Where Do Mountain West Quarterbacks Rank Nationally?
Does the Mountain West get respect?
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Who comes out on top?
We already did our own quarterback rankings just within the Mountain West, but let’s expand the pool and see how Athlon ranks the Mountain West quarterbacks.
Let’s get down to business. (Blurbs are partial excerpts from Athlon)
120. Tevaka Tuioti, New Mexico (MW Wire ranking (11))
We probably should have made the Lobos signal-caller at the bottom of the Mountain West and that is exactly what Athlon did by ranking Tuioti was one of the worst quarterbacks in the country.
Tuioti started three out of the first four games in 2018 but suffered a season-ending injury against Liberty. Prior to the injury, Tuioti threw for five touchdowns and 439 yards and posted 100 yards and a score on the ground.
113. Josh Love, San Jose State (MW Wire ranking (12))
Love has the potential to get higher but the problem is the talent around him which has not allowed him to be a consistent quarterback.
Having a senior quarterback like Love should help San Jose State’s rebuilding effort in coach Brent Brennan’s third year at the helm. The California native has played in 29 career games and enters 2019 with 13 starts over the last two seasons.
108. Malik Henry, Nevada (MW Wire ranking (9))
Senior Christian Solano ended spring practice atop the depth chart for coach Jay Norvell. However, let’s roll the dice and project Henry as the quarterback who will take the most snaps for the Wolf Pack in 2019. Talent certainly isn’t an issue for the former Florida State signal-caller after ranking as a four-star recruit out of high school.
100. Jorge Reyna, Fresno State (MW Wire ranking (7))
The California native started his career at West Los Angeles College and used a redshirt year in his first year at Fresno State (2017). Reyna worked as the backup to Marcus McMaryion last fall, throwing for 111 yards on eight completions and rushing for 75 yards on nine attempts.
99. Ryan Agnew, San Diego State (MW Wire ranking (8))
Agnew finally gets the chance to be the guy all by himself for his senior year. He showed some flashes last year as an injury replacement but he has a great running game to lean on if he struggles.
Agnew started seven times due to an injury to starter Christian Chapman last season and threw for 1,651 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran for 141 yards over 62 attempts.
98. Sean Chambers, Wyoming (MW Wire ranking (10))
The Wyoming offense was all running game all the time and the quarterback play was arguably the worst part of the offense, but Chambers did show some good signs with his legs to move the ball. He just needs to start throwing better.
Chambers attempted just 25 passes in his four games but connected on 15 for 266 yards and three scores. Just how big of an impact did Chambers have on the offense? Consider this: Wyoming’s offense scored 30 or more points three times in 2018. Two of those came with Chambers at the helm.
88. Chase Cord, Boise State (MW Wire ranking (6))
Typically, Boise State has an elite quarterback but they are starting over with Brett Rypien exhausting his eligibility. The starter is not yet known as the battle will go through fall camp with a likely battle between Chase Cord and freshman Hank Bachmeier.
Make no mistake: Replacing Brett Rypien isn’t going to be easy. However, Boise State has a strong track record of finding the next standout signal-caller, so it’s safe to assume coach Bryan Harsin will keep this offense performing at a high level in 2019.
86. Donald Hammond III, Air Force (MW Wire ranking (5))
The Athlon blurb sums up my thoughts on Donald Hammond since he has the chance to be a breakout star not just for the Falcons but in the Mountain West which could lead Air Force to a great season.
If you are looking for a breakout pick among Mountain West quarterbacks, Hammond is the one to watch.
72. Collin Hill, Colorado State (MW Wire ranking (4))
Being healthy is arguably the biggest concern with Hill. He can completely play and play well but a pair of ACL tears are a concern.
Hill has shown flashes of potential since he joined the team in 2016, but knee injuries have limited him to just 15 games. If Hill can stay healthy, his performance under center would be a boost for a Colorado State team looking to rebound from last season’s 3-9 record.
65. Armani Rogers, UNLV (MW Wire ranking ((3)
Health is the same issue that Rogers has to go with Hill, but the Rebel QB has been more healthy and is a dual-threat player who can make more types of plays.
The junior is still developing as a passer, but his athleticism and ability to make plays with his legs should help UNLV navigate a difficult schedule to make a push for a bowl in 2019.
32. Cole McDonald, Hawaii (MW Wire ranking (2))
The first half of last year, McDonald was putting up video game numbers but then he fell out after getting hurt. Year 2 in the run-n-shoot has the potential to be amazing. However, Chevan Cordeiro earned playing time and played extremely well which could lead to stealing the job.
McDonald ranks No. 2 among Mountain West quarterbacks for 2019 but isn’t guaranteed the starting job. That’s due to the continued development of Chevan Cordeiro, who impressed in a four-game stint as a freshman in 2018.
12. Jordan Love, Utah State (MW Wire ranking (1))
The big question is if Love can come close to what he did last year since the Aggies have a new coaching staff, replacing his entire offensive line, starting running back, and multiple wide receivers.
Love posted six more games of 300 or more yards, including 491 versus San Jose State and 359 against North Texas. He ended the season with 3,567 yards and 32 touchdown tosses (both school records for most in a single year) and added seven additional scores on the ground.
