:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36597276/20120921_ter_sh5_042.0.jpg)
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.
No. 33 on our list is USU offensive lineman Kevin Whimpey. Whimpey is perhaps ranked a little higher on this list than he might otherwise be due to the success of the Aggies as a whole over the past couple seasons; his own merits, while impressive, are not as impressive as some linemen on this list. He has started every game for USU since redshirting his sophomore year (27 games straight); after transferring to USU from Idaho State, Whimpey used his redshirt in his first season as an Aggie.
He was a preseason 1st team All-MWC player according to Phil Steele, and a 2nd team player for Athlon Sports' list. He is the only returning starter for the Aggie o-line, and has a huge responsibility as a leader to bring the younger players up to speed.
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 |
| 1. | ||||||||
| 2. | ||||||||
| 3. | ||||||||
| 4. | Jake Fely, LB, SDSU | |||||||
| 5. | ||||||||
| 6. | ||||||||
| 7. | ||||||||
| 8. | Ty Sambrailo, OL, Colorado State | |||||||
| 9. | ||||||||
| 10. | ||||||||
| 11. | Carlos Wiggins, KR/WR, New Mexico | |||||||
| 12. | Quinn Kaehler, QB, SDSU | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | ||||||
| 13. | Carlos Wiggins, KR/WR, New Mexico | |||||||
| 14. | Donnel Pumphrey, RB, SDSU | LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | Ty Sambrailo, OL, Colorado State | |||||
| 15. | ||||||||
| 16. |
Bryan Douglas, DB, Boise State |
|||||||
| 17. | Robert Waterman, C, UNLV | David Peterson, OL, San Jose St | ||||||
| 18. | ||||||||
| 19. | Kevin Whimpey, OL, Utah State | |||||||
| 20. | Quinn Kaehler, QB, SDSU | |||||||
| 21. | Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | ||||||
| 22. |
Corey Bell, DB, Boise State |
Trent Matthews, S, Colorado State | Robert Waterman, C, UNLV | |||||
| 23. | BJ Larsen, DE, Utah State | BJ Larsen, DE, Utah State | Joey Iosefa, RB, Hawaii | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | Trent Matthews, S, Colorado State | Peni Vea, S, UNLV | ||
| 24. |
Kyrie Wilson, LB, Fresno State |
LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | Robert Waterman, C, UNLV | |||||
| 25. | Kevin Whimpey, OL, Utah State | |||||||
| 26. | Kevin Whimpey, OL, Utah State | 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 | Beau Yap, DE, Hawaii | Jonathan McNeal, LB, Nevada | |||||
| 31. | Tanner Vallejo, LB, Boise State |
Beau Yap, DE, Hawaii | Bruce 'JoJo' Natson, WR,PR, Utah State | Trent Matthews, S, Colorado 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. Kevin Whimpey, OL, Utah State | Nick Vigil, LB, Utah State | Donnel Pumphrey, RB, SDSU |
Jake Fely, LB, SDSU |
Joey Ioesefa, RB, Hawaii | Karl Mickelsen. LB, Fresno State | |||
| 34. Robert Waterman, C, UNLV | Joe Hill, RB, Utah State | Kevin Whimpey, OL, Utah State | Darian Thompson, S, Boise State | Ty Sambrailo, OL, Colorado State | Bruce 'JoJo' Natson, WR/PR, Utah State | Aaron Davis, LB, Colorado State | ||
| 35. Ty Sambrailo, OL, Colorado State | Beau Yap, DE, Hawaii | Donavon Lewis, LB, Fresno State | ||||||
| 36. Trent Matthews, S, Colorado State |
Sonny Puletasi, DE, Wyoming |
Jamal Price, OL, New Mexico | BJ Larsen, DE, Utah State | Rykeem Yates, DT, Nevada | Beau Yap, DE, Hawaii | BJ Larsen, DE, Utah State | ||
| 37. Carlos Wiggins, KR/WR, New Mexico |
Tajh Hasson, CB, UNLV |
Kendall Brock, RB, Nevada | BJ Larsen, DE, Utah State | Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico | Quinn Kaehler, QB, SDSU | Ben Weaver, LB, Boise State | ||
| 38. BJ Larsen, DE, Utah State | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | Jonathan McNeal, LB, Nevada |
Don Jackson, RB, Nevada |
Jonathan McNeal, LB, Nevada |
||||
| 39. Beau Yap, DE, Hawaii | Robert Waterman, C, UNLV | Beau Yap, DE, Hawaii | Jon Lee, RB, Air Force | Kendall Brock, RB, Nevada | Kevin Whimpey, OL, Utah State | |||
| 40. LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Broam Hart, RB, Air Force | Robert Waterman, C, UNLV | Joe Hill, RB, Utah State |
Mark Nzeocha, LB, Wyoming | ||
| 41. Christian Tago, LB, San Jose State | Trent Matthews, S, Colorado 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 | Beau Yap, DE, Hawaii | Tyler Horn, DT, Boise State | Carlos Wiggins, KR/WR, New Mexico | Vince Buhagiar, LB, San Jose State | Jake Fely, LB, SDSU |
Brandon Swindall, WR, Utah State |
||
| 43. Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State | Ben Weaver, LB, Boise State | Joey Ioesefa, RB, Hawaii | Ty Sambrailo, OL, Colorado State | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | Christian Tago, LB, SJSU | Carlos Wiggins, KR/WR, New Mexico | ||
| 44. Jake Fely, LB, San Diego State | Carlos Wiggins, KR/WR, New Mexico |
Jake Fely, LB, SDSU |
Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Mark Nzeocha, LB, Wyoming | Donnel Pumphrey, RB, SDSU | Beau Yap, DE, Hawaii | ||
| 45. Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Brett Bowers, DE, New Mexico |
Marcus Sullivan, WR, UNLV |
Peni Vea, S, UNLV | Brandon Connette, QB, Fresno State | Trent Matthews, S, Colorado State | LaMar Bratton, OL, New Mexico | BJ Larsen, DE, Utah State | |
| 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 | Carlos Wiggins, KR/WR, New Mexico | 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 | Ty Sambrailo, OL, Colorado State | 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 |
||
| 49. Peni Vea, S, UNLV | Kevin Whimpey, OL, Utah State | Jake Jones, OL, Wyoming | Dasheon Frierson, CB, SJSU | Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, RB, UNLV | Kivon Cartwright, TE, Colorado State | Christian Spears, S, Air Force |
||
| 50. Bruce 'JoJo' Natson, WR/PR, Utah State |
Will Conant, K, Air Force |
Jared Roberts, K, Colorado State | Trent Matthews, S, 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 |