UNLV QB Matthew Sluka says he won’t play again this season.
Sluka said in a social media post that he will not play the rest of the season due to unfulfilled promises that were apparently made to him. Sluka was the Rebels’ starting quarterback in the first three games of the season as UNLV started the season 3-0 with wins over Houston and Kansas.
“I have decided to take advantage of my redshirt year and will not play any more games this season,” Sluka said. “I chose UNLV because of certain commitments that were made to me that were not honored after I enrolled. Despite discussions, it became clear that those 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.”
From Sluka’s post, it seems obvious that he was promised some compensation for name, image and likeness, but did not receive it. If that is the case, he is the first and most high-profile player to quit playing mid-season because of NIL promises. Current Georgia QB Jaden Rashada landed at Arizona State for his freshman season after a NIL deal with Florida fell through. However, this drama took place before Rashada had a chance to take the field for the Gators.
Sluka took over as UNLV’s starting quarterback as the Rebels were looking for a replacement for last year’s starting quarterback Jayden Maiava. Maiava developed into the team’s starter as a freshman and threw for over 3,000 yards as UNLV made its first bowl appearance since 2013.
However, at the end of the season, he entered the transfer portal and briefly stayed at Georgia. After withdrawing his commitment from the Bulldogs, Maiava landed at USC and is now the No. 2 QB behind Miller Moss.
Sluka is a fifth-year senior who spent the first four seasons of his career at Holy Cross. In 2023, he threw 122 of 197 passes for 1,723 yards and 20 TDs with just five interceptions. Players can take a redshirt and appear in up to four games, allowing Sluka to play a sixth season of college football in 2025 as long as he does not appear in two more games this season.
With Sluka unavailable, UNLV’s top two quarterbacks are Cameron Friel and Hajj-Malik Williams. Friel has thrown one pass this season and both played in the team’s win over Utah Tech.
