Tre Fulton Returns Bigger, More Comfortable as UNLV Safety Looks to Build on Freshman Season

LAS VEGAS — Tre Fulton keeps getting asked whether he went through another growth spurt. He does not think so, but there is an obvious physical difference from the player who arrived at UNLV.

Fulton came into college at about 170 pounds and is now around 190. The added weight comes after a freshman season in which he became a regular part of UNLV’s secondary and now enters Year 2 in Paul Guenther’s defense with a much better understanding of what the Rebels are asking him to do.

“I’ve grown. I’ve become a better player,” Fulton said. “I’m smarter. I’m faster. And I just want to put that on display.”

Fulton is still one of the younger players in a secondary filled with veterans, but he is no longer the freshman trying to learn college football and a new defense at the same time.

After appearing in one game in 2024, Fulton played in all 14 games last season and finished with 33 tackles, including 21 solo stops, one tackle for loss and four pass breakups. He also forced a fumble in UNLV’s win over UCLA and recorded a season-high six tackles twice, including in road wins at Sam Houston and UNR.

The UCLA game gave an early look at the type of impact Fulton could make. He finished with five tackles, a tackle for loss and the forced fumble while continuing to work his way into a larger role in the secondary.

That experience matters now because Fulton is not trying to earn his first college snaps anymore. He has already played through a full schedule and seen what offenses are trying to do against Guenther’s defense.

The physical development is easy to see. Fulton believes the bigger difference is how much more comfortable he feels in the system after another offseason with Guenther.

“Obviously having Coach Gun, same defensive coordinator, since he came in kind of halfway through the spring season last year, it definitely helps with the confidence,” Fulton said. “Knowing the defense, knowing the little fine details and things like that.”

Those details are where Fulton believes another year can make a difference. Last season required him to learn the defense while trying to contribute. Now he can spend more time recognizing formations, understanding what offenses are trying to do and putting himself in better position before the ball is snapped.

Fulton also wanted to stay at UNLV rather than start over somewhere else.

“I love Vegas,” Fulton said. “I love the city. I love the coaching staff. And Vegas has been great to me. They allow me to be me and be myself and continue to help me grow and just become a better person.”

Staying allowed Fulton to continue developing inside a defense he already understood. Instead of spending another offseason learning new terminology and responsibilities, he could focus on the smaller parts of his game and continue building off what he produced during his first full season.

His length remains one of the traits he believes gives him an advantage. Fulton said even when a play does not initially go his way, he rarely feels completely removed from it because he trusts his ability to recover.

“I never feel like I’m out of the play,” Fulton said. “I always feel like I have a chance, an opportunity. I mean, even if I get beat, I know in the back of my mind I can recover and make a play.”

Adding about 20 pounds gives Fulton more size to go with that length. He believes he has also become faster and smarter since his freshman season, but he is not presenting himself as a finished player.

Communication is one of the areas where Fulton knows he still has room to improve. That responsibility becomes different for a player who has already been through the defense for a year. Knowing his own assignment is no longer enough when the safeties are responsible for helping get the entire back end aligned.

“I want to communicate a little better,” Fulton said. “In our room we have a motto, 1%. So there’s always room for growth, and I think I could do a better job communicating, but so can everyone else.”

UNLV has also changed the coaching structure around him. Kap Dede now works specifically with the safeties, allowing Akeem Davis to focus more directly on the corners while Dede handles the details of safety play.

Fulton believes having a dedicated position coach should help both during the week and once the season begins.

“Coach Davis can kind of focus on the corners,” Fulton said. “Coach Kap can focus on us instead of Coach Davis trying to do both at the same time.”

Dede has also given Fulton another coach focused on the finer parts of his development. That comes at the right time for a player who has already proven he can get onto the field but is now trying to become more consistent when he is there.

“Coach Kap, he’s a great dude,” Fulton said. “He’s definitely came into the safeties room and helped us tune in on the fine details and the little things that help us become better players. I mean, on and off the field.”

Fulton also has veteran players around him who have already been through much more college football. Jake Pope and Mumu Bin-Wahad are two of the players he has watched closely during camp.

“Their leadership is great,” Fulton said. “They’re veteran guys. They played a lot of football. Pope obviously coming from a good background and Mumu, same with him. They just understand it and their voice carries a lot of weight.”

Fulton said he takes pieces from how both operate and tries to apply them to his own development.

“I take a little bit out of each of their books and just try to better myself and better my teammates,” Fulton said.

He is also beginning to see younger players enter the same position he occupied not long ago. Freshman Darien Lewis has stood out to Fulton during camp, and Fulton believes Lewis has the potential to develop if he continues working.

“He has a really bright future,” Fulton said. “He just needs to keep his head down and keep working.”

That advice is not far removed from what Fulton was doing himself a year ago.

He went from playing one game in 2024 to becoming a regular part of the secondary last season. Now he is carrying another 20 pounds, has another year in Guenther’s defense and knows much more about what will be expected once the games begin.

“I just obviously want to grow on what I did last year, grow on what I did in the spring and, just as a player, put myself in a better position to succeed.”