LAS VEGAS — Anthony Colandrea told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Dec. 26 that he planned to enter the transfer portal. Eleven days earlier, the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year had declared he would remain at UNLV. Dan Mullen lost the expectation of returning his starting quarterback just after the Rebels finished their season with a loss to Ohio.
The Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year has one season of eligibility left. His decision follows the 17-10 Frisco Bowl loss to Ohio and leaves UNLV preparing for the Jan. 2 portal opening after a 10-4 season.
On Dec. 15, Colandrea had said, “I’m not transferring,” in remarks reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He wanted to stay with Mullen, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, and the teammates behind UNLV’s 10 wins.
He described transferring as draining after his move from Virginia following 2024. He said then that money would not determine his decision and tied his future to the coaches.
Colandrea did not publicly explain the reversal in the announcement. Neither a financial motive nor a disagreement with Mullen or Corey Dennis was confirmed at the time. His December commitment and Dec. 26 decision were both public, but the reason for the change was not; the staff’s problem was finding an eligible starter before spring work.
Quarterback Alex Orji gives Mullen an internal candidate. His hamstring injury ended the former Michigan quarterback’s season in September, and health will govern his return to full work. Experience in UNLV’s running packages does not yet amount to a starting assignment.
Colandrea completed 275 of 417 passes at a school-record 65.9% for 3,459 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He ran for 649 yards and 10 scores, totaling 4,108 yards and 33 touchdowns. Those completed-season numbers include the championship and bowl games, beyond the totals when he announced his return.
The final two games also showed work still needed. UNLV lost 38-21 at Boise State in the league championship and scored 10 against Ohio despite three takeaways. Colandrea lost a first-and-goal fumble and threw an interception near halftime in the bowl.
The staff also had younger quarterback Derek Garcia, a Ventura High School signee in the December class. Garcia offered a player to develop, but the pending portal departure would demand an immediate answer to who could run the offense in 2026.
The portal was scheduled to open Jan. 2. As of the Dec. 26 announcement, Colandrea had not chosen a destination, and UNLV had not announced his replacement. The chronology matters: his December return pledge was definitive, his later decision was an intention to enter, and neither established why he changed his mind.
