From Michigan Flop to UNLV Hope: Can This QB Defy the Odds and Ignite a Turnaround?

So, here’s a curious twist: UNLV’s football team is flipping the quarterback script this season by rolling out not one, but two QBs against Idaho State. Yep, you heard that right. New coach Dan Mullen’s opting for a dual-threat approach with Alex Orji, the big-bodied Michigan transfer who’s more about legs than arm strength, and Anthony Colandrea from Virginia, who’s got the arm but needs to clean up those turnovers. It’s the kind of gamble that either sparks brilliance or chaos—kind of like mixing peanut butter with pickles. Can this dynamic duo find a rhythm, or will splitting snaps drive everyone nuts? Either way, it’s bound to be an intriguing watch as the Rebels kick off the season. LEARN MORE.

The UNLV football team announced its plans for the quarterback position on Wednesday, and the Rebels are going with a unique approach. They brought in a couple of Power Four transfers during the offseason as Alex Orji (Michigan) and Anthony Colandrea (Virginia) have joined the program. New head coach Dan Mullen announced who the starting QB will be for UNLV this season, and the team is going to go with both players in its matchup vs. Idaho State this weekend.

“They have similarities, but they have differences in their games,” Dan Mullen said Tuesday on the McElroy and Cubelic Show. “Both guys will play in Game 1 for us, for sure. It’s a long season. But I want to make sure on gameday that what I see in practice they can do on the field in a game and see how people respond to that.”

While going with two QBs is sometimes a risky move, it does make sense with these two skillsets. Alex Orji is very big and athletic, which makes him a great runner. However, he can’t throw the ball. If the Rebels want to possess a passing threat, he’s not the guy. Anthony Colandrea can make some plays through the air, but he struggled with turnovers last season at Virginia. He needs to be smarter, and maybe having Orji split the reps will take some of that pressure off, allowing him to play more free.

“I want to see how we practice this week and how the plan goes,” Mullen said. “I don’t know what we’re calling on the first play of the game, so I don’t know who will be in there the first play. Hopefully they’re both healthy and if they are, they’ll both play. Maybe both (start). Just keeping everyone on their toes just to annoy everybody.”

Orji was expected to win the starting job for Michigan last offseason, but Davis Warren ended up starting the first few games of the season. After he struggled, Orji got a turn, but it quickly became apparent that he struggled to throw the football. He was benched a couple of games later.

Colandrea showed some promise last season, but again, turnovers happened way too often. He threw 13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. That ratio isn’t going to get the job done. He needs to take care of the football.

The UNLV football team has some intriguing options at QB with these two transfers. Idaho State should be a good warmup game for these guys to get into a groove.

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