Months after shaking up the NIL world by shockingly leaving the UNLV football team, Matthew Sluka has found a new home. The infamous quarterback redshirted the 2024 season and entered the college football transfer portal at the end of the year, where he has committed to spend his sixth year at James Madison, per CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.

Sluka also visited Liberty and Memphis before making his official decision. He started the first three games of 2024 for UNLV before stepping away from the team for not receiving his reported NIL money the coaching staff promised him.

Before shaking up the modern state of NIL deals at UNLV, Sluka emerged as one of the most prominent FCS quarterbacks at Holy Cross. From 2020 to 2023, Sluka led the Crusaders to a combined 28-9 record as a starter. He accounted for 9,475 yards of total offense and 91 total touchdowns through his first four years.

If Sluka accepted another NIL deal involving his transfer, it has not been publicized. Given his history, both teams likely chose to wisely approach his move in another direction.

Sluka now accepts the daunting task of continuing James Madion's recent string of success in the Sun Belt Conference. Harrisonburg was Curt Cignetti's home before he accepted his current position at Indiana, taking Elijah Sarratt, Ty Son Lawton and several other standout players with him. Even after Cignetti's departure, the Dukes still went 9-4 in 2024 and beat Louisiana in the Boca Raton Bowl.

UNLV's success after Matthew Sluka fiasco

Nov 20, 2021; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen watches play against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Even after Sluka's controversial NIL-based disagreement, UNLV still had one of its most successful seasons in 2024. Sixth-year Hajj-Malik Williams took over at quarterback after Sluka left and guided the team to an 11-3 finish, second in the Mountain West behind Boise State.

Williams and Sluka both left the program after 2024 but the Las Vegas future still looks bright in 2025. The Rebels landed former Florida head coach Dan Mullen as their next leader, giving the team arguably its best chance to win in program history. Shortly after Mullen's hiring, former Michigan quarterback Alex Orji committed to UNLV from the college football transfer portal.

Orji, who has just 155 career passing yards, is not a surefire answer at quarterback. However, he is easily one of the school's most notable incoming transfers in recent history, giving Mullen something to work with. As a starter at Michigan, Orji led the Wolverines to a 2-0 record despite his deficiencies as a passer.