With UNLV’s Week 0 matchup against Memphis fast approaching, the Rebels are preparing for their opener without knowing whether three expected defensive contributors will be eligible to play Saturday at Allegiant Stadium.
Defensive lineman Cohen Fuller was on the practice field Monday, while fellow defensive back Latterance Welch and linebacker Donovan Spellman were no longer with the team and not listed on the Rebels’ roster following Friday’s federal appeals court ruling that paused an injunction allowing thousands of members of the 2022 high school class to compete for a fifth season.
Fuller remains involved in his own federal lawsuit seeking his fifth year of eligibility. His attorneys updated the court on Sunday that he plans to again request an injunction and that it “be heard on an emergency and expedited basis” given the timing of the opener.
Fuller recorded nine tackles and two sacks in 2025 and is looking to return alongside fellow defensive lineman Lucas Conti, who registered two sacks and 10 tackles last season.
Welch and Spellman are now facing uncertainty as UNLV prepares for its first game of the season. Spellman recorded 12 tackles during his lone season in Las Vegas, while Welch led the Rebels with five interceptions and added 24 tackles and two pass breakups in 14 games as a senior.
With the season opener approaching, Mullen is now left preparing for Memphis while navigating an eligibility process he believes has treated players in similar situations differently.
“The one thing that, to me, that’s really frustrating for us is, you have two kids in the exact same scenario. One’s eligible and good to go, and another one is, ‘We’re waiting to see,’” Mullen said. “I thought the NCAA was about helping kids, and there are a lot of kids they can help right now.
“There are a lot of rules that have already been in cases that have already been set as a precedent, and yet that rule is OK for this one guy, but the exact same kid in the exact same scenario, we’re still waiting to hear. Hopefully the NCAA can get their act together and get this organized.”
While Mullen has been left to navigate the uncertainty surrounding the roster, the situation has also affected the players who have watched teammates come on and off the field during the buildup to the season.
Safety Jake Pope, one of the Rebels’ returning defensive leaders, said the circumstances can be difficult for the players, particularly when the situation is largely outside their control.
“You know, it is tough, and I hate to see it, because I feel like it’s sometimes not the player’s fault,” Pope said. “Instead it is just kind of going by what the court order is or whatever they hear.”
Pope said the players remaining in the program have little choice but to continue preparing while hoping their teammates can eventually return.
“We’d love to have them,” Pope said. “Obviously, any of them coming back would be great, and if not, we’ll just stay patient with it and then move on.”
The situation is particularly significant for a UNLV defense looking to bounce back from a 2025 season in which the program allowed 28 points and 419 yards per game, ranking 89th nationally in total defense among 136 programs.
Welch, Fuller and Spellman could provide experience and production in different areas of the unit, making their availability another question facing the Rebels as they prepare for a new-look Memphis team with coach Charles Huff taking over the program and adding 71 new faces to the roster.
The uncertainty also extends beyond the three defensive contributors, with Mullen saying UNLV is waiting on other waiver decisions.
“We have a couple other players we’re waiting on their waivers that are still to come back,” Mullen said. “We’ve had two kids with identical waivers already been cleared. We have two other kids with the identical deal we’re still waiting on.”
For Pope and the rest of the Rebels, there is little they can do but continue preparing for Memphis while waiting for answers that could alter the defensive personnel before kickoff.
“We just got to keep moving forward as a team and stay behind those guys and get through here,” Pope said.
