LAS VEGAS — Donovan Spellman returned to UNLV practice Thursday, providing a positive step in the right direction as the Rebels continue exploring whether he can play during the 2026 season.
Spellman was in uniform for UNLV’s eighth fall-camp practice and wore No. 34 after playing in No. 19 last season. His participation came four days after Dan Mullen confirmed that UNLV was reviewing the possibility of bringing Spellman and cornerback Laterrance Welch back following a federal eligibility ruling.
“Yeah, there’s a chance,” Mullen said Sunday when asked about the two former Rebels.
Spellman’s return to the field moves his situation forward, but it does not confirm that every part of the eligibility and compliance process has been completed. UNLV has not announced that he has received final clearance to compete or explained what additional steps may remain. His participation should instead be viewed as a positive development while his case continues to be explored.
The Rebels opened fall camp without Spellman or Welch after both appeared to have completed their college careers following the 2025 season. That changed when U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a class-wide preliminary injunction involving athletes from the high school class of 2022.
The protected class includes athletes who began playing college sports during the 2022-23 academic year, competed at the Division I level and completed four seasons of eligibility by the end of 2025-26. The order provided those athletes with a potential path to a fifth season.
The ruling did not eliminate every other rule that could affect a player’s return. Separate transfer restrictions, professional-status rules, roster limits, revenue-sharing commitments and university compliance requirements remain in place.
That left UNLV with several questions to answer after its roster had already been constructed and fall camp had started. The university had to review whether Spellman and Welch qualified within the protected class, whether each player wanted to return and whether the program could accommodate them within its existing roster and financial commitments.
Spellman practicing Thursday indicates that UNLV has made enough progress to bring him back onto the field while that work continues. It is not a final determination on his eligibility, but it is the first public indication that the possibility Mullen discussed is moving beyond an internal review.
Spellman appeared in all 14 games during his first season with the Rebels after transferring from Charlotte. He finished with 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup while providing rotational snaps at linebacker and along the edge.
He returns to a defense that had already spent more than a week dividing its repetitions and evaluating its options without him. UNLV did not enter camp holding a role open in case the court created another season of eligibility, so Spellman will have to earn his place within a rotation that had started forming before he returned.
His previous season in Paul Guenther’s defense should make that process easier. Spellman understands the terminology, appeared in every game last year and has already worked with several of the coaches and players around him.
He is not returning as someone who has to learn the entire system after arriving late through the transfer portal. His challenge will be getting back into practice shape, catching up on the work he missed and showing the staff where he fits among the players already receiving repetitions.
Spellman’s return gives UNLV another experienced option without requiring the Rebels to immediately change the top of their defensive depth chart. He can compete for snaps along the edge, provide depth at linebacker and contribute on special teams.
The Rebels have also moved Justin Flowe into a Jack role during camp, giving Guenther several options for how he wants to build the rotation around the line of scrimmage. Spellman does not need to become a full-time starter for his return to help. He played a rotational role last season and gives the defense another veteran who can provide snaps when injuries, matchups or performance require the staff to adjust.
Welch’s situation remains unresolved publicly. There was no indication Thursday that the veteran cornerback had returned to practice, although Mullen’s comments confirmed that UNLV was examining his possible return along with Spellman’s.
Welch appeared in all 14 games last season, started 10 and led UNLV with five interceptions. He also recorded 24 tackles and two pass breakups during his only season with the Rebels.
UNLV built its secondary believing that production had to be replaced. The Rebels added players through the transfer portal and opened camp evaluating their cornerback rotation without Welch included in the group.
His return would place one of last season’s most productive defensive players back into that competition. It would also require the staff to reconsider how the snaps should be divided after spending the offseason preparing for a secondary without him.
The court order gives Welch an opportunity to return, but it does not automatically place him back on the roster. UNLV must complete the same type of legal, academic, roster and compliance review it began with Spellman.
Spellman being back at practice does not guarantee that Welch will follow him. Their individual histories, roster situations and remaining requirements must be considered separately. It does show that Mullen’s comments were more than a general acknowledgment of the ruling.
UNLV began the week with both players under consideration. By Thursday, Spellman was back in uniform and participating in practice while his case continued to move through the process.
The Rebels have more than three weeks before their Aug. 29 opener against Memphis. That gives Spellman time to work back into the defense and gives UNLV additional time to decide whether Welch can also return.
Spellman’s appearance is not the final answer on his eligibility, but it is a positive step in the right direction as UNLV continues exploring his case.
