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2022 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 2022.
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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 2022 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, Instagram or leave us a comment on our Facebook page.
Stefan Cobbs, WR, Boise State
Someone always has to be the first one out and this year that’s Cobbs. In 2021, he played second fiddle to Khalil Shakir but flashed plenty of potential to suggest he could be the man this fall, catching 34 passes for 421 yards and five touchdowns. If he and Hank Bachmeier can find their way onto the same page early and often, watch out.
Melquan Stovall, WR, Colorado State
Cobbs wasn’t the only Mountain West pass catcher to fall just short of the cut. Stovall spent three years at Nevada as a key cog in Matt Mumme’s Air Raid offense and posted the best overall season of his career in 2021 with 56 catches for 643 yards and a touchdown. Now in Fort Collins with Mumme, head coach Jay Norvell and a host of other former members of the Wolf Pack, he could be in line for an even better campaign this fall.
Camby Goff, S, Air Force
This year, Goff has the unfortunate distinction of having appeared on the most ballots while falling just shy of the top 50. However, his first year in the Falcons starting lineup, where he saw most of his time at outside linebacker, was a big success with 42 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles. Now tasked with replacing Corvan Taylor in the secondary, he could very easily defy the skeptics in a new role.
Nehemiah Shelton, CB, San Jose State
Shelton just barely missed out on the top 50 once again, but it’s not because he didn’t have a very good 2021. He was one of just seven defenders in the Mountain West with at least ten pass breakups and brought in two interceptions along with 61 total tackles. The Spartans up front have received most of the attention in the past couple seasons, but don’t overlook this talented veteran in the secondary.
Braxton Burmeister, QB, San Diego State
The Aztecs’ presumptive starting quarterback had a handful of supporters on individual ballots, just as he did when he was recently named our staff’s pick as preseason newcomer of the year, but he got squeezed out in the overall numbers game. If he can stay healthy and best his numbers from 2021, when he threw for 1,960 yards and 14 touchdowns while running for 521 yards and two scores at Virginia Tech, shutting him out could look particularly foolish by December.
The Complete List
Air Force — Camby Goff, Kaleb Holcomb, Dane Kinamon, Trey Taylor, Jonathan Youngblood
Boise State — Jonah Dalmas, Ben Dooley, Kaonohi Kaniho, Scott Matlock, Ezekiel Noa, Riley Smith, George Tarlas
Colorado State — Tanner Arkin, Jack Howell, Mohamed Kamara, Angel King, Clay Millen, Melquan Stovall
Fresno State — Justin Houston, Josh Kelly, Tre Watson
Hawaii — Zion Bowens, Jojo Forest, Jordan Murray, Hugh Nelson II, Penei Pavihi, Jonah Panoke, Brayden Schager, Matthew Shipley, Maurice Ta’ala, Isaiah Tufaga
Nevada — Devonte Lee
New Mexico — Dion Hunter, Miles Kendrick, Aaron Rodriguez, Ronald Wilson, Luke Wysong
San Diego State — Braxton Burmeister, Jordan Byrd
San Jose State — Elijah Cooks, Nehemiah Shelton
UNLV — Harrison Bailey
Utah State — Brian Cobbs, Gurvan Hall Jr., Justin McGriff, Hale Motu’apuaka
Wyoming — John Hoyland, Andrew Peasley
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