Jai’Den Thomas And Marsel McDuffie Named To 2025 Preseason All-Mountain West Team

UNLV stars Jai’Den Thomas and Marsel McDuffie were named to the 2025 Preseason All-Mountain West Team during conference media days at Circa Resort.

Air Force Falcons running back Dylan Carson (20) runs the ball as UNLV Rebels linebacker Marsel McDuffie (38) defends in the first quarter at Falcon Stadium. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Mountain West Conference annual Old Trapper Football Media Days, being held at Circa Resort, kicked off on Wednesday, and with it came the release of the 2025 Preseason All-Mountain West Team. The UNLV Rebels football team had two players named to the team. Junior running back Jai'Den Thomas and senior linebacker Marsel McDuffie were both named to the team. 

The Rebels' offense is expected to be centered around their standout running back. Thomas flashed his high-end potential last season and is now a betting favorite to win the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2025. The potential breakout star has been named on just about every predicted First-Team All Mountain West team that you can find. His inclusion on this preseason team should come as a surprise to no one. This season will come with high expectations for Jet, but we fully expect him to live up to them. 

McDuffie will be expected to take a big step forward this season as he steps into the primary inside linebacker role in the UNLV defense. He will be tasked with replacing the reigning Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson Woodard, who now finds himself in training camp with the Houston Texans. While no one expects him to play at the level that Woodard played at last season, he is expected to do an admirable job filling the void and being a sure tackler in the middle of the field. 

2025 Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Football Team

—Defense—
Braxton Fely, BSU
Jayden Virgin-Morgan, BSU
Trey White, SDSU
Gafa Faga, SJSU
Marco Notarainni, BSU
Tano Letuli, SDSU
Jordan Pollard, SJSU
Marsel McDuffie, UNLV
Ty Benefield, BSU
A'Marion McCoy, BSU
Al'zillion…

— SuperWest Sports (@SuperWestSports) July 16, 2025

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These two key players are expected to lead Dan Mullen's team on each side of the ball, with Thomas being the top weapon on offense and McDuffie being the leader on defense. If both of these players do end up on the All-Mountain West team by the end of the season, it could go a long way in contributing to the team's success and possibly help lead them to getting over the hump and earning a Mountain West Conference Championship.