UNLV was already a solid program before Dan Mullen arrived, but this year’s roster has a unique look.
With Mullen as the lead insurrectionist, the Rebels (10-2) have used a different kind of strategy to build a loaded roster, raiding the best programs in the country and banding together a group set on beating Boise State (8-4) in the Mountain West Championship on Friday.
This roster wasn’t built from the ground up, as some might expect from a Group of 5 team. Instead, it was built from the top down by pillaging Power 4 programs of former four- and five-star recruits. Mullen himself was the first example.
When he was hired on Dec. 12, 2024, Mullen came with a track record of success, having previously coached at Florida, where he led the Gators to an appearance in the SEC Championship Game and three New Year’s Six bowl games, albeit with a 34-15 record in four seasons.
Before that, the 52-year-old spent nine up-and-down seasons (69-46 record) at the helm of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, with the peak of a No. 1 ranking in 2014.
Mullen has seen the type of players competing at the top of he sport, and he wanted that same caliber of athlete with him in Sin City.
Mullen is far from the first Group of 5 coach to try to load his treasure chest with the best loot, though the rate and caliber he gathered was staggering.
By the summer, UNLV had signed 33 players with Power 4 experience, totaling 37 on the roster, which is more than double the next-closest Mountain West school. Twenty-one newcomers came from the Big Ten or SEC, and 16 were former four- or five-star recruits. They have found homes in Mullen’s renegade band, one that has produced the best record in the conference.
When in Vegas, go big or go home.
“You can’t take everybody that is a ‘Last Chance U’ guy,” Mullen told CBS Sports in August. “You can’t have a roster where everybody hasn’t played much. You have to get the right combination.”
You may have heard of many of these players before. Some were formerly considered the recruiting-class jewels of major programs. Maybe you’ve since forgotten them as they’ve moved to their second or third act. Here are some of the notable players leading the Rebels into Boise on Friday.
Safety Jake Pope
Pope originally committed to Alabama in 2022 as a four-star safety from Buford, Ga. He redshirted his freshman year in 2023 before leaving and committing to Georgia in January 2024. Now a junior, he is UNLV’s second-leading tackler with 72. He’s also recorded two pass deflections, an interception and 1 1/2 sacks.
Linebacker Justin Flowe
Flowe was a consensus five-star middle linebacker (No. 1 in his position) in the class of 2020 and a top-12 player overall. He was known for his aggressive play and eccentric personality. His senior year mixtape at Upland High in Southern California had 750,000 views. In it is a once-viral clip of him tackling a running back by flipping him over his head and tossing him aside like a rag doll. His Instagram account currently has more than half a million followers.
In 2020, Flowe became the second-highest rated recruit in Oregon’s history but missed almost all of his freshman season with a torn meniscus. Further injuries plagued his second and third years in Eugene, and he never quite met the heights of his recruiting rankings, only tallying 50 tackles in three seasons with the Ducks. He spent a year with the Arizona Wildcats in 2024 and transferred to the Rebels ahead of the 2025 season.
UNLV Rebels linebacker Justin Flowe (36) was once a top recruit at Oregon. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/ Imagn Images)
DB Laterrance Welch
In 2022, Welch committed to his hometown LSU as a four-star, top-25 corner in the nation. He didn’t play much in his first two seasons in the Bayou, tallying 14 tackles and two pass deflections. He transferred to Arizona State and recorded two interceptions for the reigning Big 12 champions.
However, he was dismissed from the team ahead of its Peach Bowl College Football playoff loss to Texas due to a rules violation. He was arrested after being accused of stealing a teammate’s watch and attempting to pawn it, according to authorities.
Welch has stepped into the Rebel defense and been one of its best contributors. His four interceptions this season are tied with Aamaris Brown for the team’s best. That is tied for second in the conference.
WR JoJo Earle
Earle was a 247 Sports four-star recruit for Alabama in 2021, one of four top-100 wide receivers in the Tide’s class that year. Injuries and an inability to crack the starting lineup led him to tally just 24 receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He then spent two seasons at TCU and is now with UNLV.
QB Alex Orji
Orji was only a three-star recruit when he committed to Michigan in the class of 2022. However, he started three games for the then-defending champion Wolverines in 2024, including a win over No. 11 USC.
Although Orji is not the starter for the Rebels, former Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea has led the team under center. In two seasons with the Cavaliers, he started in 17 of his 19 games played and logged 4,083 passing yards and 26 TDs through the air. This season, Colandrea has thrown for 3,050 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Quarterback Alex Orji started three games for the defending champion Michigan Wolverines in 2024. (Matt Pendleton / Imagn Images)
DB Denver Harris
Harris was a 247 Sports composite five-star prospect and the fourth-ranked cornerback prospect in the 2022 recruiting class coming out of Houston North Shore High. He committed to Texas A&M before leaping for LSU and UTSA, eventually landing with the Rebels. He has not played since Aug. 23.
Defensive analyst Vontaze Burfict
The redemption with UNLV isn’t exclusive to players. Burfict was an eight-year NFL linebacker who was known for his aggressive play and a penchant for violating player safety rules. Over the course of his career, he was suspended for 22 games across 14 separate incidents, accumulating more $5 million in fines and forfeited salary. His 12-game suspension in 2019 for an illegal hit was the longest-ever for an on-field act in NFL history.
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