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This summer the Mountain West Connection crew is counting down the top 50 players heading into the 2014 Mountain West season. Because the criteria is objective regarding who should be considered "the best," opinions are different for each person. It naturally follows, then, that the results on this list will vary; out of the 94 players who received votes, only 17 were consensus top 50 players, receiving votes from every panel member.
The No. 40 player in our countdown is the first of five offensive linemen on our list, New Mexico's LaMar Bratton. Bratton is a senior this year, and has had started in 37 consecutive games; he redshirted his freshman year, then started as a redshirt freshman and hasn't missed starting a game since. Last year, he recorded 148 knockdown blocks, leading the Lobos in the category. The past two years, he has been playing at the left guard, but this year he will resume the center post after playing in the position his redshirt freshman year. Bratton will anchor the Lobos' O-line in an effort increase their offensive performance; their run game last year was often explosive, but lacked the ability to put up very many points. Bratton and co. will attempt to change that this year.
Here is the updated list of our top 50 countdown with the current selection in bold:
Composite | Ben Mitchum | Chris Turner | Chris Hondros | Jeremy Mauss | Matthew_K | Jacob Schildgen | BenPhillips27 | Scott Tejerian |
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4. | Jake Fely, LB, SDSU | |||||||
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12. | Quinn Kaehler, QB, SDSU | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | ||||||
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14. | Donnel Pumphrey, RB, SDSU | LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | ||||||
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16. |
Bryan Douglas, DB, Boise State |
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17. | David Peterson, OL, San Jose St | |||||||
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20. | Quinn Kaehler, QB, SDSU | |||||||
21. | Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico | |||||||
22. |
Corey Bell, DB, Boise State |
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23. | Joey Iosefa, RB, Hawaii | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | Peni Vea, S, UNLV | |||||
24. |
Kyrie Wilson, LB, Fresno State |
LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | ||||||
25. | ||||||||
26. | Rykeem Yates, DT, Nevada | LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | ||||||
27. |
Aaron Davis, LB, Colorado State |
Kendall Brock, RB, Nevada | Terry Poole, OL, San Diego State | |||||
28. |
Mark Nzeocha, LB, Wyoming |
Kenneth Penny, CB, UNLV | Joey Iosefa, RB, Hawaii | |||||
29. | Jared Roberts, K, Colorado State | Donnel Pumphrey, RB, SDSU | Charles Washington, S, Fresno State | |||||
30. | Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Jonathan McNeal, LB, Nevada | |||||
31. | Tanner Vallejo, LB, Boise State |
Bruce 'JoJo' Natson, WR,PR, Utah State | Kyrie Wilson, LB, Fresno State | |||||
32. | Jarrod Lawson, RB, SJSU |
Peni Vea, S, UNLV | Tanner Vallejo, LB, Boise State | Billy Freeman, TE, SJSU |
Kendall Brock, RB, Nevada | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | ||
33. | Nick Vigil, LB, Utah State | Donnel Pumphrey, RB, SDSU |
Jake Fely, LB, SDSU |
Joey Ioesefa, RB, Hawaii | Karl Mickelsen. LB, Fresno State | |||
34. | Joe Hill, RB, Utah State | Darian Thompson, S, Boise State | Bruce 'JoJo' Natson, WR/PR, Utah State | Aaron Davis, LB, Colorado State | ||||
35. | Donavon Lewis, LB, Fresno State | |||||||
36. |
Sonny Puletasi, DE, Wyoming |
Jamal Price, OL, New Mexico | Rykeem Yates, DT, Nevada | |||||
37. |
Tajh Hasson, CB, UNLV |
Kendall Brock, RB, Nevada | Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico | Quinn Kaehler, QB, SDSU | Ben Weaver, LB, Boise State | |||
38. | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | Jonathan McNeal, LB, Nevada |
Don Jackson, RB, Nevada |
Jonathan McNeal, LB, Nevada |
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39. | Jon Lee, RB, Air Force | Kendall Brock, RB, Nevada | ||||||
40. LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Broam Hart, RB, Air Force | Joe Hill, RB, Utah State |
Mark Nzeocha, LB, Wyoming | |||
41. Christian Tago, LB, San Jose State | Sonny Puletasi, DE, Wyoming | Broam Hart, RB, Air Force |
Peni Vea, S, UNLV | Kendall Brock, RB, Nevada | ||||
42. Quinn Kaehler, QB, San Diego State | Tyler Horn, DT, Boise State | Vince Buhagiar, LB, San Jose State | Jake Fely, LB, SDSU |
Brandon Swindall, WR, Utah State |
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43. Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State | Ben Weaver, LB, Boise State | Joey Ioesefa, RB, Hawaii | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | ||||
44. Jake Fely, LB, San Diego State |
Jake Fely, LB, SDSU |
Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Mark Nzeocha, LB, Wyoming | Donnel Pumphrey, RB, SDSU | ||||
45. Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico |
Marcus Sullivan, WR, UNLV |
Peni Vea, S, UNLV | Brandon Connette, QB, Fresno State | LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | |||
46. Kendall Brock, RB, Nevada |
Quinn Kaehler, QB, SDSU | Richy Turner, WR, Nevada | Brian Douglas, DB, Boise State |
Cole Gautsche, QB, New Mexico | Peni Vea, S, UNLV | Dakota Cox. LB, New Mexico | ||
47. Joey Iosefa, RB, Hawaii | Jake Jones, OL, Wyoming | Vince Buhagiar, LB, SJSU | Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico | Sonny Puletasi, DE, Wyoming | Jarrod Lawson, RB, SJSU |
Marteze Waller, RB, Fresno State |
Justin Northern, OL, Fresno State | |
48. Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico | Darian Thompson, S, Boise State |
Scott Harding, WR/KR, Hawaii |
Nick Vigil, LB, Utah State |
Ben Clarke, OL, Hawaii | LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | Kenneth Penny, DB, UNLV |
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49. Peni Vea, S, UNLV | Jake Jones, OL, Wyoming | Dasheon Frierson, CB, SJSU | Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, RB, UNLV | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Christian Spears, S, Air Force |
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50. Bruce 'JoJo' Natson, WR/PR, Utah State |
Will Conant, K, Air Force |
Jared Roberts, K, Colorado State | Vince Buhagiar, LB, SJSU | Ben Weaver, LB, Boise State | Jonathan McNeal, LB, Nevada | Jared Roberts, K, Colorado State | Darian Thompson, S, Boise State |