Mountain West Football: Players Of The Month For August/September

With the first several chapters of the 2023 season in the books, who have been Mountain West football’s biggest standouts so far?

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Mountain West Football: Players of the Month For August/September

With the first several chapters of the 2023 season in the books, who have been Mountain West football’s biggest standouts so far?

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The small-sample elite.

Note: Players below are presented in alphabetical order.

Offensive Players of the Month

1. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, New Mexico

The Lobos’ lead running back has a strong case as the biggest individual surprise of the young season, posting 420 rushing yards at 6.77 yards per carry with seven touchdowns in five games. According to Pro Football Focus, he also ranks second among Mountain West running backs with 26 missed tackles forced on just 62 attempts and first with a 92.1 overall grade. He’s a definite keeper.

2. Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State

Horton has picked up where he left off last season in a big way, leading the nation with 11.3 receptions and 135 receiving yards per game through four contests. He’s also scored six times in the last three games and posted an overall PFF grade of 90.0, second among conference pass catchers, helping establish the Rams’ offensive potency with a new quarterback and emerging playmakers in tow.

3. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Perhaps no player in the conference has meant as much to his offense as the sophomore Texan means to the Broncos. He currently leads the Mountain West with 165.3 all-purpose yards per game and the entire FBS with 12 total touchdowns in just five games, so while Boise State clearly has a number of issues to sort out, getting the ball to #2 should remain a priority while they do so.

4. Zac Larrier, QB, Air Force

Through five games, Larrier has achieved a rare combination of efficiency and explosiveness, especially among Falcons quarterbacks of recent vintage. His 362 rushing yards currently rank fifth among all players in the Mountain West and first among FBS QBs, but he’s also connected on 14-of-19 throws for 410 yards, a staggering 21.6 yards per attempt, and accounted for six total touchdowns (three rushing, three passing). It’s little wonder, then, that PFF has given him the highest grade among all Mountain West quarterbacks to date at 82.6.

Defensive Players of the Month

1. Mohamed Kamara, DE, Colorado State

Kamara entered 2023 as arguably the conference’s premier pass rusher and nothing he’s done in four games has dissuaded anyone of that notion. Besides leading the Mountain West with 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss and forcing two fumbles, PFF credits Kamara with 13 quarterback hurries (third in the conference) and 12 stops for good measure.

2. Ike Larsen, S, Utah State

Larsen has continued to be a man of impeccable timing in the young season. His 36 total tackles put him in a tie for second among Mountain West defensive backs, but it’s the highlight plays — the pick-six against Idaho State and the two blocked kicks, including the game-saving play in a Week 5 road win over UConn — that have made him one of the most valuable defenders anywhere in the conference from day one.

3. Bo Richter, DE, Air Force

The Mountain West’s best defense has shined on every front thus far, but few individuals have stood out like Richter. Though he’s tallied 14 total tackles, PFF credits the senior with 16 quarterback hurries, seventh among all FBS defenders, and only one missed fumble to go along with his 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble.

4. Noah Tumblin, CB, San Diego State

The Aztecs secondary has been busy throughout 2023 to date, so you might be forgiven for not noticing that Tumblin is in the midst of a breakout season. Not only does he lead all Mountain West defensive backs with a 85.5 overall PFF grade and a 88.7 grade in coverage, Tumblin currently paces the conference with ten passes defended (eight pass breakups, two interceptions) and has only missed one tackle in six games.

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