2023 Mountain West Football Top 50 Players: Honorable Mentions
Here is the list of Mountain West football players that got some love from our staff but did not make our top 50 in 2023.
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Who couldn’t quite make the cut this summer?
Before our countdown of Mountain West football’s top 50 players of 2023 gets underway, we kick things off with a nod to those athletes who didn’t quite receive enough support to make the cut.
See anyone you think should have made our top 50? Did we overlook your favorite player entirely? Join the discussion using the hashtag #MWwireTop50 on Twitter, Instagram, or leave us a comment on our Facebook page.
Cade Bennett, G, San Diego State
The first player to miss the cut is the big left guard from Scottsdale, Arizona, who transferred to the Aztecs from Oklahoma State and started 12 games in his first season on the Mesa. According to Pro Football Focus, he was one of just four Mountain West guards with at least 100 allowed pressure opportunities to give up zero sacks and zero hurries, though he led that group with 356 such chances.
Herbert Gums, DT, Boise State
Gums’s first full year as a starter ended up being a pretty busy one, but he finished 2022 as a vital part of the Broncos front seven. He made 13 starts and collected 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks, registering 18 total stops on 369 snaps according to PFF.
Terrell Vaughn, WR, Utah State
Perhaps the Mountain West’s top slot receiver headed into 2023, Vaughn could see himself keeping very busy in the revamped Aggies offense after grabbing 55-of-81 targets for 624 yards and five touchdowns last season. Then again, he could also make a difference as a kick returner once more after averaging 26.5 yards per return and scoring once on special teams.
Dylan Hopkins, QB, New Mexico
One of the Mountain West’s top transfer portal imports, Hopkins should be the man to help turn the Lobos offense around this fall. In three seasons at UAB, he completed 62.6% of his passes for 4,750 yards and 31 touchdowns against a 2.9% interception rate, chipping in with eight rushing touchdowns for good measure.
Dawaiian McNeely, RB, Wyoming
McNeely could be primed for a breakout season after flashing some serious explosiveness over the last three years. Though he has just 94 career carries to this point in his collegiate career, McNeely has averaged 5.6 yards per carry; in 2022, he ran for at least ten yards once every seven carries, so if he can do that with a larger workload, watch out.
Peter Manuma, S, Hawaii
Lots of Warriors defenders went through a trial by fire last fall, but few managed it as cleanly as Manuma. He earned an all-conference honorable mention as a true freshman in 2022 by making 70 total tackles and racking up three tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups, and three interceptions. One way or another, he’s one of the top young defensive backs anywhere in the Mountain West.
The Complete List
Air Force — Kaleb Holcomb, Adam Karas, Dane Kinamon, Alec Mock, Bo Richter, Jayden Thiergood
Boise State — Garrett Curran, Ben Dooley, Herbert Gums, Kaonohi Kaniho, Eric McAlister, Rodney Robinson, Andrew Simpson, Demitri Washington
Colorado State — Cam Bariteau, Brian Crespo, Jacob Gardner, Dallin Holker, Kobe Johnson, Grady Kelly
Fresno State — Erik Brooks, Johnny Hudson Jr., Dylan Lynch, Morice Norris Jr.
Hawaii — Peter Manuma, Brayden Schager, Matthew Shipley, Solo Vaipulu
Nevada — Jamaal Bell, Jacob Capra, Jaden Dedman, Isaiah Essissima, Shane Illingworth
New Mexico — Dylan Hopkins, Aaron Rodriguez, Luke Wysong
San Diego State — Tupu Alualu, Cedarius Barfield, Cade Bennett, Dallas Branch, Kenan Christon, Brionne Penny, Mekhi Shaw
San Jose State — Jordan Cobbs, Noah Lavulo, Dominick Mazotti, Kairee Robinson, Charles Ross, Matthew Tago, Marist Talavou, Elijah Wood
UNLV — Jacob De Jesus, Tiger Shanks
Utah State — Cole Motes, Hale Motu’apuaka, Terrell Vaughn
Wyoming — Ayir Asante, DQ James, Dawaiian McNeely, Nofoafia Tulafono, Jack Walsh
