Dan Mullen, the head football coach at UNLV, recently discussed how his time as a college football analyst at ESPN gave him a unique edge in recruiting. Appearing on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich,” Mullen explained how he was able to evaluate a wide range of players while working for the network. He highlighted two quarterbacks he recruited to UNLV: Anthony Colandrea from the University of Virginia and Alex Orji, formerly of the Michigan Wolverines.

Mullen emphasized the advantage of watching every college football game, saying, “I’ve gotten to watch everybody play… I’ve seen them all.” He specifically mentioned Alex Orji, noting Orji’s undefeated record against Ohio State while at Michigan. Mullen expressed some bewilderment at Michigan’s usage of Orji, suggesting they didn’t fully utilize his strengths. He believes a coach’s role is to tailor their system to a player's abilities, not the other way around.

Mullen observed that when Orji was given opportunities to showcase his talents, even top-tier teams like Ohio State struggled to contain him. He intends to build a system at UNLV that maximizes Orji's potential. Mullen’s coaching history includes stints at Florida (2018-2021) where he achieved a 34-15 record, and Mississippi State (2009-2017) with a 69-46 record.