UNLV Rebels Football Ranks No. 3 In Preseason Power Rankings

The NCAA College Football season is just around the corner, and the UNLV Rebels will be the first Mountain West Conference team to kick off this Saturday in Week 0 against the Idaho State Bengals. The Rebels have emerged as one of the most polarizing teams in the country. The general consensus is that there is no consensus. Experts and analysts have been on the fence, saying that this team has a wide range of outcomes.

The reason they have such a wide range of outcomes is that they brought in a high-level but new head coach in Dan Mullen to replace former head coach Barry Odom, who brought the program to relevance, and the team has loaded up with talented transfer portal stars, but are essentially a whole new roster. There are a lot of new faces and moving parts in Las Vegas for a team that has been to two consecutive Mountain West Championship games.

Mountain West Connection had a similar take. They are another outlet that believes UNLV could fall on either side of the fence this season. However, they recently did their 2025 Preseason Power Rankings and did rank the Rebels at No. 3. So this team has high expectations even from those who are a bit skeptical.

Mountain West Connection's Take

"The Rebels are a major wildcard in the Mountain West this year. On paper, they have one of, if not the, most talented roster in the conference. Add in a top-notch coaching staff and effective schemes and UNLV could challenge for the top spot in the MW this season. The glass-half-empty view would say the roster is thrown together with pieces that may not fit, and it will take a while for them to figure out how to play together. Regardless, it should make for a number of exciting games this season."

This is a reasonable take and the one that most have had this season. While we find ourselves on the more optimistic side of the glass being half full, the skepticism is understandable. Our faith in the team stems from our belief in Coach Mullen's ability to bring these players together as a team. If he can do that, they should be in for a great season because there si no denying that the raw talent is there. Mullen just has to put all the pieces of the puzzle in place.