UNLV Football Preview 2025: Rebels Season Prediction, Win Total Projection, Top Players

UNLV Rebels Key to the Season

Add more of a passing game.
It’ll be hard to get the ground attack going at last year’s level, even with more running back talent coming in. But as good as the Rebels were, and as strong as former quarterbacks Hajj-Malik Williams and Matthew Sluka were, they weren’t consistently accurate. If the new quarterbacks can just hit 60% of their passes on a regular basis, this offense should work.

- 2025 UNLV Preview, Offense, Defense

UNLV Rebels Key Player

James Faminu, OT Sr.
The quarterbacks will be fine - there are options. Everyone on the defensive front has to rise up, Jai’Den Thomas has to do even more at running back, and kicker Konner Melzer will have the spotlight on, replacing Caden Chittenden. But if the almost all-new O line isn’t great, there’s a problem.

The 6-6, 315-pound Faminu is from London, started at Houston, went to Temple, and now needs to be the star left tackle for UNLV.

UNLV Rebels Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Denver Harris, CB Sr
Take your pick of any of the gajillion transfers coming in, but Harris has the talent to be terrific if he can put it all together.

A fantastic prospect for Texas A&M, he moved over to LSU, and then to UTSA. He only has 37 career tackles with no picks and eight broken-up throws, but the NFL tools are all there.

Top Transfer Out: Jalen Catalon, S Sr.
He was good in his four years at Arkansas and okay in his one season at Texas, but he took it all up several notches at UNLV, making 96 tackles with five picks and two sacks last season. Now he’s going to the Las Vegas of the Midwest - Missouri.

UNLV Rebels Key Game

at Colorado State, Nov. 8
Going to Wyoming is difficult, and the trip to Boise State is rough, but just about everything else is winnable in Mountain West play. The trip to Colorado State is the only time the Rebels leave Nevada over the last five games. They haven’t won in Fort Collins since 2002.
- 2025 UNLV Schedule Breakdown

UNLV Rebels Top 10 Players

1. Marsel McDuffie, LB Sr.
2. Jai’Den Thomas, RB Jr.
3. Denver Harris, CB Sr.
4. Jaheem Joseph, S Sr.
5. Alex Orji, QB Jr.
6. Anthony Colandrea, QB Jr.
7. Aamaris Brown, S Sr.
8. Laterrance Welch, CB Sr.
9. Justin Flowe, LB Sr.
10. Tunmise Adeleye, DE Sr.

UNLV Rebels 2024 Fun Stats

- Fumbles: UNLV 13 (lost 3), Opponents 12 (lost 6)

- Average Yards Per Carry: UNLV 5.5, Opponents. 3.5

- Penalties: Opponents 90 for 844 yards, UNLV 78 for 689 yards

UNLV Rebels 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

Outside of the trip to Boise State, everything else is getable depending on how fast the team comes together.

Going to Sam Houston and Miami University aren’t sure things, and hosting UCLA should be a problem. But the Mountain West season isn’t bad, outside of the trip to Boise State, and this could be a great year with a big start.

Get to November at 4-3 - at least, and it’s on. The Rebels should beat New Mexico, Utah State, and Hawaii at home, they’ll be better than Nevada, and going to Colorado State is 50/50.

There will be a step back, but UNLV will make it three winning seasons in a row for the first time since getting to the D-I level from 1978 to 1980.

Set The UNLV Win Total At … 7.5

Likely Wins: Idaho State, New Mexico

50/50 Games: Air Force, at Colorado State, Hawaii, at Miami University, at Nevada, at Sam Houston, Utah State, at Wyoming

Likely Losses: at Boise State, UCLA 

- 2025 UNLV Preview, Offense, Defense