by With the college football transfer portal window practically closed, it’s now feasible to give a more complete assessment of the recent comings and goings of each roster across the country.
Today, I’ll dive into the biggest portal win and loss for each Mountain West program. Let’s break it down.
BOISE STATE
Biggest Loss: WR Eric McAlister
The Broncos lost one of the top receivers in the conference to the portal this offseason as McAlister signed with TCU in mid December. The speedy 6-foot-3 wide out was one of the top go-to contested-catch receivers in the country this past season, catching 47 passes for 873 yards and five touchdowns (both team highs).
Biggest Win: QB Malachi Nelson (USC)
Not only was the Nelson pickup one of the best transfer portal acquisitions in the Mountain West, but the entire nation. Head coach Spencer Danielson and Boise State hit the nail on the head by landing the highly coveted quarterback, who was a five-star prospect coming out of high school that carries plenty of immediate upside.
SAN JOSE STATE
Biggest Loss: OT Fernando Carmona
San Jose State’s only notable departure happened to be a big one. Carmona, an honorable mention All-MWC in 2023, is a seasoned player with close to 1,000 snaps under his belt already and has showed flashes of growth with just two sacks and 12 total pressures allowed in 12 games this season. The soon-to-be Arkansas Razorback was one of the better Group of Five linemen in the portal.
Biggest Win: S Larry Turner-Gooden (Texas)
The Spartans did a good job of adding to their defensive arsenal by picking up Turner-Gooden. While he lacks college experience (appeared in just four games as a true freshman), the defensive back is a tremendous raw talent that was a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He’s a big upgrade and an immediate impact player for head coach Brent Brennan’s team.
UNLV
Biggest Loss: QB Jayden Maiava
Mountain West Freshman of the Year Jayden Maiava is taking his talents to USC in 2024 and will be dearly missed in Vegas. Maiava is a superb dual-threat quarterback who put up 3,362 total yards and 20 touchdowns while leading UNLV to its best single season in four decades.
Biggest Win: CB Tony Grimes (Texas A&M)
The Rebels rebounded from the Maiava departure and quite possibly had the best portal haul out of every team in the conference this offseason. Grimes, a former five-star prospect, headlines the incoming class and will easily be a Day 1 starter for a struggling UNLV secondary that ranked 110th in passing defense in 2023. Other key pickups include defensive end Antonio Doyle (Jackson State), safety Jalen Catalon (Texas) and wide receiver Casey Cain (Texas).
AIR FORCE
Biggest Loss: RB John Lee Eldridge
While none of them have yet to find a new home, the Falcons lost five players (four offensive) to the portal this offseason. Eldridge is the best of the bunch, as he’s the No. 1 running back on the depth chart and was slated to be Air Force’s top rusher not named Zac Larrier in 2024 with FB Emmanuel Michel graduating.
Biggest Win: No additions
WYOMING
Biggest Loss: CB Kolbey Taylor
It will be interesting to see how things change in Laramie following the retirement of the great Craig Bohl. While that will obviously be the biggest adjustment for this program in the offseason, the Cowboys actually do not need to replace much at all roster-wise. Wyoming only had four transfers with future Vanderbilt Commodore Kolbey Taylor being the best of the few.
Biggest Win: LB Evan Eller (VMI)
Wyoming found a hidden gem in the portal by scooping up Eller, an FCS All-Southern Conference linebacker in 2023. Behind 206 total tackles over the past two seasons, the do-it-all linebacker is part defensive back, part linebacker, part slot defender, and impresses in all areas. Eller is a good fit for the Cowboys and has one year of eligibility remaining.
FRESNO STATE
Biggest Loss: TE Tre Watson
The Bulldog tight end was a mismatch in the passing game in 2023, hauling in 38 catches for nearly 400 yards and four trips to the end zone. Watson’s combination of size (6’5”, 245) and athleticism caught a lot of Power Five schools’ attention in the portal before he ultimately decided to head back to Washington — the team he began his college career with.
Biggest Win: EDGE Korey Foreman (USC)
Whatever Fresno State lost in the portal it made up for by picking up edge rusher Korey Foreman. The former No. 1 high school recruit in the state of Cali, Foreman rarely saw the field at USC but was still fairly productive when he did by racking up 24 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and an interception through two seasons. He’s the real deal talent-wise and will look to unlock his full potential at the college level under Jeff Tedford, who is one of – if not the – best coaches in the Mountain West.
UTAH STATE
Biggest Loss: S Devin Dye
The Aggies didn’t lose much to the portal but they will miss a major contributor in Dye. Arguably the top defender on Utah State’s roster in 2023, Dye led the team in pass breakups (7) while having the second-most interceptions and forced fumbles (81 total tackles as well). The RS-sophomore will be taking his talents to Kansas in 2024.
Biggest Win: QB Bryson Barnes (Utah) and others
Where do I start? Utah State balled out in the portal after bringing in eight FBS transfers, including former Utah Ute Bryson Barnes. The Utah native was a formidable fill-in starter at quarterback for the Utes in 2023, throwing for over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns while leading them to an 8-4 season. He highlights an incoming class that also features offensive lineman George Maile (Baylor), defensive tackle Macyo Williams (Kent State), linebacker Will Shaffer (Arizona State) and another quarterback in Spencer Petras (Iowa).
HAWAII
Biggest Loss: None
Biggest Win: EDGE Dion Washington (Nevada)
The Rainbow Warriors got a solid pickup in Dion Washington, who was arguably Nevada’s top defensive lineman in 2023. The edge rusher was second on the team with 5 tackles-for-loss and adds experience to the Hawaii defense with 24 starts already under his belt.
COLORADO STATE
Biggest Loss: CB T.J. Crandall, DL Grady Kelly
The Rams lost two key defenders of equal significance, so I included them both on this list. As a true freshman in 2023, Crandall cracked the starting lineup in Week 5 and was a solid contributor, finishing second on the team in pass breakups. He’ll be at West Virginia in 2024. Kelly, now a Florida State Seminole, stepped up in the trenches in 2023 after accumulating 43 total tackles and becoming the first defensive lineman to earn Freshman All-American honors for Colorado State since 2011.
Biggest Win: WR Donovan Ollie (Cincinnati)
Colorado State added another wide out to its stout receiving corps by signing Ollie in the portal. Over the past three seasons at Wazu and Cincinnati, Ollie racked up 72 catches for 856 yards and four trips to the paint. He won’t be a target magnet with Tory Horton still around but Ollie is a toolsy receiver that is destined to make an impact in the Rams’ passing game.
NEVADA
Biggest Loss: EDGE Dion Washington
The aforementioned Washington is headed to Aloha land and will be suiting up for Hawaii in 2024.
Biggest Win: CB Kitan Crawford (Texas)
Crawford signed a $230K NIL deal with Nevada and immediately becomes the Wolfpack’s top defender in 2024. The Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year was a four-year defensive back for the Horns and is versatile enough to play corner and safety. Nevada also signed Nebraska quarterback Chubba Purdy, the younger brother of Brock.
NEW MEXICO
Biggest Loss: OT JC Davis
The best offensive tackle in the Group of Five is headed to Illinois after a first-team All-MWC season. At 6-foot-5, 307, Davis brings elite size to offensive tackle and is a potential early-round NFL Draft pick if he carries his production with him to Champagne, IL next season.
Biggest Win: OT Elvin Harris
The Lobos looked to bolster its offensive line with the departure of Davis and did so by picking up Elvin Harris. The former Campbell University offensive tackle made the jump to the Division I level and was a three-star prospect in the portal.
SAN DIEGO STATE
Biggest Loss: CB Dezjohn Malone
One of the top corners in the Mountain West this season, Malone finished third in the conference in pass breakups while becoming an All-MWC Honorable mention. The future Oklahoma Sooner also posted six games where he allowed just one catch or less. A tough blow for SDSU.
Biggest Win: TE Michael Harrison (Colorado)
The Aztecs balled out in the portal en route to signing 14 players and newly hired head coach Sean Lewis is a big reason why. Lewis also brought tight end Michael Harrison with him from Boulder to help kickstart this new high-octane offense. The athletic tight end appeared in every game this season for the Buffs, catching 31 passes for 284 yards and five touchdowns.
