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The 2016 version of the Mountain West Connection top 50 football players countdown is here and the 38th player marks our first one who made the media's list of all-conference players. The next player up is Utah State defensive tackler Ricky Ali'fua.
With the Aggies losing all four starting linebackers from last year they need a big year from Ali'fua. His spot here, and on that first-team selection might be based on potential. Last year, he had just 24 total tackles in 12 games, but he did get behind the line of scrimmage with four tackles for a loss and three sacks.
Here are the staff picks and composite rankings.
| Composite | Jeremy Mauss | Duane Grasmick | Daniel Arbino | Matthew Kenerly | Brandon Blake | erwinism | Josh Fredlund | DontWarriorBoutIt | Terrance Dickens |
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| 13 | Teriyon Gipson, UNM, RB | Ben Weaver, BSU, LB | Teriyon Gipson, UNM, RB | ||||||
| 14 | Tanner Gentry, WYO, WR | ||||||||
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| 17 | DJ Dunn, Jr, AFA, LB | ||||||||
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| 20 | Kenny Potter, SJSU, QB | ||||||||
| 21 | Kenny Potter, SJSU, QB | ||||||||
| 22 | Maurice McKnight, SJSU, DB | ||||||||
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| 24 | Malik Smith, SDSU, DB | Roland Ladipo, AFA, CB | |||||||
| 25 | Andre Chachere, SJSU, CB | Austin Corbett, NEV, OL | Ricky Ali'ifua, USU, DT | ||||||
| 26 | Ben Weaver, BSU, LB | ||||||||
| 27 | Kendall Keys, UNLV, WR | Kendall Keys, UNLV, WR | |||||||
| 28 | Timothy McVey, AFA, RB | Austin Corbett, NEV, OL | |||||||
| 29 | Devante Mays, USU, RB | Tanner Gentry, WYO, WR | Devin Centers, USU, FS | Devin Centers, USU, FS | Ricky Ali'ifua, USU, DT | Devante Mays, USU, RB | |||
| 30 | Roland Ladipo, AFA, CB | Austin Corbett, NEV, OL | Salesa Faraimo, DT, NEV | ||||||
| 31 | Will Kreitler, C, UNLV | Tyler Winston, SJSU, WR | |||||||
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| 33 | Kevin Davis Jr., CSU, LB | Kenny Potter, SJSU, QB | Izzy Matthews, CSU, RB | Gabe Perez, DE, Boise State | Jermaine Kelly, SJSU, LB | ||||
| 34 | Tyler Winston, SJSU, WR | Jalen Davis, USU, DB |
Jerico Richardson, NEV, WR |
Devante Mays, USU, RB | Gabe Perez, DE, Boise State | Tyler Winston, SJSU, WR | |||
| 35 | Reno Henderson, UNM, OL | Jalen Davis, USU, DB | Dalyn Dawkins, CSU, RB | ||||||
| 36 | Tyler Winston, SJSU, WR | Jarred Gipson, Nev, TE | Dalyn Dawkins, CSU, RB | Ricky Ali'ifua, USU, DT | |||||
| 37 | Jerico Richardson, NEV, WR | Teriyon Gipson, UNM, RB | Ricky Ali'ifua, USU, DT | Izzy Matthews, RB, CSU | Jamire Jordan, WR,FSU | Jalen Davis, USU, DB | Jerico Richardson, NEV, WR | ||
| 38 Ricky Ali'ifua, USU, DT | Mike Hughes, UNLV, LB | Gabe Perez, BSU, DL | Jermaine Kelly, SJSU, LB | Devante Mays, USU, RB | Mike Hughes, UNLV, LB | ||||
| 39 Tyler Winston, SJSU, WR* | Ricky Ali'ifua, USU, DT | Jermaine Kelly, SJSU, DB | Dylan Sumner-Gardner, BSU, S | Asauni Rufus, Nev, SS | Devante Mays, USU, RB | Dalyn Dawkins, CSU, RB | Devante Mays, USU, RB | Ricky Ali'ifua, USU, DT | |
| 39 Devante Mays, USU, RB | Jamire Jordan, FSU, WR | Jamire Jordan, WR, FSU | Jarred Gipson, Nev, TE | Izzy Matthews, RB CSU | Austin Corbett, NEV, OL | ||||
| 39 Teriyon Gipson, UNM, RB | Dalyn Dawkins, CSU, RB | Tyler Rausa, K, Boise St | Arthur Flores, SDSU, OL | Travis Averill, Boise St, OG | Ben Weaver, BSU, LB | Reno Henderson, UNM, OL | |||
| 42 Ben Weaver, BSU, LB | Tanner Gentry, WYO, WR | Tyler Winston, SJSU, WR | Tanner Gentry, WYO, WR | Tyler Winston, SJSU, WR | Tanner Gentry, WYO, WR | ||||
| 43 Tanner Gentry, WYO, WR | Johnny Stanton, UNLV, QB | Jarred Gipson, NEV, TE | Malik Smith, SDSU, FS | Tanner Gentry, WYO, WR | Dylan Sumner-Gardner, BSU, DB | ||||
| 44 Jalen Davis, USU, DB | Malik Smith, SDSU, FS | Asauni Rufus, NEV, DB | Ben Weaver, BSU, LB | Dylan Sumner-Gardner, BSU, S | Travis Averill, G, Boise St | Christian Chapman, SDSU, QB | Jerico Richardson, NEV, WR | Malik Smith, SDSU, FS | |
| 45 Jerico Richardson, NEV, WR | DJ Dunn, AFA, LB | Teriyon Gipson, UNM, RB | Mike Hughes, DT, UNLV | Josh Lovingood, CSU, DT | Kevin Davis Jr., CSU, LB | ||||
| 46 Dalyn Dawkins, CSU, RB | Dylan Sumner-Gardner, BSU, DB | Ben Weaver, BSU, LB | Kevin Davis Jr., CSU, LB | ||||||
| 47 Kenny Potter, SJSU, QB | DJ Dunn, LB, AFA | Gabe Perez, BSU, DE | DJ Dunn, LB, AFA | Jerico Richardson, NEV, WR | Malik Smith, SDSU, DB | ||||
| 48 Kevin Davis Jr., CSU, LB | Marcus Kemp, UH, WR | Kwayde Miller, T, SDSU | Malik Smith, SDSU, FS | Dalyn Dawkins, CSU, RB | |||||
| 49 Malik Smith, DB, SDSU | Jalen Davis, USU, DB | Austin Corbett, NEV, OL | Jesse Washington, AFA, DB | Marcus Kemp, UH, WR | Josh Lovingood, CSU, DT | ||||
| 50 DJ May, WYO, LB | Michael Carrizosa, P, SJSU | Dalyn Dawkins, CSU, RB | Teriyon Gipson, UNM, RB |