The regular season is over and the Mountain West awards were released this week. I don’t have a vote on the All-Mountain West selections, but this is what my ballot would looked like. I will be doing two all-conference teams and a brief honorable mention list for each position. Instead of listing the teams first, I’ll go position-by-position and include a short blurb about the rationale for each selection. These selections are a combination of box stats, advanced data and the eye test. The biggest factor in selection is individual performance but team success is a factor as well, especially in the case of need to break a tie. With that said, here is the Nathan Carroll 2024 All-Mountain West team:
Quarterbacks
First Team: Devon Dampier, New Mexico (2,768 pass yards, 1,166 rush yards, 31 TD, 12 INT)
Second Team: Hajj-Malik Williams, UNLV (1,735 pass yards, 768 rush yards, 26 TD, 4 INT)
Honorable Mentions: Brendon Lewis (Nevada), Maddux Madsen (Boise State)
I think all four of these have a reasonable case to be the choice, but I opted for Devon Dampier who is likely not long for the Mountain West. Dampier has an 89.7 PFF Grade (2nd among starters) and is a one man offense for the Lobos. He’s one of the best dual threat passers in conference history and will be highly sought after if he hits the portal. He’s an explosive runner with a cannon for an arm. Dampier is one of the best quarterbacks in the Nation at avoiding sacks and would have had better passing numbers if not for being 2nd in the conference for dropped passes with 22. Williams and Madsen have the team success that Dampier and Lewis didn’t, but I opted to reward Dampier’s individual brilliance for the first team slot.
Running Backs
First team: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (2,288 yards, 7.3 YPA, 29 total TD)
First team: Marquez Cooper, San Diego State (1,274 yards, 4.3 YPA, 14 total TD)
Second team: Rahsul Faison, Utah State (1,109 yards, 5.6 YPA, 8 total TD)
Second team: Eli Sanders, New Mexico (1,063 yards, 7.2 YPA, 9 total TD)
Honorable Mentions: Avery Morrow (Colorado State), Savion Red (Nevada), Floyd Chalk IV (San Jose State), Kylin James (UNLV)
Ashton Jeanty is the most obvious first team selection in the history of All-Mountain West selections. The future Heisman finalist is the best offensive player in football and has the production of two all-conference backs. After Jeanty, the three selections were fairly obvious to me. Sanders, Cooper and Faison are 2nd, 3rd and 4th in rushing yards and near the top of the conference in PFF Grade. Cooper and Faison got the edge dur to their missed tackles forced (Cooper forced 68 missed tackles, Faison forced 69 and Sanders only forced 38 per PFF) and ultimately went with Cooper over Faison because I thought his volume behind a beat up offensive line was more impressive. Faison was more efficient and a worthy choice to be first team as well. Avery Morrow was the closest honorable mention to cracking my list.
Wide Receivers
First Team: Nick Nash, San Jose State (104 catches, 1,382 yards, 16 TD)
First Team: Ricky White UNLV (75 catches, 1,020 yards, 11 TD)
First Team: Jalen Royals, Utah State (55 catches, 834 yards, 6 TD)
Second Team: Justin Lockhart, San Jose State (52 catches, 973 yards, 5 TD)
Second Team: Mac Dalena, Fresno State (58 catches, 947 yards, 8 TD)
Second Team: Cameron Camper, Boise State (51 catches, 811 yards, 4 TD)
Honorable Mentions: Tory Horton (Colorado State), Jaden Smith (Nevada), Luke Wysong (New Mexico), Jacob De Jesus (UNLV)
The Mountain West was loaded at Wide Receiver this season. Four of these guys will likely be picked in the first five rounds of the NFL draft and a few more in the back end of day three. Nick Nash led the nation in catches, yards and touchdowns and was an obvious first team selection. Ricky White is the conference’s only other 1,000 yard receiver and arguably the best NFL prospect of the bunch. Those two were easy choices but Royals and Lockhart were a touch conversation for me for the last first team spot. I opted to go with Jalen Royals who, despite only playing 7 games before a season ending injury, was 3rd in the conference in missed tackles forced (behind Nash and White) and was 2nd in yards per route run. Lockhart is one of the elite contested ball winners with a conference leading 68.2% contested ball rate (his 15 contested catches are third best in the conference) and had the edge in volume. Either is a worthy first team choice and it’s amazing that Royals is even in consideration since he missed five games. From there, Mac Dalena was a clear second team choice for me. Dalena had the best counting stats of the guys left, but had the lowest PFF grade of any selection on this list. Easy second team choice for me. Then it came down to Jaden Smith and Cameron Camper. The numbers are so similar that I opted to reward team success in that case. Tory Hunter also deserves a shoutout. Horton only played in 5 games but is a future NFL player and finished his career 35 yards shy of the Mountain West receiving record. Special player who saw his college career cut short.
Tight Ends
First Team: John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming (30 catches, 425 yards, 3 TD)
Second Team: Matt Lauter, Boise State (38 catches, 461 yards, 6 TD)
Honorable Mentions: Nick Miles, Wyoming
This was the easiest position group to narrow down the top-2. Lauter and Gyllenborg are the only two tight ends with more than 300 yards in the conference. I opted for Gyllenborg over Lauter despite the worse counting stats because I believe he’s a better player. Gylennborg had 7 contested catches to Lauter’s 1, Gyllenborg had 2.65 yards per route run compared to Lauter’s 1.72 and Gyllenborg had and 81.7 PFF Grade compared to Lauter’s 62.9. I also gave Nick Miles an honorable mention cause I think he’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the Conference.
Offensive Line
First Team OT: Kage Casey, Boise State (89.4 Pass grade, 84.5 Run grade, 6 pressures)
First Team OT: Tiger Shanks, UNLV (74.5 Pass grade, 70.9 Run grade, 11 pressures)
First Team IOL: Jacob Gardner, Colorado State (90.5 Pass grade, 87.1 Run grade, 3 pressures)
First Team IOL: Osmar Velez, Fresno State (83.4 Pass grade, 67.8 Run grade, 5 pressures)
First Team IOL: Baraka Beckett, New Mexico (91.2 Pass grade, 67.6 Run grade, 2 pressures)
Second Team OT: Saveyon Henderson, Colorado State (82.4 Pass grade, 68.0 Run grade, 10 pressures)
Second Team OT: Caden Barnett, Wyoming (76.9 Pass grade, 79.0 Run grade, 19 pressures)
Second Team IOL: Drew Moss, Colorado State (81.4 Pass grade, 89.6 Run grade, 9 pressures)
Second Team IOL: Josh Grabowski, Nevada (76.4 Pass grade, 77.0 Run grade, 7 pressures)
Second Team IOL: Ben Dooley, Boise State (71.5 Pass grade, 75.0 Run grade, 13 pressures)
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Karas (Colorado State), Isaiah World (Nevada), Nate Williams (San Diego State), Teague Anderson (Utah State), Colston Cooley (Air Force), Michael McAnnich (Air Force), McKenzie Agnelio (New Mexico), Jack Walsh (Wyoming), Marist Talavou (San Jose State)
One note on the grades here is that they don’t account for opposing schedule. A team like Colorado State dodged the two best defensive lines in the conference (UNLV and Boise State) whereas San Jose State played UNLV, Boise State and Colorado State. That’s why the selections aren’t just a copy-paste of the grades. With that aside, I think Ashton Jeanty and Nick Nash are the two best offensive players, but Kage Casey and Jacob Gardner have serious cases to be #3 and #4. Both linemen will be Day 2 picks when they decide to pursue an NFL career and both were no-brainer selections for me.
Defensive Tackle
First team: Soana Toia, San Jose State (5 Sacks, 41 Run Stops, 27 Pressures)
First team: Payton Zdroik, Air Force (3 sacks, 15 Run Stops, 25 Pressures)
Second team: Alex Whitmore, UNLV (2 Sacks, 18 Run Stops, 25 Pressures)
Second team: Cam Bariteau, Colorado State (0.5 Sacks, 14 Run Stops, 19 Pressures)
Honorable Mentions: Jacob Holmes (Fresno State), Ezra Evaimalo (Hawai’i), Herbert Gums (Boise State)
Soana Toia is a monster. He’s played over 700 snaps this season (only 3 other defensive tackles played 600+ snaps) and has dominated in those snaps. Toia is second in pressures among IDL and first in run stops by a wide margin. Zdroik is an analytics darling and likely going to be an NFL draft pick this Spring. Whitmore and Bariteau were obvious second team choices for me. Whitmore’s numbers go toe-to-toe with Zdriok but the grades are just a touch behind. Bariteau’s raw numbers aren’t all that impressive, but he’s the centerpiece of a Colorado State run defense that was one of the best in the Mountain West. Jacob Holmes was the toughest cut. Holmes is an elite pass rusher, but had his worst games against San Jose State and UNLV, which is why I ultimately opted for Bariteau.
Defensive End
First team: Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State (8.5 sacks, 51 pressures, 26 Run Stops)
First team: Trey White, San Diego State (12.5 sacks, 39 Pressures, 38 Run Stops)
Second team: Jayden Virgin-Morgan, Boise State (9 Sacks, 33 Pressures, 24 Run Stops)
Second team: Gabe Kirschke, Colorado State (5.5 Sacks, 37 Pressures, 20 Run Stops)
Honorable Mentions: Elijah Robinson (Hawai’i), Devo Bridges (Fresno State), Tyce Westland (Wyoming), Fisher Carmac (UNLV), Cian Stone (Utah State)
The first team choices here were easy. Trey White and Ahmed Hassanein have been dominant all season. Hassanein leads the Mountain West in pressures and (despite his sack numbers being down) has played better than his 2023 All-Mountain West first team season. Trey White leads the conference in sacks and is one of the most dominant run defenders off the edge as well. Jayden Virgin-Morgan was an easy decision as well for second team. JVM is second in the Mountain West in sacks and, while streaky, had a four game run in the middle of the season which was All-American caliber. The last spot was the hardest selection and any of the honorable mentions would be fantastic choices. I opted for Kirschke because of team success and his PFF grades are the best of the rest.
Linebackers
First Team: Jackson Woodard, UNLV (105 Tackles, 55 Run Stops, 80.2 PFF Grade)
First Team: Shae Suiaunoa, Wyoming (93 Tackles, 53 Run Stops, 76.5 PFF Grade)
First Team: Andrew Simpson, Boise State (38 Tackles, 25 Run Stops, 76.4 PFF Grade)
Second Team: Phoenix Jackson, Fresno State (44 Tackles, 23 Run Stops, 76.0 PFF Grade)
Second Team: Chase Wilson, Colorado State (90 Tackles, 34 Run Stops, 73.9 PFF Grade)
Second Team: Marco Notarainni, Boise State (47 Tackles, 23 Run Stops, 78.4 PFF Grade)
Honorable Mentions: Connor Shay (Wyoming), Malachi Langley (Fresno State),
Taniela Latu (San Jose State), Tano Letuli (San Diego State)
Linebacker is one of the toughest positions to grade because the stats can be deceiving. If a player gets a ton of tackles it could be dominance or it could be he’s bad in coverage. Snap counts are all over the place. Guys like Notarainni and Simpson played less than 500 snaps whereas Woodard and Suiaunoa played over 750 snaps. Ultimately, I thought Woodard and Suiaunoa were the two best Linebackers in the Mountain West this season. I went with Andrew Simpson for the last first team spot because of team success and what he provides as a pass rusher, but Wilson and Jackson have worthy first team cases as well. The last second team selection I picked Notarainni who has the second highest PFF grade and is one of the Mountain West’s elite run stuffing Linebackers. Shay was my first cut and is equally worthy of a selection.
Cornerback
First Team: Michael Coats Jr., Nevada (4 INT, 10 PBU, 48.5 QB Rating allowed)
First Team: Cam Stone, Hawai’I (2 INT, 7 PBU, 58.1 QB Rating allowed)
First Team: Cam Lockridge, Fresno State (5 INT, 6 PBU, 35.3 QB Rating allowed)
Second Team: DJ Harvey, San Jose State (4 INT, 6 PBU, 57.3 QB Rating allowed)
Second Team: Cameron Oliver, UNLV (3 INT, 7 PBU, 60.2 QB Rating allowed)
Second Team: A’Marion McCoy, Boise State (1INT, 10 PBU, 87.5 QB Rating allowed)
Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Baldwin (UNLV), Dom Jones (Colorado State), D.J. Graham II (Utah State), Elijah Palmer (Hawai’i)
Cornerback is often a thankless position. When you get burned, everybody notices. When you do your job well, nobody does. Michael Coats Jr. was the best corner in the conference, leading the way with 10 pass breakups and an 88.3 Coverage Grade. Cam Stone had the best Coverage Grade in the conference with a 90.3. Lockridge only played 9 games but managed to lead the conference with 5 interceptions. Harvey had the 2nd best PFF Grade in the conference and was the toughest one to leave off the first team. For the second team, Oliver, McCoy and Baldwin were the three I most strongly debated. Oliver and Baldwin have similar numbers but Oliver’s 86.7 Coverage Grade outpaced Baldwin’s 75.1 Coverage Grade. Meanwhile, Boise State fans may be surprised to see a cornerback make this list, but McCoy led the conference with 10 PBUs and had and 83.7 Coverage Grade, 5th best in the conference. Despite Boise’s poor pass defense, McCoy is a worthwhile selection.
Safety
First team: Jalen Catalon, UNLV (81 tackles, 5 INT, 23 Run Stops)
First team: Kitan Crawford, Nevada (63 Tackles, 2 INT, 17 Run Stops)
Second team: Seyi Oladipo, Boise State (48 Tackles, 5.5 Sacks, 31 Run Stops)
Second team: Ethan Powell, San Jose State (39 tackles, 1 INT, 20 Run Stops)
Honorable Mentions: Peter Manuma (Hawai’i), Henry Blackburn (Colorado State), Cambry Goff (Air Force), Alexander Teubner (Boise State), Jack Howell (Colorado State)
Jalen Catalon is a special player who does a little bit of everything for the Rebels. He’s an elite ball hawk and was an easy choice for First Team. Kitan Crawford doesn’t have eye popping numbers but he was a steady force on the backend of a good Nevada secondary. Crawford has the third best PFF grade in the conference among safeties. Seyi Oladipo is the most unique player on this list. He’s not an elite coverage safety like Crawford or Catalon, but he leads the nation in sacks for a safety. What he provides as a blitzer is a major reason the Broncos have the best pass rush in the conference and one of the top in the Nation. Along those lines, Powell is the Spartan’s swiss army knife. Powell is second in pressures among safeties, yet he was excellent in coverage and a quality run defender as well. Manuma and Blackburn were tough omissions, but I think Powell is the best of the three.
Specialists
First Team Kicker: Jonah Dalmas, Boise State (13/16 FG, 60/60 XP)
First Team Punter: Stephen Kotsanlee, Utah State (40.9 NET, 25% Return, 1 Touchback)
First Team Returner: Kobe Johnson, Colorado State (PR TD, #1 PR average)
Second Team Kicker: Caden Chittenden, UNLV (25/31 FG, 51/52 XP)
Second Team Punter: James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State (38.7 NET, 28% Return, 2 Touchbacks)
Second Team Returner: Tyler King, Wyoming (#1 in KR Average and only KR TD in MW)
Honorable Mentions: John Hoyland (Wyoming), Gabriel Plascencia (San Diego State), Marshall Nichols (UNLV), Jacob De Jesus (UNLV), Tylan Hines (Hawai’i)
Dalmas and Chittenden is a great debate for first time Kicker. They have nearly identical Field Goal percentages, but I preferred Dalmas to Chittenden because Chittenden missed two field goals inside of 29 yards and Dalmas was perfect from chip shots. Kotsanlee was the #1 Punter per PFF and I agreed. He was #1 in Hangtime, had only 1 touchback and was 4th in return rate. James Ferguson-Reynolds Aussie style punts slots him on the second team. He doesn’t have the best hangtime (given he often goes for low, rolling punts) but he’s 2nd in PFF Grade and his ability to quick punt and punt on the move helped him avoid any blocked punts this season.
Awards
Coach of the Year: Spencer Danielson, Boise State
Offensive Player of the Year: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Defensive Player of the Year: Jackson Woodard, UNLV
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jonah Dalmas, Boise State
Freshman of the Year: Justin Marshall, Colorado State
Complete teams:
First Team:
QB: Devon Dampier, New Mexico
HB: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
HB: Marquez Cooper, San Diego State
WR: Nick Nash, San Jose State
WR: Ricky White, UNLV
WR: Jalen Royals, Utah State
TE: John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
OT: Kage Casey, Boise State
OT: Tiger Shanks, UNLV
IOL: Jacob Gardner, Colorado State
IOL: Osmar Velez, Fresno State
IOL: Baraka Beckett, New Mexico
DT: Soana Toia, San Jose State
DT: Payton Zdroik, Air Force
DE: Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State
DE: Trey White, San Diego State
LB: Jackson Woodard, UNLV
LB: Shae Suiaunoa, Wyoming
LB: Andrew Simpson, Boise State
CB: Michael Coats Jr., Nevada
CB: Cam Stone, Hawai’i
CB: Cam Lockridge, Fresno State
S: Jalen Catalon, UNLV
S: Kitan Crawford, Nevada
K: Jonah Dalmas, Boise State
P: Stephen Kotsanlee, Utah State
KR: Kobe Johnson, Colorado State
Second Team:
QB: Hajj-Malik Williams, UNLV
HB: Rahsul Faison, Utah State
HB: Eli Sanders, New Mexico
WR: Justin Lockhart, San Jose State
WR: Mac Dalena, Fresno State
WR: Cameron Camper, Boise State
TE: Matt Lauter, Boise State
OT: Saveyon Henderson, Colorado State
OT: Caden Barnett, Wyoming
IOL: Drew Moss, Colorado State
IOL: Josh Grabowski, Nevada
IOL: Ben Dooley, Boise State
DT: Alex Whitmore, UNLV
DT: Cam Bariteau, Colorado State
DE: Jayden Virgin-Morgan, Boise State
DE: Gabe Kirschke, Colorado State
LB: Phoenix Jackson, Fresno State
LB: Chase Wilson, Colorado State
LB: Marco Notarainni, Boise State
CB: DJ Harvey, San Jose State
CB: Cameron Oliver, UNLV
CB: A’Marion McCoy, Boise State
S: Seyi Oladipo, Boise State
S: Ethan Powell, San Jose State
K: Caden Chittenden, UNLV
P: James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State
KR: Tyler King, Wyoming
Selections by School:
Boise State: 13 players (5 Offense, 6 Defense, 2 Specialists)
UNLV: 8 players (3 Offense, 4 Defense, 1 Specialist)
Colorado State: 7 players (3 Offense, 3 Defense, 1 Specialist)
San Jose State: 5 players (2 Offense, 3 Defense)
Fresno State: 4 players(2 Offense, 2 Defense)
Wyoming: 4 players (2 Offense, 1 Defense, 1 Specialist)
New Mexico: 3 players (3 Offense)
Utah State: 3 players (2 Offense, 1 Specialist)
Nevada: 3 players (1 Offense, 2 Defense)
San Diego State: 2 players (1 Offense, 1 Defense)
Hawai’i: 1 player (1 Defense)
Air Force: 1 player (1 Defense)
