UNLV Rebels wide receiver Damien McDaniel (2) outruns defensive backs Jalen Baldwin (31) and defensive back LaDarrius Bishop (24) to score a touchdown during the UNLV Football Spring Showcase at Allegiant Stadium Saturday, April 6, 2024.
UNLV will soon be saying goodbye to a class of players that completely transformed the program and became fan favorites, as 29 seniors are set to graduate after this season. Once the final horn sounds on Wednesday's LA Bowl, it will be time to look forward and begin wondering about the next wave of Scarlet and Gray stars.
Is there a next Jackson Woodard? A new Ricky White in the pipeline? Who's going to block like Tiger Shanks?
The answers could be out there in the transfer portal or as part of the incoming 2025 recruiting class, but there is a simpler solution, as a number of players currently on the roster have the potential to step up and lead the next generation of winning football at UNLV.
Before leaving for Purdue, Barry Odom acknowledged that UNLV will lose a lot to graduation, but touted the program's internal development plan to replace that production.
"We've got a lot of really good young players in the program that have gotten great experience because they're playing," Odom said. "They've also had a number of older guys in front of them or in the same position group, that they've had a great example of what it's supposed to look like."
White, a record-setting senior receiver, made it a point to help the younger pass-catchers coming up behind him.
All year, from spring practice to training camp and through the season, White has dispensed pointers and set an example for the "next Ricky White" to follow.
"I definitely want to pass on my knowledge of the game," White said. "Just passing on the game, the habits, how to prepare the right way, everything that goes along with becoming a great player."
New head coach Dan Mullen is bullish on the current roster, speaking highly of the talent level and the attitude of the returners.
"I talked to the team, I said 'I want everybody to stay,'" Mullen said. "I want to learn from them. I'm not looking through [the roster] saying, 'Hey, we're going to get rid of some guys and bring in my all my own guys.' I want these guys. These guys have built it. I want them to be a part of it."
UNLV has already been nicked by the portal, as promising freshman running back Greg Burrell announced his intention to transfer last week. One of Mullen's most pressing (and most important) tasks will be to stop the bleeding and keep these future cornerstone players in the program:
Though they man opposite ends of the offensive line and utilize different playing styles, Haynes and Shanks share a similar talent for blocking. And their trajectories match, too; Shanks was a 3-star prospect who started with a redshirt year, then developed into a bludgeoning right tackle, earning All-Mountain West first-team honors in 2023 and 2024.
Haynes, a local prospect out of Centennial, was UNLV's top target in the 2022 recruiting class and eventually committed to the Scarlet and Gray under then-head coach Marcus Arroyo. He redshirted as a freshman in 2023, then got his feet wet in 2024. His long-term position appears to be left tackle, where he has the athleticism to be a top pass protector in a throw-first system like Mullen's.
McDaniel was a late addition in the spring, graduating high school and joining UNLV just in time for the spring showcase. It didn't take him long to flash in that exhibition, as he caught three passes for 91 yards, including a spectacular 76-yard touchdown that saw him snag a short pass and outrun the defense the length of the field.
A 3-star prospect from Hitchcock, Texas, McDaniel had interest from other schools as a cornerback, but ultimately chose the Scarlet and Gray because they offered a chance to play offense at 6-foot, 160 pounds. Will he jump into the portal now that offensive coordinator Brennan Marion is likely on the way out? That would be a loss, as McDaniel profiles as a big-play waiting to happen as early as next season.
After the spring game, White gave McDaniel his stamp of approval.
"That's my guy," White said. "I'm trying to take him under my wing. Obviously he's a freshman, so he's got a lot to learn, but he's going to be a heck of a player."
Jacob De Jesus had an impact far beyond his size at 5-foot-7, 175 pounds, serving as a key pass-catcher out of the slot and doubling as one of the nation's best punt and kick returners. He'll be hard to replace, but fortunately for the program De Jesus has spent the past two years tutoring the next man in line.
DeAngelo Irvin is virtually the same size (5-foot-8, 175 pounds) and worked as De Jesus's understudy in the slot and in the return game. When De Jesus missed three games in the second half of this season, Irvin stepped in and caught five passes for 32 yards while returning four punts for 34 yards.
De Jesus was a unique piece in a unique offense, but Irvin is as qualified as anyone to play a similar role.
"He's really confident and he has great speed," De Jesus said of Irvin. "If I were ever to go down, he's the next man up and I feel the offense wouldn't skip a beat at all."
Whitmore transferred to UNLV in 2023 as part of Odom's first incoming class and became a stalwart on the interior of the defensive line, registering 9.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks this season while earning All-MWC honorable mention honors. The defense will miss his reliable presence in the middle, but Camac is more than ready to pick up the slack.
No UNLV player on either side of the ball performed better than Camac in the second half of the season, as the 6-foot-7, 250-pounder came into his own as a pass-rusher and run stopper. He notched at least one TFL in each of the final six games and finished his breakout campaign with 5.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs.
Senior defensive end Antonio Doyle, an All-MWC second-teamer in 2024, believes Camac will continue to produce like a star.
"His confidence started to show and once his confidence kicked in, he started to understand he can't be stopped," Doyle said.
Asking anyone to replace Woodard in the middle of the UNLV defense is unfair, as he embodied the winning attitude that fueled the program's turnaround. (Not to mention his production, which earned him the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024.)
But if there's anyone equipped to handle those expectations, it's Correa. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker was a 3-star prospect out of Bishop Gorman, so he's certainly used to winning, and he shadowed Woodard all season, learning what it takes to command a defense.
Odom said Correa tracked Woodard and trained as though he was the starter.
"When his group is not in, he stands 20 yards behind and he mirrors every step that he's supposed to take," Odom said. "So when his number is called, he's ready to go play."
Correa saw action in all 13 games this season and finished with 16 tackles, 2.0 TFLs and a forced fumble. If UNLV can retain him, look for Correa to assume a much bigger role in 2025 and beyond.