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After starting the season 3-0, UNLV point guard Matthew Sluka said he will miss the rest of the season due to unfulfilled “obligations”

Posted on by darion

The UNLV point guard will miss the rest of the season due to what he called “some statements” that “were not addressed after I enrolled.”

Matthew Sluka, who helped the Rebels to their first 3-0 start in 40 years, announced Tuesday that he plans to sit out this season. In a statement posted to X, Sluka referenced promises made at the time of his commitment that he said have not been fulfilled.

“I committed to UNLV based on certain statements made to me that were not upheld after I enrolled. Despite discussions, it became clear that those commitments would not be honored going forward,” he wrote. “I wish my teammates the best this season and look forward to the continued success of the program.”

The move is unprecedented in a new era of college football, where the transfer portal is moving and decisions about names, images and likenesses are being made. The mid-season decision to switch teams to a reserve and remain eligible for a potential transfer has become a trend in college football over the past two seasons. Players can play in four games and still have a reserve for the season.

But in the past, such moves have been made by players who are buried in the depth chart and don’t get significant snaps. They haven’t come from a 3-0 quarterback with a chance to win his conference and possibly reach the College Football Playoff.

UNLV is one of the best stories of the 2024 season, with a 3-0 start that positions the Rebels as a contender for the expanded 12-team playoffs. The Group of 5 is guaranteed at least one spot in the expanded 12-team playoffs and SportsProjections give UNLV, which plays in the Mountain West, an 18 percent chance of advancing. The Rebels’ resume already includes wins over Big 12 rivals Houston and Kansas.

The program had just two winning seasons from 2000 to 2022. Second-year coach Barry Odom won nine games in his first season as the Rebels’ coach and led the team to the Mountain West championship game for the first time.

Sluka transferred to UNLV in the offseason after spending the previous four years at Holy Cross, an FCS program. He was named the 2023 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 1,728 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushing for 1,247 yards. He finished fourth in voting for the Walter Payton Award, given to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS.

Through three games this season, Sluka leads UNLV in passing and rushing. He has thrown for 318 yards, six touchdowns and one interception and has rushed for 253 yards and a touchdown.

After reaching the Mountain West Championship Game last season, UNLV lost its starting quarterback to the transfer portal. Jayden Maiava led the Rebels’ run and was named the 2023 Mountain West Freshman of the Year. He entered the portal in the offseason, with big-name programs like Georgia and USC courting him. He ultimately chose to play for the Trojans and is the backup to Miller Moss.

Now UNLV has lost its quarterback again, but this time within the first month of the season, and a powerful Fresno State team travels to Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon to face the Rebels.

The only other quarterback on UNLV’s roster to attempt a pass this season is senior Cameron Friel. He completed his only pass attempt for 30 yards. Friel was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2021 after passing for 1,608 yards, six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Friel attempted the pass 226 times this season, but only 50 times in the three seasons since.

There’s also FCS transfer Hajj-Malik Williams, who passed for 8,236 yards and 58 touchdowns in five seasons at Campbell. True freshman Gael Ochoa joined the program in January. Whoever starts will have the benefit of throwing to star receiver Ricky White III, who has just 126 receiving yards this season but has 1,314 in 2023.

(Photo: Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)