Recruiting
2009 ... Mountain West
Ranking the Mountain West classes
Click on
each team for the fill class list
and top players
Air Force
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BYU
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Colorado State
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New Mexico
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San
Diego State
TCU
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UNLV
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Utah
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Wyoming
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CFN Recruiting 2009
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2008
CFN Mountain West Recruiting rankings
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2007
CFN Mountain West Recruiting
Rankings
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2006 CFN Mountain West Recruiting
Rankings
1. BYU
CFN’s 2008 Conference
Recruiting Rank: 1
The class is heavy on ...
Defensive backs. There are some
really nice players being brought in
at several positions, but the best
combination of star power and bulk
is in the secondary with a few
fantastic safety prospects, led by
Craig Bills, one of the nation’s
best, and two excellent corners in
Lee Aguirre and Trevor Bateman. The
offense loaded up on decent running
back prospects with Adam Timo
considered among the best in the
nation, if he doesn’t move to
safety, with Peni Maka’afi and
Anthony Heimuli each certain to keep
the ground game rolling.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... RB Adam Timo
The player you might care about
this year ... CB Lee Aguirre
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
BYU and Bronco Mendenhall keep on
loading up with talent. Of course,
BYU is a different place with
several of the incoming prospects to
be off on a Church mission before
they do anything on the field. That
includes QB Riley Nelson, a former
top recruit for Utah State who has
the potential to be the next Cougar
passing star. Tight end Richard
Wilson will be fantastic in a few
years.
2. Utah
CFN’s 2008 Conference
Recruiting Rank: 2
The class is heavy on ... The
passing game. The Utes loaded up on
receivers big-time last year, but
apparently that wasn’t enough with
even more targets coming in this
year, including JUCO transfers
Antoine Smithson and Ray Magee, to
help an offense that loses all the
starting receivers. Jamal Smith
should be the best of the bunch, but
he might not emerge for a few years.
Meanwhile, JUCO transfer Terrance
Cain will make a push for Brian
Johnson’s open quarterback spot.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... DT Late
Heimuli
The player you might care about
this year ... DE James Aiono
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
The breakthrough, undefeated season
meant a coup in the recruiting
season. There are fantastic
prospects for almost every spot with
a few nice players to develop for a
few years down the road, mixed in
with a decent number of nice JUCO
transfers to make an impact right
away. There are major openings on
offense with seven starters gone,
and the chances will be there for a
few players to provide instant
depth.
3.
TCU CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank:
9
The class is heavy on ... Offensive tackle. The Horned Frogs got
commitments from a few very nice running backs like Jurell Thompson and
Matthew Tucker, and someone has to pave the way for them. The interior
of the line wasn’t ignored, Eric Tausch is a good prospect at either
guard or center, but the tackles got the attention with three tall,
athletic options in Ty Horn, James Dunbar, and John Wooldridge.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Casey
Pachall
The player you might care about this year ... S Malcolm Williams
What it all means to the real world of college football ... These
things go in cycles. The Horned Frogs brought in a huge, talented class
in 2007 that not just scared away several prospects in 2008, but plugged
in most of the holes. Last year’s haul was minimal, and now Gary
Patterson and his staff have reloaded with a tremendous group with some
nice linemen and outstanding potential for the defensive back seven.
4. UNLV CFN’s 2008
Conference Recruiting Rank: 4
The class is heavy on ... Defensive backs. While this is a class
full of variety, there isn’t a lot of star power. JUCO defensive end B.J.
Bell will be asked to shine right away, Jordan Barrett is a top-shelf
outside linebacker prospect, and the defensive backs should be solid.
JUCO transfers Mike Grant and Warren Ziegler will provide instant depth
at corner, while Courtney Bridget is a tall, promising corner for the
other side. Chase Childers is a fast safety.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... LB Jordan
Barrett
The player you might care about this year ... DE B.J. Bell
What it all means to the real world of college football ... Once
again, UNLV came up with a class well below the conference’s big three,
but slightly ahead of the rest of the pack … that’s not a bad thing.
Mike Sanford continues to bring in decent players in bulk with an eye
towards the future. Corner was an instant need, so Sanford went the JUCO
route, but this is a class to try to keep building after failing to
generate much success on the field.
5. San Diego State
CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank: 6
The class is heavy on ... Skill positions. New head coach Brady
Hoke needs to bring in the playmakers, and he has them in bunches with a
few prospects for all the skill spots. QB Jake Bernard is a good-looking
option for the near future, and Osmond Nicholas should be an eventual
No. 1 target. The class is also big on corners, arguably the strength of
the class, with several options coming in including Nat Berhe and Marcus
Andrews.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... CB Nat Berhe
The player you might care about this year ... S Eric Pinkins
What it all means to the real world of college football ... Chuck
Long never got the offense going on a consistent basis, but the real
issue was the defense. This class addressed the secondary, but it was
mostly about generating more firepower. There are already offensive
linemen in place from last year’s class, and they should mature just in
time for the new skill players to be ready.
6. New Mexico
CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank: d
The class is heavy on ... Quarterbacks. They might not be needed
right away, and there are a few young options in Brad Gruner and Tate
Smith already in place to push Donovan Porterie, who’s returning from
injury, but the two new quarterbacks will be in the hunt for time by
2010. Darren Jones and Emmanuel Yeager are tall, athletic players who
can do a little of everything.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... WR Derrell
Person
The player you might care about this year ... DT Peter Gardner
What it all means to the real world of college football ... New
head coach Mike Locksley is known for being a big-time recruiter, but he
didn’t have a ton of time to work. This isn’t a big class, but there
might be as many future stars as anyone has outside of the conference’s
big three. It’s an athletic group, with the quarterbacks, WR Derrell
Person, LB Dallas Bollema and RB Kasey Carrier all able to move. This
class signified a shift away from the powerball of the past.
7. Colorado State
CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank: 5
The class is heavy on ... Quarterbacks. Billy Farris is gone
opening up a hole at quarterback, and while there are options in Grant
Stucker and Klay Kubiak waiting to step in, JUCO transfer Jon Eastman
will be in the mix right away, Nico Ranieri might be the most talented
player of the bunch, but the new recruit might have to wait around for a
few years before getting his shot.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Nico
Ranieri
The player you might care about this year ... S Travis Ford
What it all means to the real world of college football ...
Second year head coach Steve Fairchild went for more of a quick fix last
year, and there was a big class in 2007 that filled up most of the
needs, so this class was about piecing together a few players here and
there with an eye on the future. Next year’s class will likely be far
bigger, and far better. There are just enough new players from the JUCO
ranks, with QB Jon Eastman, RB Leonard Mason, and S Travis Ford, to
provide a few ready-made prospects.
8. Wyoming
CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank: 8
The class is heavy on ... Quarterbacks. The rest of the class is
mediocre, at generous best, but the quarterback recruits might be the
best in the Mountain West. Austyn Carta-Samuels isn’t big, he isn’t
fast, but he’s a player who could be the franchise sooner than later.
For now, considering the woes at quarterback last season, the signing of
JUCO transfer Robert Benjamin is a nod toward the present.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Austyn
Carta-Samuels
The player you might care about this year ... S Tonka Marsom
What it all means to the real world of college football ...
Dave Christensen needs
difference makers. The new head coach didn’t get the best of classes,
but without a full year to bring in talent, he wasn’t able to show all
he could do. The defense was addressed last year, so if this class
doesn’t get much from the quarterbacks, this might be a bit of a lost
class. Wyoming always has problems bringing in the top-flight talent, so
Christensen will have to recruit to fit the program.
9. Air
Force CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank:
3
The class is heavy on ... Defense. As always, Air Force had to
get a specific type of player, and as always, it went with smallish,
quick defenders for the line and the secondary. Dan Zotto leads the way
up front, while head coach Troy Calhoun brought in a few short, athletic
corners. James Chambers could be a fixture at inside linebacker sooner
than later.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Desi
Rodriguez
The player you might care about this year ... PK Daniel Compton
What it all means to the real world of college football ...
Calhoun and his staff came
up with a stunningly good class last year with several good options for
the offense. This year is about building up the defense for the future,
but there are just enough good athletes to eventually make this class
become far better than it is at the moment. With the program good again,
there’s a higher-caliber of player coming in, but there just aren’t a
ton of stars in this class.