Conference realignment couldn’t have come at a better time for Nevada football coach Jeff Choate, who signed a five-year, $5.7 million deal in 2023.
The new-look Mountain West doesn’t include perennial contender Boise State or top programs like San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah State.
The Wolf Pack haven’t come anywhere close to competing for a Mountain West title, much less a spot in the top half of the league, since Choate took over in 2024. They’ve won just six games in his two seasons, and only two of those were conference games.
Choate is almost certainly sitting on the hottest seat in the Mountain West. His predecessor, Ken Wilson, was fired after winning just four games in two seasons at the helm.
But the Wolf Pack should be more competitive in the new Mountain West, which includes North Dakota State, Northern Illinois and UTEP. They may have to be more competitive if Choate is going to get a fourth season.
Nevada Football Season Preview
The Wolf Pack have to almost completely rebuild their receiving corps, and they will rely on a lot of new starters on defense. But the offense has some key pieces back, including at quarterback, running back and the offensive line. Nevada is also home to one of the top defensive linemen in the Mountain West.
Who Will Start At QB?
Carter Jones was thrown into the fire last season as a freshman, and he took his lumps. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound Texas native played in 10 games and started seven, throwing for 1,019 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Jones is back, and he’s one of the favorites to win the starting job under new offensive coordinator Brett Bartolone, whose Air Raid attack begins with a strong-armed, accurate passer.
That’s exactly what UCLA transfer Luke Duncan brings to the table. The 6-6, 210-pounder played in just three games in three seasons with the Bruins, but he threw 72 touchdown passes during his varsity career at Miramonte High in California.
Whoever wins the job this fall will benefit from playing behind an offensive line that returns starting tackles Jack Foster and Zach Cochnauer and adds Memphis transfers Ethan Newman (guard) and Jacob Norcross (center).
A Mixed Bag Of Weapons
Leading rushers Caleb Ramseur and Chubba Purdy are gone, but a couple of role players from a year ago should be ready to fill their shoes. Herschel Turner averaged 5.1 yards a carry on 69 attempts last season, and former Texas transfer Ky Woods averaged 5.4 yards on 19 attempts. Sophomore Dominic Kelley also saw time in eight games last fall.
The wide receiver room is a different story. Marshaun Brown has a 6-4 frame and has been around for a few years, but the rest of the unit will be new. Donnie Cheers caught 55 passes for 650 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons at Southeast Missouri State. Gary Givens III spent last season at Northern Illinois, and Damien Morgan caught 53 passes in a high-powered passing attack at Idaho State last season.
Is LaBarbera The Mountain West’s Top Pass Rusher?
Dylan LaBarbera was a nightmare for opposing offenses last season. He led the Mountain West with 17 tackles for loss and led Nevada with 87 tackles and 6.5 sacks while playing across from Jonathan Maldonado. Maldonado is gone, and LaBarbera is playing a new position.
After lining up as a true defensive end last season, he’ll play an end-linebacker hybrid, which could make him even more dangerous as a pass rusher.
The question is, who will emerge on the other side to keep offenses from double- and triple-teaming LaBarbera? Cal transfer Myles Williams, 6-2, 249-pound redshirt freshman Kameron Brown and sixth-year senior Tanner Vaughn are expected to get early opportunities. Western New Mexico transfer Chris Kalu could be a sleeper.
The interior of the defensive line is in a good spot with 329-pound Logologo Va’a, 300-pound James Gillespie and redshirt sophomore David Pain Jr. forming a nice rotation.
Nevada’s Breakout Candidate
S Larry Turner-Gooden – The Wolf Pack have a nice mix of returners like Bryson Snelling, Bishop Turner and Aiden Walker with newcomers like Joshua Scott, Jaylen Webb and Selman Bridges in the secondary. But Turner-Gooden has the size, athleticism and experience to be the best of the bunch. The 5-11, 190-pound junior played in 22 games in two seasons at San Jose State, including two starts last year. He began his career at Texas.
Nevada’s Mountain West Championship Betting Odds
Nevada’s college football betting odds to win the Mountain West championship are +3000, according to BetMGM. UNLV and New Mexico are the favorites at +270.
Nevada’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Nevada’s Over/Under win total is 4.5 games, according to BetMGM.
- The Over is at +110.
- The Under is at -145.
2026 Nevada Schedule
Sept. 5 vs. Western Kentucky
Sept. 12 vs. Montana State
Sept. 19 at Middle Tennessee
Sept. 26 vs. Air Force
Oct. 10 at UTEP
Oct. 17 at North Dakota State
Oct. 24 vs. San Jose State
Oct. 31 at UCLA
Nov. 6 vs. New Mexico
Nov. 14 at Northern Illinois
Nov. 21 vs. Hawaii
Nov. 28 at UNLV
Bold indicates Mountain West games
Nevada Season Prediction
I predict Nevada will not win the Mountain West championship, and the Wolf Pack will win fewer than 4.5 games.
The offense should be more steady and consistent with so many experienced players back, but the unit has to cut down on its 27 turnovers from a year ago if the Wolf Pack are going to snap their streak of four-straight losing seasons.
There’s a sneaky amount of experience back on defense, too, but the coaching staff has to find a way to get LaBarbera some one-on-one opportunities.
Nevada doesn’t face a Power Four opponent until UCLA in late October, but there also aren’t any sure wins on the schedule. Opening the season against Western Kentucky, Montana State and Middle Tennessee isn’t as easy as it looks. If the Wolf Pack go 0-3 to start the year, Choate may not finish out the season at Nevada.
