Fresno State coach on UNLV’s Sluka: ‘new landscape of college football’

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Fresno state defensive line coach Jethro Franklin has seen a lot in his day, having starred as a player at Fresno State in the late 80’s, and coaching in college and the NFL for over 30 years.

But with the Bulldogs preparing for a big Mountain West showdown with undefeated and nationally-ranked UNLV on Saturday, even Jethro had to be a little surprised by the news Tuesday night coming from the social media accounts of Rebels’ starting quarterback Matthew Sluka.

“You know the times are the times,” said Franklin, after Fresno State football practice on Wednesday morning. “Things change in time. It’s like Coach Sweeney used to say, ‘they used to use a hickory shaft to play golf, they don’t use a hickory shaft to play golf any more. Now those shafts are graphite and everything else, it improved the game.'”

Sluka wrote on social media Tuesday that he would be sitting out the rest of the season and redshirting, based on “certain representations that were made to me (when I committed to UNLV), which were not upheld after I enrolled.”

Sluka’s NIL agent told ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel on Wednesday that the quarterback was promised 100 thousand dollars in NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) by a UNLV assistant coach that was never paid.

In a statement Wednesday, UNLV Athletics said, “Football player Matthew Sluka’s representative made financial demands upon the University and it’s NIL collective, in order to continue playing. UNLV Athletics interpreted these demands as a violation of the NCAA pay-for-play rules, as well as Nevada state law. UNLV does not engage in such activity, nor does it respond to implied threats. UNLV has honored all previously agreed upon scholarships for Matthew Sluka. UNLV has conducted its due diligence and will continue to operate its programs within the framework of NCAA rules and regulations, as well as Nevada state laws.”

Bill Paulos, the President of the UNLV NIL collective, known as UNILV, told our affiliate KLAS in Las Vegas that he had no knowledge of any 100-thousand dollar contract between Sluka and the collective.

“I have a problem with the story, I have a problem with the plausibility of it,” said Paulos. “But for sure, our collective did not know about it. If somebody is getting paid 100 thousand dollars, trust me, I’d know. If somebody was promised 100 thousand dollars, trust me, I’d know.”

Football athletes making decisions like Sluka made is something longtime football coaches like Franklin, and Fresno State defensive backs coach J.D. Williams, are still getting used to.

“I mean, I guess it’s the new landscape of college football,” said Williams Wednesday. “It’s unfortunate, because it’s turned into a pay-for-play, it’s turned into pay-for-play. So, it’s unfortunate, but I imagine there’s gonna be more situations (like this) that occur, here in the near future.”

There are two quarterbacks listed as backups on UNLV’s official depth chart, but it looks like Hajj-Malik Williams will get the start for the Rebels Saturday against the Bulldogs, in place of Sluka.

Williams is a graduate transfer, who played in a ton of games at quarterback the last five years for the Camels, compiling 8,236 pass yards and 58 pass touchdowns in his time there, in addition to 24 rushing touchdowns.

He went through spring practice with the Rebels, and lost a three-way battle for the starting job to Sluka in fall camp.

He has appeared in a couple games this season, and although he has yet to throw a pass for the Rebels, he has rushed ten times for 88 yards in those two appearances.

The other quarterback listed as a backup on UNLV’s depth chart is Cameron Friel.

This is Friel’s fourth year at UNLV. He has 10 career starts behind center, including eight as a true freshman in 2021, when he was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year.

He only appeared in one game last season as a junior, and has appeared in one game this season, having completed his only pass attempt for 30 yards, and rushed four times for 8 yards and a touchdown, in the Rebels blowout win over Utah Tech.

Franklin knows the Rebels will be a tough challenge for the Bulldogs, no matter who is taking the snaps for UNLV.

“We got a game to play and we gotta go there, and they are a very, very good team,” said Franklin. “They are a very tough opponent, and we know we have our hands full, regardless of who the quarterback is, because they have other good players at quarterback as well, so we got our hands full. So, that’s our main focus. Who’s gonna be out there at quarterback, it does matter, but it doesn’t matter. We gotta stay focused on what we gotta take care of.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | CBS47 and KSEE24.