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2019 Mountain West Football Top 52 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 52 in 2019.
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Who couldn’t quite make the cut this summer?
It’s never easy to make our annual countdown, and even with a couple of extra spots to work with this time around, 55 Mountain West athletes didn’t receive enough support to do so in 2019. This doesn’t mean, however, that they aren’t worthy of a nod, so we present to you some notable names from this group, followed by the entire list.
See anyone you think should have made our top 52? Did we overlook your favorite player entirely? Join the discussion using the hashtag #MWwireTop52 on Twitter or leave us a comment on our Facebook page.
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Ryan Stonehouse, P, Colorado State
Dating back to our time at some old digital digs, we have been doing this exercise for six or seven years now and Stonehouse juuuuuust missed becoming the first punter ever to crack the countdown. If he can put together another campaign like he did in 2018, when he averaged 48.2 yards per punt with a 38.8 net punting average and 13 kicks inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, he’s almost certain to bring it all the way home.
Kaimana Padello, DL, Hawaii
The Warriors offense got much of the spotlight during their fast start last fall, but the 6-foot, 215-pound senior provided a disruptive force on defense. He led Hawaii with 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, cementing himself as a foundational piece to builld around.
Jeremy Fejedelem, FS, Air Force
Fejedelem provided a steady presence in a shuffled Air Force secondary last fall, finishing second among Mountain West defensive backs with 104 tackles with three interceptions and 1.5 tackles for loss. If he can take a step forward, he should lead the way in helping the Falcons improve from 125th in Pass Defense S&P+ in 2019.
Tyler Nevens, RB, San Jose State
Despite missing three games with injury last fall, Nevens proved a tough runner who could make things happen when things fell into place for the Spartans. He led SJSU with 554 yards rushing and a solid 47.1% Opportunity Rate, and he should once again be the lead back for an offense that looks to improve again.
Dom Peterson, DE, Nevada
It may not be easy for the Wolf Pack to replace defensive stars like Malik Reed and Korey Rush, but the 6-foot, 315-pound Peterson looks like a good bet to be the such impact player. As a redshirt freshman, he collected three sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in the trenches.
Keegan Cryder, C, Wyoming
It’s easy to overlook interior linemen on offense, but Cryder played well enough to be the Mountain West’s lone representative on the FWAA Freshman All-American team. He started nine games at center and three at left guard in 2018 and appears to be set at the former position heading into this fall, giving head coach Craig Bohl the tip of the spear his offense will need.
Tyleek Collins, WR, UNLV
The Rebels had a wild season on offense last fall, but things seem like they could remain explosive thanks to Collins’s emergence. Despite catching just 31 passes, he led UNLV with a 67.4% catch rate and scored six touchdowns as a freshman.
The Complete List
Air Force — Jeremy Fejedelem, Mosese Fifita, Scott Hattok, Kyle Johnson, Brandon Lewis, Kadin Remsberg, Joshua Stoner
Boise State — Chase Cord, Austin Griffin, Garrett Larson, Scale Igehion, Khalil Shakir, Andrew Van Buren, Riley Whimpey
Colorado State — Cameron Butler, Nate Craig-Myers, Emmanuel Jones, Marcus McElroy, Max McDonald, Devin Phillips, Ryan Stonehouse, Barry Wesley
Fresno State — Arron Mosby
Hawaii — Kalen Hicks, Ilm Manning, Solomon Matautia, Kaimana Padello, Solo Vaipulu
Nevada — Daniel Brown, Romeo Doubs, Dom Peterson, Reagan Roberson
New Mexico — Aaron Blackwell, Ahmari Davis, Alex Hart
San Diego State — Ryan Agnew, Keshawn Banks, Myles Cheatum, Darren Hall, Chase Jasmin
San Jose State — Josh Love, Tyler Nevens, Jesse Osuna, Dejon Packer
UNLV — Tyleek Collins, Jericho Flowers, Hayes Hicken, Gabe McCoy
Utah State — Shaq Bond, Alfred Edwards, Siaosi Mariner, Christopher ‘Unga
Wyoming — Keegan Cryder, Alijah Halliburton, Ravontae Holt