As the weekly roundtable rolls around, we’re taking a week to focus on incoming transfers from Mountain West teams. The transfer portal has had a significant impact on college football and the Mountain West Conference has seen many players come and go through the portal. Heading into the 2024 football season, which team will get the biggest boost from the transfers they’ve brought in this offseason?
Miguel: With so many transfers entering the conference, this could go in a lot of different directions. Some teams, like Nevada and New Mexico, basically rebuilt their team through transfers and should see a boost in the win column as a result. Others, like Boise State and UNLV, added existing talent in hopes that it will help them take the next step this season. However, I think San Diego State will be able to bounce back and see the most benefit from its transfer additions in 2024.
Jeff: The Mountain West is the target of other conferences for talented, developed players. Many powerhouse programs poached competent players to fill their coffers. How you see which team will benefit from a successful influx will be determined by coaches, system and needs. A complete overhaul is not out of the question for programs like Nevada, San Jose State and San Diego State. Nevada and New Mexico have been in a constant state of player turnover while Wyoming, Colorado State, Fresno State, UNLV and Boise State have been able to fill to meet their specific needs. The Spartans need to replace nearly all of their offensive production but are pivoting to a potentially more explosive offensive scheme. San Diego State is also filling to try to revive an anemic offense to reflect new coach Sean Lewis’ vision of an electric offense. Since expectations are so low for San Jose State, I’m picking them to see the biggest boost from their transfers because, let’s face it, their offense will be nearly all transfers.
Aaron: I was planning on doing a deep dive into exactly how the transfer portal has impacted the conference in recent memory, so I was already doing some research on this. Seven teams brought in quarterbacks through the portal who could potentially start this year; any one of them could end up having the biggest boost. Outside of that, last I checked, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego, and UNLV all brought in at least 15 players each. By the numbers alone, you’d expect them to get at least a few good players. If I had to pick one, I might pick San Diego. 10 of the players they brought in were offensive players, and like Jeff said, they’re basically remaking their offense.
Mate: Considering the new head coach and the need to completely redo their offense, I’m guessing it will be San Diego State. Sean Lewis is known for his fast-paced offenses, so maybe we’ll see a return to the Ryan Lindley era instead of the slow, plodding offense they’ve used. The 25 transfers along with a recruiting class could be the blueprint for where the team is headed in 2024.
Adam:
While Colorado State quarterback Braden Fowler-Nicolosi had his eyes set on the transfer portal and turned down six-figure deals, the players he needed turned their eyes straight to him.
Roundtable discussions in previous weeks have focused on the fact that CSU needs a beefed-up offensive line to protect Nicolosi. It has a talented NFL wide receiver in Tory Horton who will never optimize if pressured in the pocket.
Despite losing five offensive linemen, two veteran offensive tackles joined the Rams’ roster (Alex Foster and Chandler Brown). Both are 6’4″ and heavy enough to make any defensive line sweat. Having those two walls on the outside of the offensive line could be enough to give the Rams a much-needed offensive boost. Combine that with the signing commitments that offensive line coach Bill Best is seeking, and that five-man exodus doesn’t seem like a huge deal for the Rams.
Four wide receivers joined the program and will likely serve as support staff on this offense. Four players also joined the stout defensive line, who are also there to support what is already in place. Moving forward, these players (if they did not graduate or transfer) will continue to generate success for the program.
Of all the MW teams, the Rams have been the ones to receive the biggest positive impact from the transfer portal. While the moves seem small, they are the ones that have the biggest impact on any team in the conference.
Zane:
I think UNLV will get the biggest boost from the transfer portal. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, UNLV’s biggest problem last season was deep play coverage down the field and they solved that problem through the transfer portal. They brought in great players like Kodi DeCambra from Oregon, Tony Grimes from Texas A&M, and Jalen Catalon from Texas. These defensive backs will help tremendously in that problem and in the long run will help UNLV perform better during the season. UNLV also brought in three star quarterback transfers to replace Jayden Maiava since he transferred to USC. As of now, it looks like Matthew Sluka from Holy Cross will be the man to replace him and that shows how important the transfer portal is for UNLV and how it will boost the team, he replaced their quarterback who left. They also brought in offensive skill position transfers that are looking to make an impact like wide receiver Casey Cain from Texas and running back Michael Allen from NC State. All of these players will boost the team overall and I think UNLV will have the biggest boost coming out of the transfer portal in the Mountain West Conference.
Home: Even if it’s just by a few wins, there are teams on opposite ends of the spectrum that will feel a boost from the transfers. Teams like Nevada completely revamped their roster with transfers and should get an extra win or two because of it. San Diego State will likely have the biggest impact from the changes, and higher-level teams like UNLV and Boise State will fill specific holes that will give them a boost they already had.
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