Steve Marcus
UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams warms up during the first day of Spring football practice at the Fertitta Football Complex at UNLV Saturday, March 2,2024.
By Mike Grimala (contact)
Monday, July 22, 2024 | 2 a.m.
The UNLV football team heads into the 2024 season with a loaded depth chart on offense.
The offensive line is stocked with veteran All-Mountain West blockers, there are two All-America candidates atop the receiving corps, and the running backs are headed by a young flash who set the program record for touchdowns by a freshman last year.
Put all that talent into Brennan Marion’s go-go offense, which scored 34.4 points per game last season, and the Scarlet and Gray are a high-performance sports car. No, make that a race car.
No — a rocket car.
Now, who gets the keys?
It’s not hyperbole to frame UNLV’s pending quarterback competition as perhaps the most important personnel decision in program history. Coming off a breakthrough 2023 campaign in Barry Odom’s first year as head coach, the Scarlet and Gray are poised to be even better in 2024, and this time there could be a College Football Playoff berth on the line — if they get the quarterback right.
One of the most overlooked wonders of UNLV’s stunning postseason run last year was the team’s ability to switch quarterbacks midseason and still finish with a 9-3 record. The staff would undoubtedly prefer not to have to navigate that route again.
When training camp opens at the end of the month, the hope is that one signal-caller will distinguish himself as the unquestioned No. 1, from beginning to end.
Both of last year’s starters have moved on, with Doug Brumfield retiring due to injury and Jayden Maiava transferring to USC. Senior Cameron Friel does return with 10 career starts and an MWC Freshman of the Year award under his belt, but all that happened before Odom and Marion took over and installed their unique offensive system.
That clears the way for a head-to-head competition between a pair of portal imports in Hajj-Malik Williams and Matt Sluka.
Both come to UNLV with plenty of experience, albeit at the FCS level; Williams spent his first five collegiate years at Campbell, while Sluka played four years at Holy Cross.
Williams is a career 61.8% passer with 8,236 yards and 58 touchdowns to his name. Last year he hit 70.4% of his passes for 2,597 yards and 19 scores. Williams also got a head start in the go-go system, as he was able to complete his studies at Campbell and join UNLV in time for spring ball.
Williams took the majority of reps during those practices and dazzled in the spring game, completing 14-of-22 passes for 227 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, standing head and shoulders above the rest of the quarterbacks.
That group did not include Sluka, however, as the grad transfer had to finish up his course work at Holy Cross and only arrived in Las Vegas for the summer semester. In four years at Holy Cross, Sluka threw for 5,916 yards and 59 touchdowns and took home Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023. He is now enrolled in classes at UNLV and working out with the team, participating in player-led practices and learning the playbook.
Sluka told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette one of the things that drew him to the UNLV program was that Odom and the coaches were okay with him staying at Holy Cross to graduate. And when Sluka traveled to Las Vegas to observe the spring game, his future UNLV teammates understood the delay.
“For the guys, obviously, me not being there for them is a little questionable,” Sluka told the paper. “'We have a quarterback coming in, but he’s not here right now,’ but once I got out there and explained the situation to them, they were all cool, and it was really welcoming from that perspective.”
Williams and Sluka offer a contrast in styles. The 6-foot, 205-pound Williams is a touch passer with good command who can use his legs when necessary (24 career rushing touchdowns). Sluka is a big-play passer and a bulldozer in the running game at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, with more than 1,200 rushing yards each of the last two seasons and 38 career touchdowns on the ground.
Sluka was the more coveted prospect in the transfer portal, drawing interest from 50 schools, including SEC programs. He will enter camp as the presumptive starter, as it’s difficult to envision turning down all those offers to be a backup at UNLV.
Recruiting profiles matter very little once the ball is snapped, however.
After the spring game, Odom said the qualities he most wants to see from his quarterback are leadership, dependability and ball security.
“I hope they play smart football, they lead their team, they don’t turn the ball over, they make great decisions,” Odom said. “Sometimes it can be 3rd-and-7, and instead of trying to fit the ball in a window, they throw it away for another play.”
Could an explosive running threat at the position add another dimension to an already explosive offense? Odom said execution of run-pass option plays (RPO’s) could be a determining factor.
“That’s all the management of the game,” Odom said. “Making really good decisions in the RPO world. Play clean football.”
When the final whistle blows on the last day of camp, UNLV will have a quarterback in place. And with the go-go being such a QB-friendly system, it’s likely that the starter — whether it’s Sluka or Williams — will go on to enjoy a good season.
But there’s a difference between a good season and a playoff berth, and if UNLV gets the quarterback right, the team could have both.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [emailprotected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
