UNLV Football Brings in 50 New Players in Power Conference Push

UNLV football is embarking on a new era with first-year head coach Dan Mullen and perhaps the most ambitious overhaul the program has seen in more than 20 years. The school brought in about 50 new players, with at least 37 players coming in from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or SEC. Included in that group are 16 players ranked as four or five-star recruits, signifying a desire for the Rebels to reach deeper than the Mountain West and become a power-conference program.

UNLV football is starting a new era with first-year head coach Dan Mullen, and possibly the most ambitious transformation the program has seen in 20 years or more. The school added nearly 50 new players, with at least 37 players coming from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or SEC. Included in that group are 16 players who are four- or five-star recruits, a clear statement of purpose to get the Rebels beyond the Mountain West and into a power conference.

Linebacker Marsel McDuffie offers leadership on defense, but the unit still has much to prove. For Mullen, who returned to coaching after nearly four years away, balancing immediate competitiveness with long-term program growth remains a challenge.

Since Mullen's arrival, progress has been swift. UNLV has won 20 games over the past two seasons, a sharp improvement compared to only 36 victories in the prior decade. By scheduling games against top-tier programs from major conferences, Mullen is making clear his goal of turning the Rebels into a nationally competitive team.

The upcoming season opener against Idaho State offers a chance to shake off rust and build early momentum. Favored by three touchdowns, UNLV will look to set the tone for a campaign that could position the Rebels for an at-large spot in the expanded College Football Playoff.

“For years in our industry, we worried about change once — maybe twice — a year. Now change is constant,” says Harper, who spent nine years as UNLV's senior associate athletics director for development prior to his official promotion to AD on Jan. 1, 2022. “That's the biggest difference from when I first started in the industry to now.

“So you just have to be more fluid, more on your toes, and try to anticipate. That last part is difficult, though. Because just when you think something is this way, it goes that way.”