UNLV Football Picked to Finish Second in Mountain West this Season

The Mountain West's preseason football media poll was released Wednesday, and UNLV is expected to finish second.  

The Boise State Broncos, who have won back-to-back conference championships, are expected to reign over the Mountain West once again, receiving 35 of 39 first-place votes and 464 total points.

The Rebels received the other four first-place votes and 415 points.

With Dan Mullen in his first year at UNLV, not to mention many new players joining via the transfer portal, many are excited about the Rebels' chances to take down the Broncos this year.  

“I think (being picked second) is more motivation than anything,” UNLV defensive back Jake Pope said. “Just to have anybody ranked above you or you get told someone is going to make the championship over you, it just forces our team to work harder.

“I think we’re going to come out on top. There is no one who can stop us with the talent we have and, under Coach Mullen, it’s going to be even better.”

UNLV has won 20 games over the past two seasons, but has fallen to Boise State in consecutive Conference Championship games.

The departure of Broncos' star running back Ashton Jeanty for the NFL provides the Rebels with newfound hope that they can overcome their greatest obstacle this season, but what must UNLV do better next season?

The Rebels averaged 32.5 points per game last season, good enough for 27th in the country, and they averaged 398.5 total yards per game, good enough for 49th in the country.  

Whether the Rebels' new quarterback is Alex Orji or Anthony Colandrea, UNLV wants to increase its passing yardage this season. Last season, Hajj Malik-Williams had a breakout season.  However, as a dual-threat quarterback, he didn't put up overly impressive passing numbers, finishing with 1,941 passing yards. However, he was highly efficient, throwing 19 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.  Whether it's Orji or Colandrea, it will be hard to repicate that level of efficiency.

UNLV has many reasons for optimism as we approach the 2025 college football season. Both Alex Orji and Anthony Colandrea have significant potential and a great chance to lead this program to a Mountain West Championship and possibly a berth in the College Football Playoff. Needless to say, those would be significant accomplishments in UNLV football history. We'll continue providing updates as the offseason nears its conclusion and throughout UNLV's journey this fall. Stay tuned for more updates in the future.