MWCConnection 2025 Best Position Units

Continuing with the theme of the week, the Peak Perspective Column will detail which teams have the best position units in the Mountain West. Voted on by our team, the results can be seen below.

In case you missed the first two days, you can see the All-MWC team and Awards from Monday and Tuesday, respectively. If you want to look at the preseason votes, here you go.

Quarterback

UNLV

The Rebels had a quarterback room with three players who had starting experience at the D1 level, but they only needed one of them to capture this spot. Anthony Colandrea was the starting QB for the most dynamic offense in the Mountain West, and carried them to the conference championship game. They fell short, but Colandrea won Offensive Player of the Year honors for his efforts. UNLV takes this spot once again.

Running Back

Boise State

The Broncos ran away with this spot once again. Last year, they won it on the strength of one dominant player. The 2025 version had the top running back unit due to the three-headed monster that was their running back room. It took some time for them to figure out the proper rotation, but having Dylan Riley as the lead back, Sire Gaines as a prominent backup who specializes in short-yardage, and utilizing Malik Sherrod for his pass-catching and gadget abilities was a great combination. Boise State was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the conference at this spot.

Wide Receiver

Hawaii

The Rainbow Warrior’s offense emerged with strong wide receiver play in 2025. Pofele Ashlock was the known commodity at the position and lived up to the hype with another strong season. However, it was the emergence of Jackson Harris that pushed this group over the edge. The two of them combined to form quite a duo, totalling 1667 yards and 18 touchdowns. Hawaii’s successful season was in large part due to their wide receiver play this season.

Tight End

New Mexico

The Mountain West came into the year with a few established tight ends battling for the claim to be the top in the conference. However, by the end of the season, one stood above the rest. Dorian Thomas of the Lobos accumulated over 500 receiving yards and found the endzone four times. New Mexico has had many bright spots this season and the play of their tight ends are definitely one of them.

Offensive Line

Boise State

In a conference with a number of strong o-lines year after year, the Broncos emerged as the top unit in 2025. They returned three players with starting experience, and boosted some positional depth as well. Kage Casey will be an early-round NFL draft pick this spring, and Mason Randolph and Roger Carreon once again performed at an all-conference level. Boise State’s strong offensive line play allowed them to have a strong run game and keep their QBs upright more often than not.

Defensive Line

San Diego State

The Aztecs had the best defense in the Mountain West this season, and their d-line was a big reason why. Sam Benjamin had a strong season, piling up some stats in the backfield. Together with Malichi Finau, they limited opponents to a mere 109.7 rushing yards per game. Resetting the line of scrimmage and helping others get into position to make big plays is unheralded work, but San Diego State’s group did it their jobs well.

Pass Rush

New Mexico

No one saw the Lobos coming, and part of the reason for their success was their pass-rush. Keyshawn James-Newby led the way for the team, notching eight sacks. Right behind him was Brett Karhu with seven. In fact, 16 players had at least half a sack, making this a defense that had many players who could get to the quarterback. New Mexico’s defense helped them win a number of games and their edge players were big contributors to that success.

Linebacker

New Mexico

Continuing to feature the Lobo defense, their linebackers piled up the tackles in 2025. Leading the way was the coach’s son, Jaxton Eck. He put up an eye-popping 126 tackles, making him the clear leader of the team, nearly doubling the next highest player. He was flanked by Mercury Swaim and K’Won McCray, who joined the fun with 46 and 37 tackles, respectively. New Mexico had a versatile linebacker corps who could make tackles in the box or in space, as evidenced by these numbers.

Defensive Back

San Diego State

The Aztecs had a tremendous secondary in 2025. Led by one of the best cornerbacks in the country in Chris Johnson, who is sure to play at the next level, it was tough to pass against them this season. In fact, Johnson allowed a mere .7 yards per snap in coverage this season, allowing only eight receptions all seaosn, making him arguably the top cornerback in the country. It wasn’t just him, as he was joined by Eric Butler, Bryce Phillips, and others, San Diego State only allowed 157 passing yards per game for the year.

Special Teams

Hawaii

The Rainbow Warriors had a few feel-good stories this year, but one that gained national attention was the kicking display put on by Kansei Matsuzawa, known as the “Tokoyo-Toe.” All he did was go 37-37 in extra points and 25 for 26 in field goals for the 2025 campaign. He was a Ray Guy award semi-finalist and helped transform Hawaii’s special teams into a true weapon this year.

Team Totals:

• Boise State: 2
• Hawaii: 2
• San Diego State: 2
• Colorado State: 1
• Nevada: 1
• New Mexico: 1
• UNLV: 1

Notes:

• The unanimous position votes were tight end, offensive line, defensive back, and special teams.
• No race was truly close, as every vote only had two teams, and most were close to being unanimous.
• Four teams held their ground from the preseason list in the summer (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and offensive line).
• Looking at the team totals, there was more variety than usual. Seven different teams are featured here, and no team had more than two positions, meaning the talent was spread around the conference a bit.

There it is. So let’s hear it. Who did we snub? Who did we put on here that shouldn’t be? Let’s hear your feedback in the comments section.

Coming tomorrow: The 2025 All-Coach Team.