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2021 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 2021.
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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 2021 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 or leave us a comment on our Facebook page.
Jerrick Reed II, DB, New Mexico
The first player out, so to speak, Reed had a breakout campaign as the best player in Rocky Long’s first Lobos defense by leading the Mountain West with four interceptions. He was also UNM’s first all-conference defensive back since Glover Quin in 2008, so a full off-season to acclimate to his defensive responsibilities could quickly make this omission look silly.
Sean Chambers, QB, Wyoming
For the Cowboys quarterback, it’s all about staying healthy because the talent has always been evident. Though he’s only completed 46.3% of his passes in 13 career games, Chambers has also averaged six yards per carry and accounted for 22 total touchdowns. With a new offensive philosophy and the job security of already being named QB1 on his side, keep your fingers crossed that he’ll have the chance to put it all together.
Brandon Talton, K, Nevada
Talton couldn’t quite manage enough support to make the top 50 for the second straight year, but the Wolf Pack junior had another solid campaign last fall. He connected on 15-of-18 field goal tries and 28-of-31 extra points, which at least solidified his standing as the best kicker in the Mountain West.
Markel Reed, CB, Boise State
With the departures of both Avery Williams and Jalen Walker, it’s prime time for the junior from Temple, Texas. He’s already seen playing time in 18 games for the Broncos over the last two years, collecting 29 tackles, four passes defended and two tackles for loss, and his understanding of Andy Avalos’s defense should mean there won’t be much drop-off.
Haaziq Daniels, QB, Air Force
It couldn’t have been easy to replace a quarterback like Donald Hammond III, but Daniels held his own in some very tough circumstances. He started all season long as a sophomore, averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 55 rushing attempts while completing 55.6% of his passes for 433 yards and three touchdowns.
Kyle Williams, WR, UNLV
The Mountain West’s Freshman of the Year last fall, Williams had the misfortune of appearing on the most individual top 50 ballots without garnering consensus support to crack the list. He was far and away the Rebels’ best pass catcher in 2020, though, leading the team with 35 catches for 426 yards and two touchdowns.
The Complete List
Air Force — TD Blackmon, Milton Bugg III, Haaziq Daniels, Omar Fattah, Brandon Lewis, Lakota Wills
Boise State — Caleb Biggers, Stefan Cobbs, Jackson Cravens, Garrett Curran, Jonah Dalmas, Octavius Evans, Cyrus Habibi-Likio, Donte Harrington, Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez, Scale Igiehon, Shane Irwin, Tyreque Jones, Tyric LeBeauf, Ezekiel Noa, Uso Osuji, Markel Reed, Scott Matlock, JL Skinner, Riley Smith, CT Thomas, Joel Velazquez, Demitri Washington
Colorado State — Cameron Butler, Marshaun Cameron, Cayden Camper, Barry Wesley
Fresno State — Kevin Atkins, Justin Houston, Ty Jones
Hawaii — Ilm Manning, Jared Smart, Pita Tonga
Nevada — Aaron Frost, Lawson Hall, Devonte Lee, Berdale Robins, Brandon Talton, Kameron Toomer
New Mexico — Cade Briggs, Austin Cook, Joey Noble, Jerrick Reed II, Andrew Shelley, Tevaka Tuioti
San Diego State — Matt Araiza, Jordan Byrd, William Dunkle, Jonah Tavai, Zachary Thomas
San Jose State — Derrick Deese Jr., Kyle Harmon, Jay Lenard, Alii Matau, Tyler Nevens, Nehemiah Shelton
UNLV — Tyleek Collins, Bryce Jackson, Adam Plant Jr., Kolo Uasike, Kyle Williams
Utah State — Shaq Bond, Brandon Bowling, Alfred Edwards, Nick Heninger, Devont’e Henry-Cole, Byron Hobbs-Vaughns, Stephen Kotsanlee
Wyoming — Eric Abojei, Keyon Blankenbaker, Sean Chambers, Garrett Crall, Esaias Gandy, Azizi Hearn, John Hoyland, Rome Weber
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