UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom stands on the field before a college football game against the San Jose State Spartans at Allegiant Stadium Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 | 2 a.m.
UNLV capped a wild — and massively productive — week of recruiting with a commitment from one of the most sought-after quarterbacks on the transfer market, sending expectations even higher for the upcoming 2024 campaign.
Former Holy Cross grad transfer Matt Sluka reportedly pledged to the Scarlet and Gray on Monday, giving the program a potential superstar to step in at the game’s most important position just two weeks after losing Jayden Maiava to USC.
Sluka is the eighth college transfer to join UNLV in the past eight days, and the 15th this offseason as second-year head coach Barry Odom continues to fortify the roster with experienced players.
Sluka was dominant at the FCS level, accounting for 91 touchdowns over the past three seasons while leading Holy Cross to a 29-8 record. As a senior in 2023, Sluka excelled as a dual threat, passing for 1,728 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 1,247 yards and nine scores.
That production as a passer and runner should make the 6-foot-3, 216-pound Sluka a natural fit in UNLV’s go-go offense under coordinator Brennan Marion.
Maiava left a hole at the position when he entered the portal on Jan. 1. Last week he committed to USC after a high-profile recruiting battle between the Trojans and Georgia.
As a freshman in 2023, Maiava stepped into the UNLV lineup in Week 4 and proceeded to complete 63.5% of his passes for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns. Maiava was a capable runner, picking up 277 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, but he was not the big-play threat that Sluka figures to be with the ball in his hands.
Sluka was came out of high school as an unranked prospect in the Class of 2020. The Uniondale, N.Y., product enrolled at Holy Cross and blossomed under coach Bob Chesney, as they teamed to take the Crusaders to their first FCS playoff appearance in 2021.
Sluka was named to the All-Patriot League First Team in 2022 and 2023, and both years he was named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the country’s top player at the FCS level.
UNLV now has two experienced quarterbacks coming in via the portal, as the program also pulled in former Campbell signal-caller Hajj-Malik Williams on Jan. 6. That’s in addition to holdovers Doug Brumfield, a senior, and Cameron Friel, a junior, both of whom have starting experience. Bo Edmundson is a sophomore who was a 3-star recruit in the Class of 2023.
While Sluka raises the ceiling on offense, Odom and defensive coordinator Mike Scherer have to be happy with this week’s haul on the other side of the ball.
The headline addition is senior cornerback Tony Grimes, a former 5-star recruit in the Class of 2020 who played at North Carolina and, most recently, Texas A&M.
After playing in 36 games across three years at North Carolina, Grimes transferred to Texas A&M but was injured last season and did not see the field. He will have one year of eligibility remaining and should boost a secondary that has lost senior corner Jerrae Williams and others to the portal.
There are more reinforcements on the way, too.
UNLV landed a commitment from safety Jalen Catalon, a former 4-star prospect who played last year at Texas. Catalon spent his first three years at Arkansas, where Odom served as defensive coordinator before being hired at UNLV. Odom also lured defensive back Malik Chavis from Arkansas; Chavis started six games as a junior in 2022, but injuries limited him to eight games and just two tackles in 2023. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Antonio Doyle committed to UNLV on Thursday, bringing some playmaking ability to the defensive front. Another former 4-star recruit, Doyle spent his first two years at Texas A&M before transferring to Jackson State for the past two seasons. As a senior in 2023, the defensive end logged four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
UNLV also secured a commitment from former Bishop Gorman standout Jeremiah Vessel, a sophomore defensive back who played one year at New Mexico State and recorded two pass breakups.
It’s an impressive collection of newcomers for a team that is trying to build on a breakthrough 2023 season. In Odom’s first year at the helm, UNLV went 9-3 in the regular season and advanced to the Mountain West title game for the first time, hosting Boise State at Allegiant Stadium. UNLV lost that contest but did qualify for its first bowl game since 2013.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
