Welcome to the second post in our twelve-part recruiting breakdown series. Today will look at the #2 team in our rankings, UNLV. The Rebels built their class with a nice blend of high school and transfer
players, with an emphasis on adding wide receivers and players in the trenches. To examine the ins and outs of this class, read further below.
The Skinny:
- Players signed: 45
- High school: 27
- Transfers: 19
- Offensive: 24
- Defensive: 19
- Special teams: 2
- Number of 3-stars per 247 rankings: 25
- Players with a rating over 88: 2
- Players with a rating over 85: 15
- Players with a rating over 82: 8
- Breakdown by state (high school only):
- California: 10
- Georgia: 3
- Nevada: 3
- Texas: 3
- Florida: 2
- Arizona: 1
- Mississippi: 1
- Ohio: 1
- Utah: 1
- Washington: 1
- 247 Rankings (subject to change)
- Recruiting: 60
- Transfer: 77
- Overall: 66
High School Players:
QB Derek Garcia
Stand out skills:
- Big, accurate arm capable of putting the ball anywhere on the field
- Keeps his feet moving in the pocket and his eyes downfield so he can make a play
- Has a strong command of the offense and makes quick decisions on his reads
- Tough runner who isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to fight for extra yards
RB Skylar Lendsey
Stand out skills:
- Hits the hole at max speed, flying by would-be tacklers
- Ability to cut and change directions in the open field
- Reliable hands out of the backfield as a receiver
- Patient in the backfield to wait on his blockers to open up running plays
WR DeMari Nunley
Stand out skills:
- Great at timing his jumps to high-point the ball
- Ideal on the outside for deep routes with his height and long strides
- Can pile up yards after the catch when he gets the ball in the flat
- At his best on jump balls and fade routes in the endzone
WR Peyton Zachary
Stand out skills:
- Adjusts his routes to come down right underneath the ball
- Strong hands to make contested catches
- Great at double moves where his quick movements play up
- Dynamic in the return game, making game-changing plays
WR Jesse Harden
Stand out skills:
- Exceptional at jump balls to come down with catches when contested
- Long strides create separation on every play and allow for explosive runs after the catch
- Crisp route-running and change of direction on double moves
- Physical receiver as a blocker and to fight for position against DBs
WR Tatum Bell Jr
Stand out skills:
- Showcases speed on routes to get open immediately
- Tough to tackle in the open field with shiftiness and quick-twitch movements
- Knows how to take good angles on routes to gain a step or two on defenders
- Ability to line up all over the field, helping him exploit the defense with mismatches
WR Vincent Carner
Stand out skills:
- Plus straight-line speed
- Great releases at the line of scrimmage to gain a step on his route
- At his best on go-routes where he can blow by defenders
- Good redzone threat with his leaping ability
TE Andreas Diaz-Nicolaidis
Stand out skills:
- Athletic, two-way player who goes full-speed all the time
- Runs crisp routes to get open immediately
- Physical blocker who takes pride in opening up holes for the running game
- Capable of lining up in multiple spots in the offense
OL Mateo Bilaver
Stand out skills:
- An athletic lineman who gets out into the second level to make blocks
- Fluid movements backward in pass protection
- Executes his assignments well and is utilized as the key blocker on most plays
- Explodes out of his stance to initiate contact with defenders
OL Bryce Waters
Stand out skills:
- Mammoth lineman who uses his size well
- Athletic enough to play on both sides of the ball and make an impact
- Drives defenders back out of the play with his strength
- Quick off the snap to spring into action
OL Eli Sanchez
Stand out skills:
- A force in run-blocking, where he regularly pancakes defenders
- Locks onto players and drives them back until the whistle is blown
- Ideal to be used as a pulling guard, where he can get momentum going before laying into hits
- Versatile enough to play any of the three interior positions
OL Jesus Garcia
Stand out skills:
- Knows how to utilize his size well to protect the pocket
- Moves well laterally, which aids him in pass-protection as well as blocking plays out in the flat
- Gets defensive linemen on their heels and resets the line of scrimmage with his power
- Squares up well on blocks and keeps his hands inside consistently
OL Malik White
Stand out skills:
- Aggressive player who sets the tone with his fierce blocks
- Solid fundamentals in pass protection with his footwork and movements
- Finishes players to ensure his job is complete
- Has an ideal tackle frame who looks like a future OL cornerstone
OL Zach Scott
Stand out skills:
- Will make the transition from TE to OL, providing some athleticism to the position
- Solid blocker who is able to open up big holes in the run game
- Smart player can make an impact with his football IQ as well as his physical traits
- Room to add strength to his long frame
OL Josh Haney
Stand out skills:
- Springs out of his crouch well and stays nimble on his feet when moving around
- Sound technique in pass-protection, keeping his man in front of him
- Takes good angles to take defensive ends further away from the quarterback
- Explosive in the run game, initiating contact to win his matchups
DL Poe Purcell
Stand out skills:
- Uses his strength to overpower OL players and push them back to collapse the pocket
- Fights through double teams to make tackles in the backfield
- Features a quick first step after the snap and wins matchups with a swim move
- Reacts to plays right away to get into position
DL Bryce Robinson
Stand out skills:
- Shoots past tackles, getting into the backfield with ease
- Doesn’t give up on plays, chasing ball carriers from the other side of the field
- Able to bring running backs down consistently once he gets his hands on them
- Athletic enough to play multiple positions, which will be a boon on the DL
DL Prin Fox
Stand out skills:
- Strong burst off the line to get into the backfield
- Forcefully fights through blocks to bring down ball carriers
- Displays good play recognition, allowing him to be in the proper position for pursuit
- Wins one-on-one matchups with speed, strength, and technique
DL Aveon Williams
Stand out skills:
- Relentless attack off the edge, hunting down quarterbacks for the sack
- Blows through the offensive line on bull rushes and tackles running backs in the backfield
- Intentional not to overpursue, watching plays develop, and committing to stop the ball
- Capable of playing inside and outside with no issue due to his strength and speed combo
EDGE Cole Albrecht
Stand out skills:
- Plenty of speed off the edge to cause disruption in the backfield
- Developed pass-rush moves to consistently beat offensive tackles in matchups
- Ability to drop back into coverage and defend the run or short zone
- Keeps his eye on the ball to not get burned on fakes and misdirection
LB Jordan Njoku
Stand out skills:
- Diagnoses plays well and gets himself into position to neutralize the offense
- Flies through gaps to blow up running plays in the backfield
- Textbook tackler, wrapping up well, and driving ball carriers to the ground
- Does a nice job going after the ball, attempting to pull or knock it out
LB Ronnell Hewitt Jr
Stand out skills:
- Does a good job evading blocks to plug up gaps and bring down running backs
- A fierce tackler in the open field to stop receivers in their tracks
- Solid play recognition allows him to be in the proper position when the ball comes his way
- Nice speed sideline to sideline to neutralize the run game
DB Vern Blair
Stand out skills:
- Strong in press coverage at the line of scrimmage
- Comfortable moving backward and changing direction to follow receivers
- Extremely physical and good at knocking WRs off their routes
- Blows up screen plays by fighting through blocks to make the tackle
DB Tylen Mathews
Stand out skills:
- A tremendous athlete who can make an impact from anywhere on the field
- Sees the field well and can diagnose plays in real time
- Dependable hands from his time as a wide receiver
- Electric on special teams as a returner with his shiftiness
DB Darien Lewis
Stand out skills:
- Great instincts to anticipate where quarterbacks are throwing, putting himself in a position to disrupt the pass
- Showcases game speed when tracking down wide receivers or returning a kick
- Tracks the ball well in the air from his time as a WR
- At his best as a safety were he can roam the field and fly in to knock the ball away
DB Cameron Parodi
Stand out skills:
- Solid at covering the deep part of the field with enough speed to get to receivers when the ball is in the air
- High-motor player who goes all out on every play
- Great tackler in the open field, making hard contact as soon as the ball is caught
- Big contributor in the run game, meeting running backs at the line of scrimmage and bringing them down
Team Writer Thoughts:
Dan Mullen is an excellent recruiter. We did some fantastic things in both the portal and with the incoming freshman class. He lost Anthony Colandrea and immediately was able to grab Jackson Arnold from Auburn to run the offense. It’s the same shot Mullen took last year when grabbing Colandrea, which should get fans excied. He was also able to add some great portal pass-catchers like Keyan Burnett from Arizona, Troy Stellato from Kentucky, and Taz Reddicks from Oregon State.
He also built up the offensive line with some size getting Malik White, Zach Scott, and Mateo Bilaver gives UNLV some real big tackle bodies to develop. Defensively, there are a couple recruits that feel like they are tone-setters. Jordan Njoku has future impact for the Rebels. I personally love the addition of Derek Garcia, it’s smart to grab a young quarterback who can sit behind some experience and learn a thing or two from Arnold.
The pipeline is very west coast focused with 13 of the recruits coming from California and Nevada. It’s a great strategy from Mullen where the main selling point is you’ll be close to home, family can watch you play every week, and you’ll be playing winning football near your backyard.
Quick Hits:
(high school players only)
Headliner(s):
Mike: Harden, Bell, Fox, Robinson
Zane: Njoku, Harden, White, Fox
Prominent Talent:
Mike: Williams, White, Njoku
Zane: Bell, Matthews, Nunley, Lewis
Favorite Recruit(s):
Mike: Fox, Njoku
Zane: Njoku, Harden
Sleeper Recruit(s):
Mike: Bilaver, Albrecht
Zane: Parodi, Bilaver
Best unit(s):
Mike: Wide Receiver, Defensive Line
Zane: Offensive Line
Transfer Players:
Here is the list of transfer players UNLV signed. We are moving away from commenting on their film, as it’s often many years outdated by this point, and frankly, it’s become too time-consuming. Jack is doing a tremendous job commenting on transfer players in his transfer tracker. Instead, this section will comment on the class as a whole in terms of attempting to address needs and overall philosophy.
QB Jackson Arnold
WR Taz Reddicks
WR Amorion Walker
WR Troy Stellato
TE Keyan Burnett
OL Colton Thomasson
OL BJ Tolo
OL Jackson Brown
OL Griffin Scroggs
DL Herb Gray
LB Dee Crayton
LB Cam Santee
LB Mark Iheanachor
DB Tony-Louis Nkuba
DB Avery Helm
DB Landyn Cleveland
DB Kyron Chambers
P Matt Choules
LS Tyson Jacobson
The Rebels brought in fewer transfers than last time around, and this is probably a more accurate sense of what they want to do in the transfer portal when they don’t have to rebuild their entire roster. The coaching staff appears to like bringing in QBs with some P4 starting experience, at least for now. They are attempting to rebuild the wide receiver, offensive line, and linebacker units based on the number of transfers at those spots. Filling special teams spots with players who have college experience is a strategy most teams use, and that is the case again here. Overall, Coach Mullen & Co are targeting P4 talent seeking playing time, with 14 of their 19 transfers coming from power-conference teams.
Summary:
It was impressive to see what the UNLV staff could do with a full year of recruiting under their belts. The balance of high school players and transfers led to several potential impact players entering the program. The high school class is the best in the new-look Mountain West and is also one of the top mid-major classes in college football this cycle. If the Rebels could have a successful 2025 season with a rebuilt roster, it’s intriguing to see what 2026 could look like with more players who fit their system better. While the focus on new offensive players was clear, the defense also looks better on paper, especially along the defensive line. Whether it’s coaching pedigree, a robust NIL budget, or recent success on the field, it has become clear that UNLV is one of the better recruiting programs out west, and that was evident in 2026.
Previously: Boise State
Coming next: Colorado State
