The paradigm of college football negations may have shifted late Tuesday evening when UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka, one of the engines of the Rebels’ 3-0 start, announced that he’d use his redshirt year and sit out the remainder of the 2024 season after commitments made to him “were not upheld after I enrolled.”
In layman’s terms: He’s saying that the money didn’t come through like he expected.
UNLV is off to its best start since 1984. The school is the bell of the ball in a tug-of-war battle between the Pac-12 and the Mountain West. But now, all that feels like its receded into the background as the team’s starting quarterback — a transfer from Holy Cross – is stepping away for the rest of the year.
“I committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled,” Sluka wrote in a graphic that was published on his X account. “Despite discussions, it became clear that these commitments would not be fulfilled in the future. I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and hope for the continued success of the program.”
247Sports reached out to both Sluka and his agency, Equity Sports, for commend but had not heard back at the time of this piece’s publication.
So, what does this mean for UNLV? Perhaps more pressingly: What does it mean for the sport? Let’s break it down.
A SEASON DISRUPTED
First and foremost, this is a story about a quarterback for the No. 23 team in the Coaches Poll choosing to step away from the team after a 3-0 start. UNLV opened the season with an emphatic win over Houston from the Big 12 and beat another Big 12 team two weeks later in Kansas.
Now, the Rebels enter a tough Mountain West game this weekend against Fresno State without both their leading passer (318 yards, six touchdowns, one interception) and rusher (253 yards, 6.5 per carry).
The Rebels designed a run-first offense around Sluka, who ran for 1,200-plus yards each of the last two seasons at Holy Cross.
Now, UNLV will need to turn to some of its backup options. Senior quarterback Cameron Friel got some run in UNLV’s win over Utah Tech. The Rebels also brought in a pair of transfer quarterbacks — Hajj-Malik Williams (Campbell) and Dylan Mehrotra (Southern) — along with Sluka in the portal.
A POTENTIAL TREND
The college football calendar works in an odd way.
Underclassmen aren’t allowed to transfer until a portal window opens in December. But many players are faced with a decision midseason around the four-game mark. For those who haven’t redshirted in their career — like Sluka — they can save a year of eligibility by choosing to shut things down.
That’s what Sluka did here. He’ll again be a redshirt senior in 2025 and can conceivably test the market once again.
