Junior tight end for UNLV. 2025: 11 catches, 168 receiving yards, 3 TD.
6′2″ · 240 lb · Houston, TX
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment.
Yards / catch: 96th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
receiving yards · 2025
11 catches · 3 TD · 15.3 per catch
Swing playSwung UNLV from 20% to 48% to win.New Mexico at UNLV · 40-35
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 tight end for UNLV. 2025: 11 catches, 168 receiving yards, 3 TD.
Var'Keyes Gumms
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment. Across four seasons and three programs, three head coaches: Seth Littrell, Sam Pittman and Dan Mullen. 2022 brought the first one: All-Conference USA. One game to point at: 43 rec yds, 2 receptions against New Mexico — Week 10, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
The snaps went the other way.
The role got bigger.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE USA · 1ST TEAM
All-Conference USA 1st team (2022)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2025
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Marcus Arroyo, Barry Odom, and Dan Mullen. Multi-era developmental context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: yards / catch (96th percentile). Concern: receptions (0th percentile).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 2.0 | 32.2 | 16.4 | 0.8 |
| Road2g | 1.5 | 19.5 | 12.8 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 1.8 | 25.0 | 14.0 | 0.4 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 2.0 | 43.0 | 21.5 | 1.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dan Mullen
Pass share
41.6%
87 pass / 122 run
Plays / game
69.7
3 games
Team sack rate
9.3%
108 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2025
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | UNLV | 11 | 168 | 15.3 | 3 | -- |
| 2024 | Arkansas | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Arkansas | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | North Texas | 34 | 458 | 13.5 | 5 | -- |
| Career | 49 | 652 | 13.3 | 8 | -- |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2025
W 38–31
vs Idaho State
1 rec · 16 yds
Edged out Idaho State at home in a shootout.
With A. Colandrea — 195 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 54.0 · 93 rush yds (13 car) · J. Thomas — 147 rush yds (10 car) · 3 TD
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 6 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 38-31vs Idaho State | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 16 | |
| Wk 1 | W 38-21@ Sam Houston | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 2 | W 30-23vs UCLA | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 1 | 17 | |
| Wk 4 | W 41-38@ Miami (OH) | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | |
| Wk 7 | W 51-48vs Air Force | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 1 | 16 | |
| Wk 10 | L 35-40vs New Mexico | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 1 | 27 | Season-high 43 yds |
| Total | 11 | 168 | 15.2 | 3 | 27 |
Play style
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
UNLV
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Tight end · UNLV
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
UNLV · Last season: 10-4 · Talent rank #56 · 2026 recruiting class #63
Player DNA
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Gary Williams’s 2021 season.
Differs from Gary on
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Tommy Tremble’s path through Notre Dame.
Matches Tommy on
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Trent Pennix's senior season at NC State (2023).
Matches Trent on
Differs from Trent on
Player DNA