UNLV Rebels Quarterbacks Alex Orji and Anthony Colandrea Named As ESPN's 'Most Important Players

The UNLV Rebels quarterback competition has not only been the talk of the town, but also one of the most intriguing camp battles in all of college football. Rebels head coach Dan Mullen hasn't given us any sort of hint at which direction he's leaning for his starting quarterback. Former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Alex Orji and former Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea are the two fighting for the starting job, and by all accounts, both have looked good since joining the team this offseason through the transfer portal after falling flat at their previous schools.

However, it's still anxiety-inducing that the most important position on the team isn't settled. The outcome of this quarterback competition could legitimately end up deciding who the Mountain West Conference Champions end up being. UNLV is a team that is expected to be in contention, and we are still waiting who the starter is. Because of this, Bill Connelly of ESPN listed both Orji and Colandrea as one of his 40 most important players in college football in 2025.

ESPN On Orji And Colandrea

"The Rebels might be the single most fascinating team in the Group of 5. After winning 20 games over 2023 and 2024 (the same number they had won in the six years prior combined), they lost head coach Barry Odom and most of last season's starters. That typically spells doom, but new head coach Dan Mullen has a fantastic résumé, and his transfer haul includes more blue-chippers than a lot of power-conference rosters can boast.

If either Orji or Colandrea thrives at quarterback, the Rebels could threaten Boise State. But Orji proved terribly one-dimensional in a failed audition at Michigan, and Colandrea was more confident than effective at Virginia. UNLV's season could go in a lot of directions, but the ceiling is still high."

Like most, Connelly views both these quarterbacks and the Rebels as high-upside with a real chance to crash and burn. This seems to be the general consensus around the league, and how these quarterbacks perform could go a long way in deciding which situation they go in. That is why these two quarterbacks are so important. In reality, it's probably only one of them that will be this important, but we just don't know which one that is, thanks to Mullen's elusive answers to any questions surrounding the duo.