LAS VEGAS — Safety Jake Pope spent his first season in defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s defense learning the calls, checks and responsibilities that came with playing safety in a new system. A year later, the terminology is no longer the difficult part. The challenge now is using that familiarity against an offense UNLV cannot fully prepare for on film.
Memphis will arrive at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday with a new coaching staff, more than 70 newcomers and an unannounced starting quarterback. UNLV can study offensive coordinator Kevin Decker’s previous work at Old Dominion and what Memphis transfers did at other schools, but there is no game showing how all of those pieces will operate together. For Pope, that makes UNLV’s own defensive rules more important.
“Memphis likes to run really wide splits, so we’ve been planning and scheming for that and just playing our rules and playing our defenses that we’ve installed through spring and fall,” Pope said Monday.
Memphis’ wide splits can pull the secondary across the field, and tempo can shorten Pope’s time to identify the formation, communicate a check and get everyone aligned. Knowing his own assignment is only the first part of the work.
Pope believes another year in the defense should allow UNLV to make those decisions faster. “Scheme-wise and play-wise, I think it’s going to help us play a lot faster than we did last year,” Pope said.
Pope has more reason than most of the secondary to recognize the difference. He arrived at UNLV last year after spending his first three college seasons waiting for a larger defensive role. Pope redshirted at Alabama in 2022 while playing behind future NFL defensive backs Jordan Battle, Brian Branch and DeMarcco Hellams, then appeared in 12 games mostly on special teams in 2023. He transferred to Georgia and appeared in four games as a reserve in 2024 before finally getting an opportunity to become a full-time starter at UNLV.
Pope started all 14 games last season and finished second on the team with 81 tackles, while adding three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, five pass breakups and his first college interception. His first full season as a starter earned him a spot on the 2026 Preseason All-Mountain West team.
The experience around him is more scattered. Nickel defender Mumu Bin-Wahad, cornerbacks Quandarius Keyes and Denver Harris, and safety Tre Fulton return, while cornerback Avery Helm and other transfers were added during the offseason. Guenther does not have the same secondary he finished last season with, but he also is not rebuilding the entire unit from the beginning. Pope has become one of the players responsible for helping connect the returning experience with the new pieces around him.
That continuity was tested again this week when cornerback Laterrance Welch and edge rusher Donovan Spellman were absent from Monday’s practice and no longer appeared on UNLV’s active roster or the numerical roster in the Memphis game notes. UNLV has not announced a change in either player’s status.
“It is tough, and I hate to see it because I feel like sometimes it’s not the players’ fault,” Pope said. “They’re kind of just going by whatever they hear. We just have to keep moving forward as a team and stay behind those guys.”
Whether either player returns before Saturday or not, Pope said the defense still has to prepare with the group available. “If they’re here, great,” Pope said. “If not, we’ll just stay patient with it and move on.”
The opponent presents enough uncertainty on its own. Memphis has not announced whether Air Noland or Marcus Stokes will take the first snap at quarterback. Noland has attempted only three passes in college after stops at Ohio State and South Carolina. Stokes arrives after passing for 3,297 yards and 30 touchdowns at Division II West Florida last season.
Pope’s promise of faster play comes with evidence demanding more than optimism. UNLV allowed 419.1 yards per game last season, including 177.4 on the ground at 5.2 per carry. Knowing the call did not consistently produce a stopped run. Guenther needs the front to make Memphis earn its yards without asking Pope to erase a mistake after the back has already reached the secondary.
Production returns beside him. Fulton made 33 tackles and broke up four passes last season; Keyes had two interceptions and six breakups.
The opening series should begin revealing Memphis’ favored receivers, tempo and formation choices. Pope has to recognize those patterns while still covering his assignment. A missed check can give the Tigers a long gain before UNLV has time to make the next adjustment.
UNLV and Memphis will kick off at 7:10 p.m. Saturday at Allegiant Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on Fox.
