The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Mountain Division Recruiting

Recruiting is always a fickle game. Fans get excited when new players commit to their programs. Sometimes the higher level recruits meet expectations, and sometimes they fall under the “what might have been category.” We are going to spend the next two weeks revisiting the 2022 recruiting classes of each Mountain West school, and we will look at which players have the ability to contribute immediately. This week, we are going to take a look at the good, bad, and ugly recruiting classes of the Mountain Division.

The Good

Boise State

This isn’t Boise State’s sexiest recruiting class, but it is filled with speed and strength. One thing has been clear in the early part of Andy Avalos’ tenure as head coach at Boise State, he is going to place an emphasis on speed. Incoming true freshman, running back Ashton Jeanty is a perfect example of that. Boise State was able to get in early on Jeanty’s recruitment, scoring an early commitment before Jeanty earned that vaunted fourth star from 247 sports. There are a number of big, strong, young men in this class that will look to compete for early playing time. Keep an eye on Jayden Virgin and Dishawn Misa; both were highly sought after recruits. I also want to go on record saying that Zamondre Merriweather may end up being the best player in this class and should see immediate playing time at wide receiver.

Out of the portal, Boise State placed an emphasis on improving in the trenches. Washington State transfer Cade Beresford will come in and start on an offensive line that needs all of the help it can get. George Tarlas and Deven Wright should help to improve the pass rush. The Broncos also addressed depth issues at quarterback with the addition of Sam Vidlak from Oregon State.

Colorado State

I have to give Jay Norvell credit; he saw the holes on Colorado State’s roster and he quickly addressed them. The method in which he did it may be in question, but it will likely help the Rams improve in the win column. On the high school side, Norvell was able to land a commitment from one of the top recruits in the conference in Mekhi Fox. He should compete for immediate playing time. Keep an eye on Marshon Oxley. Oxley has excellent size at the linebacker position and could end up being one of the better players in this recruiting class.

Norvell brought a big part of his Nevada team with him to Fort Collins. His number one emphasis was likely to bring talented quarterback Clay Millen along with him. Millen will likely be the starting quarterback and will have some familiar faces to help him out as Tory Horton, Melquan Stovall, and Avery Morrow joined him from Nevada.

Air Force

Evaluating an Air Force recruiting class is like trying to put together a 5000 piece puzzle. It can be done, but it takes time and lots of guessing along the way. When Air Force looks to put a class together, they focus on speed and mental toughness. I think they have plenty of that in this class. Kade Few fits the mold of a Falcon running back. Few won’t be the fastest guy on the field, but he will earn yards with his rugged running style. The addition of Jack Curtis was also impressive. He fits the mold of the tough, yet undersized pass rusher that the Falcons have had in the past.

The Bad

Utah State

Anderson took a step in the right direction with this recruiting class, but he isn’t quite where he needs to be when it comes to high school recruiting. Early in his tenure, he has placed an emphasis on landing transfers that can fill holes and make an immediate impact. That proved to be enough in 2021, but is that strategy going to result in long term success? The vast majority of Anderson’s commits hail from the state of Utah. It is important for the Aggies to find some hidden gems from the Beehive State, but he needs to pull more recruits from Texas and California. Offensive line was heavily emphasized in the class, and the Aggies landed plenty of players that should be ready to contribute in the next few years.

Anderson hit the transfer portal hard again. Brian Cobbs (Maryland) and Xavier Williams (Alabama) will step in and be important targets at wide receiver for Logan Bonner. I’m still a little puzzled over the addition of Wyoming transfer Levi Williams at quarterback. I’m not sure where he fits into the equation.

Wyoming

Wyoming had the biggest signing day surprise with the addition of four star offensive lineman Deshawn Woods. Woods was heavily recruited early in the process but kind of fell through the cracks later in the recruiting cycle. Outside of Woods, there isn’t a whole lot to be too excited about. I do think that Caden Becker is an intriguing prospect at quarterback with his size and arm strength.

I really thought Bohl and his staff would be more aggressive in the transfer portal after losing so many valuable players. They did land a transfer quarterback from Utah State in Andrew Peasley, but I am not sure if he is much of an upgrade over Levi Williams.

The Ugly

New Mexico

Danny Gonzales started strong with recruiting; that is why the low ranking of the 2022 class was a bit of a surprise to me. The Lobos had the lowest recruiting average in the Mountain West. It appears that the secondary and the offensive line were the main areas addressed in this class. The numbers are there; the question will be whether or not this staff can develop players.

Which incoming players will make an impact for your team? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.