The start of Dan Mullen’s second season at UNLV comes with higher expectations, a substantially different roster and a settled starting quarterback.
Jackson Arnold will start when the Rebels open the 2026 season Saturday against Memphis at Allegiant Stadium. Mullen announced the decision Thursday night on his radio show. Alex Orji is still expected to play.
The opener is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. at Allegiant Stadium and will air nationally on Fox. It will give Las Vegas its first look at a UNLV team trying to build on a 10-4 debut season under Mullen.
UNLV reached the Mountain West Championship Game and a bowl for the third consecutive season in 2025. The Rebels also posted double-digit victories in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
Maintaining that run will depend on how quickly a roster with only seven returning starters takes shape. UNLV brings back three starters on offense, three on defense and its place-kicker.
Arnold gets the first opportunity at quarterback
Arnold arrives in Las Vegas with considerably more starting experience than a typical transfer quarterback.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior started eight games at Auburn last season. He passed for 1,309 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 311 yards and a team-high eight scores. Arnold previously played at Oklahoma.
Mullen’s decision gives Arnold the first opportunity Saturday. The more revealing question may be how UNLV uses both quarterbacks once the game starts.
Orji is back for his second season at UNLV after transferring from Michigan. He started the 2025 opener before a season-ending injury in Game 3 against UCLA.
His action was limited to three games. Orji completed all three passes for 37 yards and rushed 10 times for 42 yards with a touchdown.
UNLV expects both quarterbacks to play against Memphis. How Mullen divides snaps, series and situational packages could reveal more about the offense than who starts.
Jet Thomas anchors a returning core
The roster turnover is significant, but UNLV is not starting over everywhere.
Five Rebels made the preseason All-Mountain West team, tied for the most from any program in the conference. Running back Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas joined Austin Boyd, Taeshaun Lyons, Lucas Conti and Jake Pope on the team.
Thomas remains UNLV’s most proven offensive piece.
The senior enters 2026 with 2,457 career rushing yards, eighth in program history. His 31 rushing touchdowns rank fifth in school history.
Thomas rushed for 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while averaging 7 yards per carry. He also caught 39 passes for 237 yards and another touchdown.
Late last season, Thomas produced one of his biggest games against UNR. He rushed for 103 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries in UNLV’s 42-17 win in Reno.
The victory secured the Mountain West’s top seed and kept the Fremont Cannon red for a fourth consecutive season.
New starters must replace major production
UNLV averaged 34.1 points and 446.4 yards per game last season. Only three offensive starters return from that group.
Boyd provides some continuity along a changing offensive line. He has started games at guard and tackle during his UNLV career.
This offseason, Boyd moved to center and earned preseason All-Mountain West recognition.
The defense faces a similar challenge with only three starters back.
UNLV allowed 419.1 yards per game last season but still created disruption. The Rebels forced 24 turnovers and produced 30 sacks.
Returning players such as Pope and Conti will carry larger responsibilities as new starters settle into the defense.
Memphis begins a season with bigger stakes
Memphis provides an immediate test rather than a traditional tune-up.
Saturday marks the first football meeting between the programs. It is also UNLV’s first home season opener against an FBS opponent since Minnesota visited Sam Boyd Stadium in 2012.
Mullen has already framed the game in larger terms. During the opening of fall camp, he called it a national matchup with “playoff implications before the season even really starts.”
UNLV has won four consecutive season openers. The Rebels also enter Saturday with a 34-game regular-season streak of scoring at least 20 points, which the school says leads the FBS.
The schedule does not offer much room for a slow start.
After Memphis, UNLV plays three straight road games against Hawai’i, North Texas and Akron. The Rebels return to Allegiant Stadium to face Cal on Oct. 3.
Saturday should reveal more than whether Arnold handles the starting assignment. It will begin showing how Mullen plans to use two quarterbacks and how quickly UNLV’s rebuilt roster can take shape.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
