Courtesy of UNLV Athletics
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — UNLV junior running back Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas is one of just 80 players included on the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List, released Monday by the Maxwell Football Club in Philadelphia.
The Maxwell Award is presented at the end of every season to college football’s overall player of the year and named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a former standout at Swarthmore College, renowned sportswriter and football official.
Thomas (Atlanta, GA) is just the fourth Rebel player to earn a spot on the Maxwell preseason list in the last decade and the first running back since Charles Williams in 2020.
Thomas was previously named 2025 Preseason First Team All-Mountain West after leading the ranked Rebels in rushing yards last fall with 918 along with seven rushing scores. He also added his first career receiving touchdown and returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give him 21 TDs overall heading into his junior season. After just two years, he already ranks ninth in Rebel history with 19 rush scores and needs just one to move into a tie for seventh place.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 11 while the three finalists will be unveiled November 25. The winner of the 89th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN
Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 11. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on March 13, 2026, in Thomas’ hometown of Atlanta.
.
Another running back from the Mountain West, Raiders top draft pick Ashton Jeanty, was the 2024 Maxwell Award winner.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Dan Mullen, the Rebels will kick off their 58th season of football August 23 by hosting Idaho State in the earliest game in program history.
Season, single-game and three-game mini-plan tickets for the six-game 2025 home schedule are available by visiting unlvtickets.com or calling (702) 739-FANS (3267). For information on VIP premium club seats or suites at Allegiant Stadium, contact the Premium Sales office at premiumseating@unlv.edu or by calling (702) 739-FANS (3267).
