Rebel Football will officially be back in full swing as they take on the University of Houstoroad Aug. 31.
The Rebels had its first winning season in 10 years under first-year coach Barry Odom last season. With their 9-4 record, the Rebels went to their first bowl game since 2013, where they lost to Kansas 49-36 at the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona.
Despite losing the bowl game and Mountain West Championship, Odom and his staff managed to keep their star power, which led them to success.
NEW FIREPOWER
Wide Receiver Ricky White III was named a Preseason First Team All-American, the Mountain West Wide Receiver of the Year and First Team All-Mountain West.
Holy Cross transfer quarterback Matthew Sluka was named Mountain West Newcomer of the Year, Mountain West Offensive Newcomer of the Year, Mountain West Transfer of the Year and Third Team All-MW.
Other players to receive preseason awards on the offensive side of the football include offensive lineman Tiger Shanks, wide receiver Jacob De Jesus, running back Jai’Den Thomas, punter Marshall Nichols and tight end Kaleo Ballungay.
There was also more preseason recognition on the defense, highlighting defensive back Cameron Oliver, defensive linebackers Jackson Woodard and Marsel McDuffie, defensive lineman Alexander Whitmore and safety Johnathan Baldwin.
Along with the returning stars, coach Odom recruited future stars from current Power Five schools nationwide.
From the SEC, the Rebels gained wide receiver Casey Cain and safety Jalen Catalon from Texas via the transfer portal.
Additionally, the Rebels added Arkansas cornerbacks LaDarrius Bishop and Malik Chavis, Arkansas linebacker Mani Powell, as well as cornerback Tony Grimes and linebacker Antonio Doyle from Texas A&M.
From the Big 12, the Rebels gained Kansas State tight end Christian Moore and UCF cornerback Jarvis Ware. Cornerback and Bishop Gorman alum Kodi Decambra is returning home after transferring to UNLV, along with linebacker Jaden Navarrette, both of whom are transferring from Oregon.
The most significant off-season question surrounds the starting quarterback for this season.
Doug Brumfield medically retired during the season, and former quarterback Jayden Maiava transferred to USC after flipping commitment from Georgia.
In the attempt to find a new starting quarterback, the Odom recruiting staff managed to land two transfers from FCS schools, Matthew Sluka and Hajj-Malik Williams.
Sluka and the Holy Cross Crusaders went 7-4 last season, passing for 1,723 yards and rushing for 1,243 yards. Sluka completed 122 out of 197 attempts, averaging a 61.9% completion rate.
Williams and the Campbell Fighting Camels went 5-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association, passing for 2,604 yards and rushing for 265 yards. Williams went 232 out of 329 completion attempts, with a completion rate of 70.5%.
Additionally, the longest-tenured Rebel quarterback, Cameron Friel, is fighting for a spot but did not play last season. However, in the 2022 season, he was a backup to Brumfield, and out of 49 attempted passes, he had 33 completions, with a completion rate of 67.3%.
During the 2021 season, he recorded a career-high 1,608 yards, completing 141 out of 226 attempts and winning the award for the Mountain West freshman of the year.
The depth chart was released this week, indicating that all three quarterbacks are potential starters.
THE OPPONENT
The Houston Cougars enter this year on a three-game losing streak continuing from the end of the 2023 season, finishing with a 4-8 record, with wins against UTSA, Sam Houston, West Virginia and Baylor. Houston lost to teams such as No.3 Texas, No.16 Oklahoma State and No. 18 Kansas State, which was a challenging schedule for their first season in the Big 12.
During the offseason, the Cougars lost seven players in one day, including cornerback Michael Patterson, who transferred to Stephen F. Austin; wide receiver Mikel Harrison-Pilot, who moved to Texas Tech; and offensive tackle Karson Jones, who transferred to East Carolina.
Houston made some off-season moves, hiring former Tulane head coach Willie Fritz and recruiting cornerback J.D. Rhym from Auburn, linebacker Christian Brathwaite from LSU, wide receiver Mekhi Mews from Georgia and many more from Power Five schools.
Houston is projected to start Las Vegas native quarterback Donovan Smith, a 6-foot-5 senior.
Last season, Smith completed 256 out of 397 passes, with a 64.5% completion rate. He gained a total of 2,801 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. He also rushed for 428 yards on 138 attempts last season.
Houston averaged 23.67 points per game, while opponents averaged 31.50 against them across the 2023 season, and the Cougars finished with 284 points.
While rushing, the Cougars gained 1,679 yards, while opponents rushed 2292 yards. Out of those 1,679 yards, Houston only managed to score 10 touchdowns.
Out of 408 passing attempts, 261 were completed, and 13 were intercepted, while 24 of those passes reached the end zone, resulting in six points. As a whole, the team finished with 4,322 yards of total offense.
The Cougar’s defense averaged 255.3 yards against per game in the 2023 season, with a 68.5% opposing quarterback completion percentage.
ESPN currently projects the Cougars to win, but the Rebels are ready to fight and show them wrong.
Opening Day Records
Within the first three games of his UNLV career, coach Odom went 2-1 in 2023, only losing to Michigan.
Odom and the Rebels beat FCS school Bryant University 44-14 and SEC school Vanderbilt 40-37 to open up the season last year.
Under coach Dana Holgorsen, Houston held an overall record of 4-8 and 2-7 in conference play.
They had an inverse of the UNLV record in their first three games, going 1-2. They beat UTSA 17-14, lost to Rice 43-41 and lost to TCU 36-13.
Houston’s new head coach, Willie Fritz, led Tulane to an 11-3 record, sending the Green Wave to the Military Bowl, where they lost to Virginia Tech 41-20. Tulane’s two regular season losses were to ranked teams, including Ole Miss and SMU.
UNLV went 4-3 on the road, with losses to national champions Michigan, Fresno State and No.23 Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. The Rebels defeated UTEP, UNR and New Mexico and prevented overtime with a thrilling win against Air Force 31-27.
At home, Houston went 3-4. However, the Cougars are looking to change that record under a new coach.
“That’s the main goal for this year,” said Jai’Den Thomas, “it’s put up everywhere in the locker room: all in, no excuses. Be ready to ball.”
Kickoff is at 4 p.m. at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, and the game will be broadcast on Fox Sports One.
