Welcome to the ninth post in our twelve-part series reviewing each team’s signing class to date. These articles aim to provide a snapshot look at each team and lay out possible next steps once the transfer
portal opens. Teams will be examined in alphabetical order. Today will look at the Spartans.
The Road So Far:
Number who signed in December: 26
Number who will enroll early: 17
Number of states represented:
9247 Composite Rankings (subject to change): 59th
MWCConnection December Ranking: 2nd
Positional Strengths: Wide Receiver, Offensive Line
Notable signees: Jesse Harden, Tatum Bell
Overall thoughts:
The Rebels were a great recruiting staff under Coach Odom and continued that with the 2026 class under Coach Mullen. They put together one of the best classes among Group of 5 teams, even though it’s only the second-best class in these rankings. There is more than enough talent to go around, with some of the best players in the conference ending up in Las Vegas. It’s also balanced, with a lot of additions in the trenches but several skill players as well.
Like most teams, California makes up the bulk of this class, and UNLV recruited it as well as most other teams or better. They did some solid work locally, although not as much as one would think. Other states like Texas and Utah seemed to be focal points as well. Also, they expanded their reach into non-traditional Mountain West states, such as Georgia, Mississippi, or Ohio.
The Rebels did great work in the 2026 cycle, and the roster will be better off for it in the next year or two. And it’s clear they didn’t miss a beat with the coaching change, arguably reaching even greater recruiting heights under Coach Mullen. It will be fun to follow how these recruits develop and crack the two-deep during their time with the program.
The Road Ahead:
Expected Level of Transfer Additions: Medium
Top Position Targets Remaining: Running back, Linebacker
Overall thoughts:
First off, the Rebels have already gotten a big portal win with starting quarterback and reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Anthony Colandrea announcing his return. With a big high school recruiting class and the lack of portal entries thus far (although their season just ended Tuesday), it appears that the team won’t be as active in the portal as last season.
However, UNLV will have some spots that need to be addressed, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see some turnover in the next week or two. For starters, finding another quality running back seems like a top priority going into the offseason. Perhaps more importantly, the defense needs to be addressed. Some of it was scheme, but some of it was the players not being able to come together consistently. Either way, bringing in new players and a new defensive coordinator will help take the team to the next level in 2026.
The next level is definitely possible for the Rebels if they are able to complement the high school signees with quality transfers at key positions. With the conference split taking place, they should probably be the front-runners for the Mountain West next season. But all of that starts with the transfer portal. They showed they can find available talent last time around and now need to do it again this year.
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