UNLV Rebels
Report Card
Offense: B | Defense: B- | Special Teams: A | Meeting/Exceeding Expectations: A
The Rebels pushed a lot of chips to the center of the table when they dismissed head coach Marcus Arroyo last off-season and brought in Barry Odom to replace him, but there are reasons to believe their 4-1 start comes with some staying power.
Despite playing most of the first half of the season without starting quarterback Doug Brumfield, true freshman Jayden Maiava has kept a steady hand on the wheel and hasn’t looked overwhelmed in his stead. Much of that might be related to the fact that the Rebels possess the deepest bench of explosive running backs in the conference outside of Colorado Springs: Each in the quartet of Vincent Davis, Donavyn Lester, Courtney Reese, and Jai’Den Thomas have had opportunities to shine and they’ve accumulated a combined 5.55 yards per carry and 15 total touchdowns in the first five games.
UNLV has also done an exceptional job of winning the field position game on both sides of the ball so far, with an average advantage of roughly 6.5 yards on their opponents to date. That’s a credit to return ace Jacob De Jesus (29.45 yards per kickoff return), punter Marshall Nichols (46.1 yards per punt, 40.1 net), and a defense that has collected 11 takeaways in the early season.
If there’s one potential hindrance that could derail the good vibes, it’s the continued propensity to allow too many big plays through the air. In 2022, UNLV gave up 41 passing plays of 20 or more yards; through five games in 2023, they’ve given up 29. In general, however, the Rebels have tended to make plays when they count the most, ranking third in the Mountain West in allowing a 33.8% third-down conversion rate and second with a 77.8% red zone conversion rate.
To cement their status as legitimate contenders, they’ll need to exorcise some demons in the second half of the season against the likes of Air Force, who they haven’t defeated since 2013; Fresno State, to whom they’ve dropped five straight; and Wyoming, against whom they’ve lost five of their last six. Even in the worst-case scenario, however, Rebels fans can probably start looking into bowl destinations for the first time in a decade.
Head of the Class: Jerrae Williams, LB/S
If the Rebels have needed someone to be in the right place at the right time, Williams has been the man on the spot most often for the surging Rebels so far. Much like last season, he’s also done a little bit of everything for UNLV, posting 19 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks, and an interception en route to a 73.7 overall PFF grade that is the best on the team.
One Player Deserving of More Attention: Tiger Shanks, OT
The veteran right tackle has had plenty of struggles over the past two years, but he seems to have turned a corner in Brennan Marion’s offense. In 342 snaps, Shanks has given up zero sacks and only three quarterback hurries after allowing 15 and 45, respectively, on 1,227 snaps across 2021 and 2022.
Midseason Grades By Team
Air Force | Boise State | Colorado State | Fresno State | Hawaii | Nevada | New Mexico | San Diego State | San Jose State | UNLV | Utah State | Wyoming
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