As the first game of the 2024-2025 season draws closer for the UNLV Football program, the team, including the offensive line, continues to gear up. This unit was the foundation of a top-20 scoring offense in the country last year, and it looks to carry that momentum into the upcoming season.
Four of the five starting linemen from the 2023-2024 season are returning, which is good news for the running backs. The front line of UNLV’s talented backfield helped the 2023 offense run for a school-record 39 rushing touchdowns.
This group enters the new year headlined by Tiger Shanks and Jalen St. John, two 2024 Preseason All-Mountain West selections.
Shanks, who started all 14 games last year and was a first-team All-Mountain West selection in the 2023 season, was also the first Rebel offensive lineman since 2002 to earn a nod on the first team.
St. John and Shanks also qualified as preseason candidates for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the best interior or defensive lineman in college football since 1946. Both players have hit the ground running during training camp, seeking to be the first Rebel to earn this prestigious award.
Second-year offensive line coach Vance Vice has a lot of faith in his guys to build on the success of the 2023 season, which saw the team earn bowl eligibility for the first time since 2013.
“Our offense was successful last year, and we want to go faster this year,” Vice said when asked about the expectations for the offense this year.
After coming over from Virginia Tech, Vice has played a big part in helping to reshape this offensive line. The players speak highly about and credit him for their development as football players.
“Loving dude, funny guy. He keeps it real with you.” St. John said. “But I mean, when you got somebody like Coach Vice who has sent multiple players to the league, what do you expect? I’m just glad to have him, honestly.”
While the team knows expectations are high for this squad coming off UNLV’s first season under head Coach Barry Odom, the offensive line knows this new season presents new challenges and competition both on and off the field.
“But a lot of that stuff to me is like what we did last year, you know, this is a new team,” Shank said regarding the lofty expectations for this Rebel squad. “We have a blank slate, a blank piece of paper; we must write a new story.”
The players in the trenches have one goal: to get better every day. The front line of the Rebel offense will once again look to be the foundation for a high-scoring brand of football.
The Rebels will continue fall training camp until Aug. 23 to prepare for their first regular season matchup against the University of Houston Cougars during the teams’ first road trip on Aug. 31.
