2025: The Rebels Will Keep Winning Under Dan Mullen originally appeared on College Football News.

Dan Mullen is way overdue to be a college football head coach again.

He built up Mississippi State - his Bulldogs in 2014 were the first ever CFP No. 1 - was way better than he got credit for at Florida, and has been out of the mix, working as a talking head, over the last three years.

UNLV got a real deal head man, and he's going through a total overhaul with well over 30 new players ready to play big roles. Almost all of the starting 22 will be new, and now he needs the schedule to help.

It was pointed out over and over again over the last few years, but since joining the FBS world in 1978, the program has known very, very little success with just 12 winning seasons in 47 years, and two ten-win campaigns.

Barry Odom made magic over the last two seasons, and now he's off to Purdue. But now that UNLV has tasted what winning is like, it's not going back to the funky idea head coach, or the hot assistant, or the FBS route.

Out of the 20 wins over the last two seasons, just three came against FBS teams that finished with winning records. That doesn't dismiss wins over Kansas and Vanderbilt, and remember, it is UNLV - winning was all new to the program when Odom arrived.

Mullen is the coach you bring in to take things to an even higher level. Whether that's in the Mountain West in 2026, or maybe the Pac-12, or maybe if the Big 12 wakes up and grabs the Las Vegas market, first, the program's hot streak has to continue.

- Season Prediction, Win Total, Top Players

- The Dan Mullen spread offense that was so good at Mississippi State and, in a different way, at Florida will be terrific right away. Offensive coordinator Corey Dennis is a rising young star who knows how to coach up quarterbacks, and he has a few good ones.

- Alex Orji has all the quarterback tools, but he couldn't grab the Michigan gig last year. Anthony Colandrea (Virginia) has the experience and can move, but he throws too many picks. Either one will be fine if the receiving corps steps up right away

- Jaden Bradley will take over for star Ricky White on the outside, with the deep speed to open up for the new targets. Troy Omeire (Arizona State) and JoJo Earle (TCU) have the talent, but the production wasn't there. They'll shine with the Rebels.

- Piecing together the offensive front is nothing new for the UNLV program. The old regime made it work, and now the new coaching staff has work to do around Reid Williams (Chattanooga) at center and a whole slew of interesting options from bigger schools. For a line that has to replace all five starters, it has plenty of depth from last year's Rebel front.

- Jai'Den Thomas stepped up into the starting running back role, and he should be perfect for the new attack. With Thomas combined with Jaylon Glover (Utah) and Keyvone Lee (Mississippi State), the Rebels have the backs.

- It's hard to improve on anything a Barry Odom-led defense can do, and it's going to be even harder with an almost all transfer portal bunch taking over. Last year's defense was the second-best in the Mountain West, tops against the run, and it started with a high-powered pass rush that took over games. But the biggest loss is at ...

- Linebacker. You don't replace Jackson Woodard, the best linebacker in America last season. The Rebels get back starter Marsel McDuffie for the middle, and have to hope Bryce Edmondson (Memphis) and oft-travelled, one-time super-recruit Justin Flowe (Arizona) can fill in the gaps.

- All of the great pass rushers are done, but the staff brought in a slew of talented transfers who just need to find their groove. Tunmise Adeleye (Michigan State) has a world of upside, and Chief Borders (Pitt) is a quick edge rusher on the other side.

The tackle combination of Jalen Lee (LSU) and Cohen Fuller (JUCO) is huge in the interior, and this is one area where the Rebels should get production out of holdovers from last year.

- Losing corner Tony Grimes and safety Jalen Catalon is hard, but getting corners Denver Harris (UTSA), Laterrance Welch (Arizona State), and Andrew Powdrell (Montana State) from the portal helps.

Kodi DeCambra is still around from last year to push for one safety job, but Jaheem Joseph (West Virginia), Aamaris Brown (USF), and Jake Pope (Georgia) will be the new stars.

- Season Prediction, Win Total, Top Players