NFL
By: Brock Vierra
UNLV football in 2023 has been a fever dream. What started out as a remote possibility turned reality when Barry Odom and his mighty men of Scarlett and Grey became bowl-eligible by their seventh game. However it is clear that UNLV set their sights higher than a bowl appearance and with one week left in the season, the Rebels are closing in on their first-ever Mountain West Championship Game appearance as the now odds-on favorite for the conference might not only be playing in the game, they might be hosting it as well.
To add even more spice to this already flavorful pot of possibilities, UNLV could also be NY6 bowl-bound for the first time in school history. The question now is how did we get here?
Erick Harper is a man of vision
When Desiree Reed-Francois left UNLV for Missouri, the former Rebel AD left a vacancy that needed to be filled with a person who understood the needs of the university and its athletic department.
Newly elected university President Keith Whitfield (whom I got the pleasure of fist bumping during my graduation ceremony) and a committee of coaches decided to stay in-house and promote then-assistant AD Erick Harper to the position.
Now Harper decided to make what some would characterize as an unpopular decision when he decided to exercise Marcus Arroyo’s buyout. Arroyo who had secured the Fremont Cannon just one day before had hit career highs in wins and player production. However Harper saw something that no one else did and almost one year later, UNLV has already achieved heights not seen since John Robinson.
Air Maiava is real
UNLV was supposed to have Doug Brumfield quarterbacking Bobby Petrino’s offense in 2023. Well, Brumfield got hurt against Vanderbilt and Petrino took a job with Texas A&M.
Jayden Maiava, a Marcus Arroyo recruit was tasked to pilot Brennan Marion’s offense and he’s done an exemplary job. The young freshman from Liberty High School via Kaimuki has been a godsend. The freshman has over 2000 passing yards and 16 total touchdowns on the season.
Not only that but he has linked up with Ricky White, establishing White as a true WR1 and providing the Rebels with a legit replacement for Kyle Williams. This has opened up the field for the Rebels as they have been able to gash opponents though the air and on the ground. Though Maiava’s play, they’re literally one dropped pass away from a perfect conference record.
The investment into UNLV Football has paid off
Dare I say UNLV is now a football school? Just kidding, I’m not trying to ruffle that many feathers. UNLV will always be a basketball school despite Kevin Kruger’s best efforts. Just kidding again, please don’t send me death threats. However, it’s clear that UNLV has taken massive steps toward improving its football program and it has paid off.
Now due to my work, my time as a student, and just morbid curiosity, I have had the privilege of touring UNLV’s various athletic facilities. The baseball facility is small but perfect with an excellent batting cage/ weight lifting space on the second floor. I miss the ping-pong table.
Basketball has access to the Mendenhall Center which surprisingly goes underground but the Fertitta Football Complex is a thing of beauty.
Now you can play football anywhere and facilities help but they aren’t the thing that produces championship play. However, how UNLV football got anything done at the old athletic complex is beyond me.
They had to share the space with various sports, there’s a bunch of hallways that feel like a maze after a while and it’s not convenient to use.
Fertitta Football Complex is an organized facility with easy access that connects to the field. It’s uniform, it saves time and it allows the players the reinvest said time into their play. It’s clear that it’s paying off. Having Allegiant Stadium is even better.
At Allegiant, UNLV has its own locker room, and their own field, and their logo is plastered everywhere. They are not sharing the Raiders space, it is their own. Outside of Al Davis’ torch, it’s fully UNLV.
That has helped with recruiting and with play. The players have a legit home that is of the best standards. Those things make a difference or at least gives the players one less hurdle to overcome.
I believed in Barry Odom since day one. I believed he could do great things and have UNLV playing at a championship level. I also thought it would take time. What Odom has done in year one is nothing short of incredible and he’s just getting started.
With the transfer portal opening up in less than 2 weeks, expect UNLV to bring in more high-quality players while continuing to emphasize their high school recruiting. The future is bright, the journey isn’t finished and like the dice at a craps table, may the good times roll.
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