UNLV Rebels Football Off To A Strong Start To Their Offseason

It has already been a wild ride for the UNLV Rebels football team, less than a month into their offseason. They have already lost key players through the transfer portal, like quarterback Anthony Colandrea and defensive end Tunmise Adeleye; however, they have also brought in some key players, most notably former five-star recruit quarterback Jackson Arnold. It's still very early, and the jury is still very much out on the Rebels' offseason; however, it's never too early to start talking about it.

Recently, Zach Ballard of Mountain West Connection spoke about UNLV in their most recent The Good, The Bad, The Ugly article, where they listed the Rebels in their good section. This is what they had to say about the 2026 Rebels as of now.

Mountain West Connection On The UNLV Rebels In Their Way Too Early Mountain West Rankings

"The Rebels may have lost Offensive Player of the Year, Anthony Colandrea, to the transfer portal, but the addition of former Auburn and Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold will have this team in championship contention for the fourth consecutive season. Explosive running back Jai’Den Thomas will likely be in the conversation for Preseason Player of the Year and should be one of the top tailbacks in the country. Where this team goes will ultimately come down to the defensive side of the ball. The Rebels were a disorganized mess on that side of the ball and it kept a good season from being special. If the defense improves, they should be in excellent shape to win their first conference championship since 1994."

There is nothing to debate when it comes to most of what they said. We probably all agree that running back Jai'Den Thomas is going to continue to be great, and that the Rebels' defense is going to have to be better for them to have a special season. They had incredible moments last season on the defensive side of the ball, but were often inconsistent and undisciplined.

However, the addition of Arnold is going to be polarizing. If you believe he is the guy and can be as good as or even better than Colandrea, then they are on a fast track to a fourth-consecutive Mountain West Championship game. On the other hand, if you're not, you probably aren't feeling great about how the past month has played out for UNLV.

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