Due to conference realignment, the college football landscape looks vastly different from two years ago. While the Mountain West has come out unscathed in terms of members, six of the 12 teams hired new head coaches this offseason, and the league shifted to a 7+1 conference schedule to accommodate an alliance with what remains of the Pac-12: Oregon State and Washington State.
Which squads sit atop the 2024 Mountain West Power Rankings, and will any challenge for a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff?
2024 Mountain West Power Rankings
12) Nevada Wolf Pack
Following back-to-back 2-10 campaigns, Nevada sought a changing of the guard, hiring Texas co-defensive coordinator Jeff Choate as its new head coach. It’s not his first rodeo, as Choate led Montana State to a 28-22 record with two playoff appearances.
Nevertheless, getting the Wolf Pack on the right trajectory will take time, as the transfer portal stole many of the program’s best players from last season. And facing 10 teams that made bowls games in 2023 will make a one-year turnaround that much more difficult.
11) New Mexico Lobos
New Mexico fans are used to seeing their squad at the bottom of Mountain West Power Rankings. The Lobos haven’t had a winning record since 2016, and while Bronco Mendenhall is a proven winner, the program’s last three HC hires went a combined 7-25 in their inaugural season.
I’m a believer in sophom*ore QB Devon Dampier, but 1,000-yard RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Ole Miss) and elite OTs J.C. Davis (Illinois) and D.J. Wingfield (Purdue) left for Power Five programs, and the defense allowed 35.1 points per game in 2023. The Lobos’ future has potential; their present doesn’t.
10) San Jose State Spartans
Brent Brennan’s departure, NFL Draft declarations, and graduations resulted in a mass exodus of talent, but the cupboard isn’t bare for new HC Ken Niumatalolo. WRs Justin Lockhart and Nick Nash return, Grambling State’s Floyd Chalk IV is the favorite to be the RB1, and the defense should remain solid under longtime DC Derrick Odum.
A rather soft schedule that kicks off with Sacramento State and Kennesaw State also plays into the Spartans’ favor, but if Niumatalolo doesn’t get solid play out of his QBs (Emmett Brown and Jay Butterfield), none of it will matter.
9) San Diego State Aztecs
San Diego State is going through an identity change with Sean Lewis at the controls. Usually, the defense blitzes the offense, but Lewis’ unit will pressure its opponents to keep up. That said, he’ll have an unproven starting QB, whether it’s Florida State transfer AJ Duffy or true freshman Danny O’Neill.
MORE: 2024 Mountain West Projected Win Totals
The Aztecs’ defense should remain in the top half of the conference with the help of several transfers, including Tennessee State DB Bryce Phillips, the younger brother of former Utah Ute and current Atlanta Falcon Clark Phillips III.
8) Air Force Falcons
According to ESPN, Air Force ranks dead last out of 134 FBS teams in returning production at 25% (28% on offense; 23% on defense). And due to service academy requirements, the Falcons aren’t able to fill their holes with transfer portal additions.
Yet, if anyone can dampen the impact of roster turnover, it’s Troy Calhoun and his coaching staff continuity. The foundation is there, but Air Force needs several young athletes on both sides of the ball to step up and help the team fly.
7) Utah State Aggies
After back-to-back 6-7 campaigns, head coach Blake Anderson sought a change under center. Cooper Legas and McCae Hillstead are out, and Utah’s Bryson Barnes and Iowa’s Spencer Petras are in. Neither is all that exciting, but the WR duo of Jalen Royals and Micah Davis and RB Rahsul Faison are.
The Aggies went 0-7 against bowl teams last season and fielded a defense that routinely allowed 30+ points. Without vast improvements, Utah State will struggle to stay in the middle of the pack, especially with bouts against USC and Utah on tap early in the year.
6) Wyoming Cowboys
Wyoming will have a new HC patrolling the sidelines for the first time in a decade after Craig Bohl retired. However, Jay Sawvel is a familiar face in Laramie, as he has served as the team’s DC since 2020.
His unit is one of the most talented in the conference this year, with DT Jordan Bertagnole, EDGE DeVonne Harris, LB Shae Suiaunoa, DB Wrook Brown, and S Wyatt Ekeler all returning. The rushing attack should carry the other side of the ball, with Harrison Waylee exploding through the holes his maulers up front create for him.
However, Evan Svoboda is a question mark as the projected starter under center. He has a strong arm and is relatively athletic, but we’ll need to see more before placing the Cowboys any higher on the 2024 Mountain West Power Rankings.
5) Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
If there is one thing we know about Hawaii, it’s that Timmy Chang’s offense is going to put up points in 2024. Not only is Brayden Schager returning after a 3,542-yard and 26-TD campaign, but so are his two leading WRs: Steven McBride and Pofele Ashlock.
MORE: 2024 Mountain West QB Rankings
The defense remains a concern after forfeiting the third-most points per game in the conference last year (32.2).However, the Rainbow Warriors have one of the easiest schedules in the conference, playing Delaware State, Sam Houston State, and Northern Iowa in three of their four games.
4) Colorado State Rams
The Rams are on a six-year stretch without a winning season — that could change in 2024. Starting QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is back with his rocket arm, and so is arguably the best player in the conference: WR Tory Horton.
Jay Norvell established Nevada as a perennial contender in the MWC, and if Fowler-Nicolosi reins in the turnovers and the defense bounces back after a rough season, he could do so again with Colorado State in Year 3 of his tenure.
3) UNLV Rebels
Jayden Maiava’s departure hurts, but UNLV added Holy Cross All-American Matt Sluka from the transfer portal. He was the 2023 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and left the Crusaders having generated 5,916 passing yards, 3,583 rushing yards, and 97 total touchdowns over four years (three starting).
Pairing Sluka with offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and Rickey White III (88 catches, 1,483 yards, eight TDs in 2023) will keep the fireworks coming, but Barry Odom’s squad is no longer flying under the radar.Their non-conference schedule includes Houston, Kansas, and Syracuse, so the Rebels have an uphill battle to maintain their momentum from last year.
2) Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State has the offensive talent, including QB Mikey Keene, RB Malik Sherrod, and WRs Jalen Moss and Jacob de Jesus, to upset power-conference teams. Early contests against Michigan and UCLA will go a long way toward determining the Bulldogs’ season trajectory.
Head coach Jeff Tedford temporarily stepped away from coaching for the third time in his career last December but appears healthy and ready to lead the Bulldogs to their fourth straight bowl victory and 9+ win season.
1) Boise State Broncos
Boise State checked in at No. 19 on our early College Football Top 25 list, and they’ll have a chance to earn that placement with Oregon and Oregon State on the schedule. The roster is loaded with playmakers, namely QB Malachi Nelson, RB Ashton Jeanty, WRs Cam Camper, Chris Marshall, Latrell Caples, DE Ahmad Hassanein, LB Andrew Simpson, and CB A’Marion McCoy.
KEEP READING: 2024 Strength of Schedule for All 134 FBS Teams
If Spencer Danielson can continue the Broncos’ momentum from the end of last season, they’ll challenge for a CFP spot.
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