Mountain West Football: Examining Each Team’s Top 2023 Recruit
The second National Signing Day has come and gone, so we take a closer look at Mountain West football’s top recruits.
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New faces in new spaces.
Note: Top recruits listed here are taken from rankings provided by 247Sports.
Air Force
Anthony Wenson, wide receiver – Liberty, Missouri
Recruits to the Academy often aren’t as highly regarded as their compatriots elsewhere in the conference out of high school, but given the program’s track record under head coach Troy Calhoun, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Wenson blocking down the field or catching the occasional 40-yard bomb in two or three years.
After announcing his commitment to Air Force last June, Wenson did a little bit of everything at Liberty High School: He was the team’s primary return specialist in 2021 but emerged as an offensive playmaker last fall with 1,507 rushing yards and 423 receiving yards, scoring 21 total touchdowns. With that kind of versatility, it’ll be exciting to see what kind of role Calhoun and offensive coordinator Mike Thiessen envision for their prized prospect.
Anthony Wenson busts a long one! @AnthonyWenson @JaysFootball @JPugsOLA @LandryDline pic.twitter.com/uGFjZjg02g
— WOWKC (@WOWKCfootball) October 23, 2022
Boise State
Jambres “Breezy” Dubar, running back – Anna, Texas
Just what Mountain West defenses needed: Another talented Boise State running back with whom to deal. Even for a program that typically recruits better than just about everyone in the conference year after year, Dubar arrives on the blue with a lot of hype behind him.
And why not? Dubar committed to the Broncos last June and then went out and made Andy Avalos’s recruiting staff look like geniuses, recording nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards and scoring 23 touchdowns during his senior season at Anna High School. That cemented his status as a four-star recruit and makes it perfectly reasonable to think he could see some playing time immediately in the same backfield with George Holani and Ashton Jeanty this fall.
So many highlight reels are fine. They're similar. I look for plays or just moments where a prospect does something unusual, that makes me pause & rewind. This is an example from Jambres "Breezy" Dubar, Boise St signee. Great name, but also this smooth juke outside is noteworthy pic.twitter.com/xraTEU5Idq
— AlfredJF (@AlfredJF) January 2, 2023
Colorado State
Damian Henderson, running back – Los Alamitos, California
The Rams landed one of their best recruits ever in Henderson this winter and, based on the video below, it’s not hard to see why.
A native of Compton, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Henderson dominated at Los Alamitos, playing in the same backfield as USC quarterback commit Malachi Nelson. He ran for 1,744 yards, averaging a whopping 9.1 yards per carry, with 23 touchdowns in 2022, and it may not be long until he cements a role for himself alongside Avery Morrow and Clay Millen in Fort Collins.
Fresno State
Tim Grear Jr., wide receiver – Ventura College; Ventura, California
The Bulldogs knew they’d need to restock the offensive cupboard after losing Jordan Mims, Nikko Remigio, Josh Kelly, andJalen Moreno-Cropper, meaning that Grear Jr. could make an instant impact as the team looks to reload for another championship run.
A native of New Orleans, the 6-foot-1 Grear headed to southern California to play junior college football under, perhaps not coincidentally, Fresno State football alum Steve Mooshagian. He posted 764 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his 2022 season with Ventura College and may get plenty of opportunity to hit the ground running with the Bulldogs ahead of next fall.
Ball skills crazy💯🔥#VCFF🖤🧡 pic.twitter.com/kO2sWtcpKW
— Tim Grear (@TGrear6_) October 2, 2022
Hawaii
Justin Sinclair, safety – College of San Mateo; San Mateo, California
The Warriors improved over the course of Timmy Chang’s first year at the helm, but making a leap forward in year two required the acquisition of some reinforcements on defense. Enter Sinclair, one of the top juco defensive backs anywhere in the country and someone who could stabilize a secondary that may still skew pretty young in 2023.
A native of East Palo Alto, California, Sinclair played his high school ball at Saint Francis in Mountain View before entering the state’s junior college ranks for two years. In 2022, he helped CSM clinch the state crown by making 46 tackles, breaking up five passes, and intercepting five others. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, Sinclair could be the next Cortez Davis if everything breaks right.
Ball in Paradise 🏝️ #ForDa808 #BRADDAHHOOD pic.twitter.com/OLar9DO6vt
— Justin Sinclair ⭐️ (@justinsinclaiir) December 21, 2022
Nevada
Jonah Lewis, cornerback – Inglewood, California
Lewis set a tone for Nevada’s 2023 class by signing with the Wolf Pack last December, arriving in Reno as a potential future cornerstone in the secondary.
A native of Palmdale, Lewis spent his first three years of high school at Sierra Canyon before transferring to Inglewood as a senior, where he followed up on the 24 passes he’d defended to that point by helping the team to a 13-1 record.
Ima do whatever it takes to get the win! #WOODUP #DBU #PEDIGREE pic.twitter.com/w1GAM58DE1
— JONAH LEWIS 💫 (@JonahLewis30) August 23, 2022
