The UNLV football season officially begins on Saturday against the Memphis Tigers as the Rebels pursue their first Mountain West Conference championship.
The long road toward a fourth consecutive bowl berth begins with a battle against another team with College Football Playoff aspirations.
Here are five things to watch as the Rebels open their season at Allegiant Stadium in Week 0.
Who will be the starter: Alex Orji or Jackson Arnold?
Despite coach Dan Mullen’s adamance that both quarterbacks will see time on Saturday, there will be one who receives more snaps than the other.
The question is just how many snaps will separate the two.
In 2025, both Anthony Colandrea and Alex Orji took the field for the opening play against Idaho State, with Orji playing the entire first drive before Colandrea took over for the remainder of the game.
Will Mullen and the Rebels follow a similar game plan against an American Athletic Conference opponent, or will the quarterback rotation be closer to a 50/50 split?
What will Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas’ usage look like?
During the first year of the Mullen era, there were plenty of questions about how often Thomas was being used, particularly early in the season.
Although Thomas appeared in all but one game in 2025, he recorded more than 15 carries in only one game — a snowy clash with Wyoming — while finishing three games with 10 or fewer rushing attempts.
Despite the limited workload at times, Thomas still eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on 148 carries while adding 237 yards through the air on 39 receptions.
With the graduation of Keyvone Lee following last season, Thomas’ primary competition for carries will be Jaylon Glover, theoretically giving “The Jet” more opportunities to make an impact in the Rebels’ offense.
Who will emerge as the primary wide receiver?
This question hasn’t needed to be answered in several years, as the Rebels transitioned from Ricky White to Jaden Bradley, but with both now gone and no clear replacement entering the season, there are plenty of targets up for grabs with a new quarterback under center.
Jayden McGee, DeAngelo Irvin and Taeshaun Lyons return to the UNLV offense with more familiarity after spending a year in Mullen’s system, while transfers such as Taz Reddicks from Oregon State will look to help fill the void left by the departures.
Among the returning players, Lyons led the Rebels in receptions last season with 16 catches for 241 yards and three touchdowns, trailing only DaeDae Reynolds, Troy Omeire and Bradley, who are all no longer with the program.
Can the defense level up?
There is no question the Rebels’ defense needs to be better in 2026 if UNLV hopes to compete for a championship in the new-look Mountain West Conference.
Last season, UNLV ranked 89th out of 136 programs nationally in total defense, allowing 28 points and 419 yards per game after Paul Guenther stepped in late to fill the defensive coordinator vacancy.
Despite finishing 10-4 and reaching the Mountain West championship game for the third consecutive season, four of the Rebels’ wins came by one score. Their season could have looked much different if even a few of those games had gone the other way.
If the Rebels can avoid having to outscore their defensive problems, there is plenty of reason to believe they can eclipse 10 wins for the third consecutive season.
Will special teams provide an edge?
During spring training camp, Mullen said he wanted the Rebels to place a greater emphasis on special teams entering the new season following the departure of Adam Scheier to Florida State.
Whether it comes through kickoff and punt returns or the difference a field goal can make in a close game, Mullen believes an advantage on special teams can create more opportunities for the Rebels’ offense while helping maintain momentum.
Ramon Villela returns as UNLV’s starting kicker after making 15 of 20 field-goal attempts last season, while freshman Australian punter Matt Choules will take over punting duties following Cam Brown’s departure this offseason.
