Mountain West Preview – 2025

 

Mountain West Conference Best Offensive Player at Each Position

Quarterback- Maddux Madsen- Boise State

Running back- Jaden Thomas – UNLV

Wide Receiver- Sire Gaines- Hawaii

Wide Receiver- Pofele Ashlock- Hawaii

Wide Receiver Troy Omeire- UNLV

Tight End- Matt Lauter- Boise State

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Predicted Order of Mountain West Conference Finish

1, Boise State- Quarterback Maddux Madsen returns for his junior season after throwing for 3,018 yards with 23 touchdowns and a 62% completion rate in 2024. Head coach Spencer Danielson  also can count on receivers Latrell Caples and tight end Matt Lauer are capable of scoring often. Running back is freshman Sire Gaines and much is expected of him. The Broncos play at Albertsons Stadium in front of a sold out crowd of 36. 387 fans.On August 28th they open their season on the road against South Florida,

2. UNLV- Rebels head coach Dan Mullen has a good but tough decision to make before opening day. He has two quality transfer quarterbacks to choose from as his starter. Michigan transfer Alex Orji or Virginia transfer Anthony Colandrea can each bring something to the field. Look for both to get used for the first few contests. they have experience at the running bak spot in junior Jai’Den Thomas to carry the ball and two good receivers in seniors Jaden Bradley and Troy Omeire. The Rebels open on the road at Sam Houston in August 30th. Sam Boyd Stadium is their home which seat 36,800 fans.

3. San Jose State- The Spartans head coach is Ken Niumatalolo and now in his second year in San Jose. He ran a potent offense last season and it finished fifth in the in the nation in passing. Quarterback Walker Eget returns and he has weapons all over the field in 2025 with receivers Johari Johnson, Cooper Hoch, Kyri Shoels and tight end Jackson Canaan.Running back corp includes Jabari Bates, Lamar Redcliffe and Floyd Chalk IV. They play at CEFCU Stadium and it seats 18,203 fans. Their opener is at home on August 28th with Central Michigan.

4. Air Force- The Falcons appear to have lost an experienced quarterback from 2024. Head coach Troy Calhoun will likely turn to senior Kade Frew and toss in his experience from fullback Dylan Carson and wide receiver Cade Harris to put points on the board. After going 5-7 overall last season, look for the Airmen to better than that and garner a bowl bid. The home field is Falcon Stadium with 39,441 seats. The opening game will be on August 30th at home against Bucknell.

5.Colorado  State– The Rams finished 8-5 in 2024 with a definite run first plan. In 2025, head coach Jay Norvell likely open up the offense for junior quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolisi. Wide Receiver Armani Winfield returns after gathering 39 receptions and two touchdowns in 341 yards. The defense will be better than average in the Mountain West. The Rams play at Canvas Stadium and it fills up at 41,000 fans. They open on the road on August 30 at Washington.  

6. Fresno State– Had coach Matt Entz comes in for his first season at Fresno. He will have quite a bit of tutnover from the 6-7 2024 season. What he did get is Rice transfer E.J. Warner, son of Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, as his quarterback. The primary running back will be Bryson Donelson The wide receiver spots are up in th air. The defense looks credible. The Bulldogs play at Valley Children’s Stadium with a seating capacity of 40,227. The open game in 2025 is on the road on August 23rd at Kansas.

 

 

Games to Watch in Mountain West Conference

Sept 20 Boise State @ Air Force     Oct 4 Boise State @ Notre Dame

Oct 4 Wyoming @ Air Force             Oct 25 San Diego State @ Fresno State

Oct 18 UNLV @ Boise State              Nov 8 Air Force @ San Jose State

Oct 25 Utah State @ New Mexico     Nov 29  Nevada @ UNLV

Oct 25 Colorado State @ Wyoming      Nov 29 Fresno State @ San Jose State

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7. Hawaii— Head coach Tommy Chang hasn’t had good seasons in his three years at the helm of the Rainbow Warriors. One optimism for the 2025 season is young quarterback Mich Alejado.  in his one start, he tossed for 449 yards  and five touchdowns. Landon Sims was a top rusher in the country last year and will bring about some hope for his team in scoring. Wide receivers Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle will each provide for possible scoring targets. The defense is adequate and have some experience. The team plays in the 16,909 seat Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. They open on August 23rd st home facing Stanford.

8. San Diego State– After going 3-9 in 2024,second year head coach Sean Lewis is looking to reach the .500 Mark. He has a few choices for his starting quarterback with Michigan transfer Jayden Donegal and junior Bert Emanuel.  formerly of Central Michigan. The running back duo of Christian Washington and Lucky Sutton will primarily split the duties. Sophomore Jordan Napier is a big play receiver . The Aztecs play at Snapdragon Stadium and it seats 35,000 fans. They open at home on Aug. 28th facing Stony Brook.

9. Utah State –    This is the last season for the Aggies in the Mountain West Conference as they will join the newly remodeled Pac-12 conference in 2026. Head coach Bronco Mendenhall is he new guy at Utah State. He will have senior Bronco Barnes at quarterback most of the offense is inexperienced. Another 2-8 record is in store for this team that plays at Maverik Stadium, which has 25,513 seats for its fans. The season begins at home against UTEP/

10. Wyoming– Sophomore quarterback Kaden Anderson took the quarterback job with four games left in the season and did well enough that head coach Jay Sawvel is likely to name his opening game starter. Sam Scott is the likely lead running back and receivers include Chris Durr. Jr. and Arizona transfer Jackson Holman as another reliable ball catcher. The Cowboys play at War Memorial Stadium which has 29,811 seats. They open their season on the road at Akron On August 28th.

11. Nevada- This team went 3-20 in 2024 and head coach Jeff Choate, now in his 2nd season at the helm of the Wolf Pack is relying on sixth year quarterback Chubbs Purdy to win more games. The main ball carriers for Nevada will be Ashton Hayes and Caleb Ramirez. Look for wide receiver Marcus Bellow to be a familiar target for scoring in 2025. This team opens on August 30th at Penn State. However, their home games are played at Mackay Stadium with 27,000 seats.

12. New Mexico– The Lobos are at rock bottom. They lost their quarterback and now almost all their offensive players have fled after a 5-7 record in 2024. Head coach Jason Eck will begin his first season at the helm. Junior Jack Layne has been tabbed as the quarterback but no one return except right guard Richard Pearce. The Lobos play at University Stadium which seats 39,224 fans. They open their season  on the road against Big Ten powerhouse Michigan.