Amid plenty of new names on the defensive side of the UNLV football program, a few familiar faces are poised to assume larger responsibilities in Year 2 of the Dan Mullen era, notably a trio in the secondary.
Those returning players are safety Jake Pope and defensive backs Mumu Bin Wahad and Tre Fulton, who, in addition to growing from a positional standpoint, are expected to fill multiple spots throughout games.
After a season in which the safeties coach position was left vacant following Paul Guenther’s move to defensive coordinator during spring camp, Kapp Dede was hired in January to fill the void. Dede brings experience in various roles at programs including Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State and Louisville.
“Camp is simply a grind as always,” Dede said. “I think there is a lot of competitive edge and competitive tone out here. We’ve also got some good leadership.”
“Mumu has a lot of flexibility. He has played corner, and he has played some nickel, and he has the agility to do both,” Dede said. “He is a guy who has a lot of burst, and he can accelerate.”
In addition to their on‑field contributions, Bin Wahad and Pope have emphasized leadership in the locker room, continuing to build on the culture that produced the Rebels’ three consecutive Mountain West titles.
“Each day is the standard, and the standard is to get 1% better each day,” Pope said. “I always tell the guys to find 1 thing each day to get better at and focus on that, and you’ll keep improving each and every day.”
“Especially with the young guys that come in, they have got to learn how this football stuff works, and you’ll get left behind if you’re not working hard, so I just try to get these guys elevated. If everyone can do that, then it is going to be a great group.”
Pope made prior stops at SEC programs Alabama and Georgia before arriving at UNLV last season, where he totaled 81 tackles, 38 solo, five walk breakups and an interception against Hawaii during the Rebels’ victory in the Ninth Island Showdown.
“(The previous stops) just taught me to be aware with relentless effort to the ball and find out what is important about your defense,” Pope said. “If we mess up on the field, I expect us to run the play back and do it right; that is what I learned there.”
One of the younger players seeking to absorb Pope and Bin Wahad’s guidance is Fulton, who returns for his sophomore season at UNLV.
Fulton, a 6‑foot‑3 Bakersfield, California native, appeared in all 14 games as a freshman on the Rebels’ defense, posting 33 total tackles, four walk breakups and a forced fumble.
With a year of collegiate experience under his belt, Fulton aims to build on that foundation.
“My goals this year are just to get better and continue to grow,” Fulton said. “I just want to build on what I did last year and, as a player, put myself
Sincity Press Staff
3 hours ago 3 min read
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