LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV quarterback
Anthony Colandrea led his team's all-conference contingent announced Tuesday as he was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in a vote by media and head coaches. Also named First Team All-MW, the junior is the first Rebel quarterback to earn such honors since College Football Hall of Famer
Randall Cunningham in both 1983 and '84 in the Big West Conference.
Colandrea (St. Petersburg, FL) is one of just four players in the FBS to have passed for at least 3,000 yards and rushed for at least 500. He is also the only player in the nation to have thrown at least one touchdown pass and netted at least 15 yards on the ground in every game this season. He leads the league in yards (3,050), pass efficiency, touchdown passes (22), total offense (300 yards per game) and has rushed for eight scores and 555 net yards. His completion percentage of 68.2 is on target to shatter the school record in a season. He became the first UNLV QB in history to win more than one MW weekly honor in a season, then the first Rebel signal-caller to win three in a career and then became the first player at his position to win four conference weekly honors in a career since Cunningham won two each in 1983 and '84. Colandrea set his single-game career-high in throwing for the most yards at UNLV since 2018 with 361 vs. Air Force, including the third-longest pass in program history on an 86-yard score vs. the Falcons.
The Colandrea honor means in just the last two seasons UNLV has featured the league's player of the year on offense, defense and special teams, as well as freshman of the year last fall.
Joining Colandrea on the All-MW First Team was running back
Jai'Den "Jet" Thomas (Atlanta, GA), who was a second-team honoree a year ago. The junior leads all of college football in yards per carry this season with 7.43 and is the only player in the nation with at least four 100-yard rushing games coming on fewer than 15 carries. His 12 rushing touchdowns this fall have moved him into fifth at the school with 31 in his career. He just became the second Rebel to notch two games with four rushing touchdowns when he found the end zone four times in Saturday's Battle for the Fremont Cannon win in Reno. His 944 net rush yards in 2025 give him 2,365 in career, which ranks him eighth at the school. He also stands second on the team with 35 receptions for 211 yards and another TD.
The four Rebels on the second team were linebacker
Marsel McDuffie (Grand Prairie, TX), defensive back
Aamaris Brown (Tampa, FL), wide receiver
Jaden Bradley (Fayetteville, NC) and center
Reid Williams (Ringgold, GA).
McDuffie leads the Rebels with 94 total tackles to go with 5.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a pair of fumble recoveries. He grabbed the game-sealing interception at Miami (OH) and tipped the pass that was intercepted to end the game vs. UCLA.
Brown set a UNLV record by grabbing an interception in four consecutive games and returned two of them for long touchdowns. The September 1 MW Defensive Player of the Week was tabbed a Midseason All-American by both AP and The Sporting News and has 48 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and seven pass breakups.
Bradley leads the team in both receptions (51) and yards (834) to go with four touchdowns through the air. He also threw a touchdown pass in a win over Air Force and blocked one punt and returned another for a touchdown in a victory at Wyoming after getting off to a sizzling start with 131 yards vs. Idaho State and 125 at Sam Houston.
Williams, a veteran addition who won the FCS Rimington Award a year ago, has been the calming influence from the middle of an offense line that featured mostly new parts but has helped produce an offense that has scored at least 29 points in every game this season. He has allowed only one sack while not drawing a penalty in 2025.
Earning honorable mention were defensive backs
Jaheem Joseph (Miami, FL) and
Laterrance Welch (Lafayette, LA), defensive lineman
Tunmise Adeleye (Katy, TX), offensive tackle
Austin Boyd (Lehi, UT) and wide receiver
DaeDae Reynolds (Springfield, IL).
Joseph is third on the squad with 60 total tackles, including eight TFL and 3.5 sacks, to go with three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery; Welch is tied for the team lead with four interceptions through 12 games; Adeleye leads UNLV with six sacks and has a trio of pass breakups; Boyd has helped produce the team's explosive offense out of the right tackle position; and Reynolds has 29 catches for 431 yards and a team-leading five touchdown receptions.
The Rebels (10-2), who have hit double-figures in wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever, will play in their third consecutive Mountain West Championship game Friday at Boise State (8-4). Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. PT and the game will be shown live on FOX.
2025 MOUNTAIN WEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Anthony Colandrea, Jr., QB, UNLV
FIRST TEAM ALL-MW
Offense
QB
Anthony Colandrea, Jr.
RB
Jai'Den Thomas, Jr.
SECOND TEAM ALL-MW
Offense
WR
Jaden Bradley, Sr.
OL
Reid Williams, Sr.
Defense
LB
Marsel McDuffie, Sr.
DB
Aamaris Brown Sr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Tunmise Adeleye; DL;
Austin Boyd, OT;
Jaheem Joseph, DB; Daejon Reynolds, WR;
Laterrance Welch, DB
