Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 1 Depth Chart
Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 1 Depth Chart
What stands out in the depth charts released by each of the Mountain West’s 11 Week 1 opponents?
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What to keep in mind before kickoff.
Cal Poly (link to game notes, depth chart on page 11)
What stands out: The Mustangs have a couple of solid defensive pieces, most notably defensive end Eljiah Ponder, and they’ll hope that sophomore Robbie Greer can bookend Ponder’s production at the other edge spot.
Why that could be important: Cal Poly’s pass rush wasn’t a particularly strong one in 2021, as the team had just 22 sacks, tied for tenth among teams in the Big Sky. Ponder had eight by himself, so the 6-foot-6, 250 pound Greer, who got his first taste of action as a true freshman in the spring season last year but redshirted during the fall, will be expected to do his part in taking down Jake Haener.
Portland State (link to game notes, depth chart on page 13)
What stands out: Dante Chachere is tasked with replacing Davis Alexander, one of the best quarterbacks in Portland State football history.
Why that could be important: Alexander had a lot of moxie and, more importantly, knew how to produce, doing so to the tune of 294.5 yards of total offense per game last year. The sophomore Chachere, after winning the competition over Jaden Casey, is a Fresno native who has earned a lot of praise throughout the offense for his growth as a potential dual-threat quarterback. His homecoming will be a test of how true that is.
Texas State (link to depth chart)
What stands out: As the Bobcats already return more than half of last year’s starters on both sides of the ball, there weren’t a ton of roles for players to step up and claim but nickelback Jarron Morris, who’s actually reclaiming a spot, could be the rare exception.
Why that could be important: Texas State’s secondary got picked on quite a bit last year, allowing a completion rate of 65.4% while interceptions just three passes all season. It could be in part because they missed Morris, a second-team all-Sun Belt defender who played in only one full game before a hip injury cost him the entire season. If he’s back in form, the Bobcats will be that much better for it.
Michigan (link to discussion of depth chart)
What stands out: The Wolverines will have work to do in replacing Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, but one surprising entry that will be part of the cohort to do so is true freshman Mason Graham.
Why that could be important: A two-way player who also wrestled at California’s Servite High School, Graham won’t have to do everything by himself with veterans like Mazi Smith and Kris Jenkins back, as well. At 6-foot-3 and 317 pounds, though, Graham could disrupt Colorado State’s best laid plans from the point of attack if the Rams aren’t ready.
Northern Iowa (link to overview of team depth)
What stands out: The Panthers found themselves having to replace a first-round NFL Draft pick this summer, but Matthew Vanderslice emerged as Trevor Penning’s successor throughout the off-season.
Why that could be important: Vanderslice isn’t completely new to the starting lineup, having made two starts in 2019, three in spring 2020 and three last fall, but you could make a reasonable case that no one else mentioned in this article has bigger shoes to fill.
The upside? Vanderslice is a pretty big dude himself, listed at 6-foot-8 and 318 pounds on the UNI roster. If he can protect Theo Day’s blind side half as well as Penning did, Air Force could be in for a much tougher fight than expected.
Arizona (link to depth chart)
What stands out: The Wildcats aren’t wasting any time throwing true freshman Tetairoa McMillan into the mix, starting opposite UTEP transfer Jacob Cowing and sophomore Dorian Singer.
Why that could be important: McMillan is the highest-ranked recruit that Arizona has ever landed, a five-star prospect according to some sites, and at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, it’s not hard to see why. We know that Cowing is one of the nation’s premier deep threats, but it’ll be interesting to see what kind of role Jedd Fisch carves out for his off-season’s biggest prize.
Tulsa (link to depth chart)
What stands out: Tulsa returns many of its key offensive contributors, but one new entrant into the starting lineup, Will Farniok, gets the nod at center.
Why that could be important: A good center can be hard to find and the Golden Hurricane found themselves unexpectedly having to replace a pretty good one after incumbent Gerard Wheeler, a three-year starter, medically retired this off-season. Farniok, a former Nebraska transfer, has only seen playing time in eight games through his career to date but he did step in for Wheeler during last year’s Myrtle Beach Bowl and played well, so they’re likely confident that the line won’t miss a beat.
Alabama (link to depth chart)
What stands out: The Tide are obviously loaded for bear, but one key newcomer who will be under pressure to keep things humming is left tackle Tyler Steen.
Why that could be important: One of the few likely avenues for Utah State’s chances at an upset will revolve around just how much pressure they can get on Bryce Young. Yes, that’s easier said than done, but while Steen started 33 straight games at Vanderbilt before transferring to Tuscaloosa, he was more adequate than fine: According to Pro Football Focus, his highest overall grade in any season is 66.8. It’s a slim glimmer of hope, but slim is better than none.
Maine (link to game notes, depth chart on page 6)
What stands out: The Black Bears have had to retool at wide receiver, where the trio of Kobay White, Montigo Moss, and Zavier Scott will get first crack at solving the Lobos secondary.
Why that could be important: One of Maine’s biggest questions this off-season concerned how they would replace their top two pass catchers from 2021, Andre Miller and Devin Young. Scott and Moss appeared in 11 and nine games, respectively, while White, a Boston College transfer, is a true wild card. He missed all of 2020 and nearly all of 2021 with injuries, but he led the Eagles in receptions through back-to-back seasons before that, 2018 and 2019. If health is on his side, he’ll be a potentially big asset for quarterback Joe Fagnano.
Oregon State (link to depth chart)
What stands out: We knew that Omar Speights would hold down one inside linebacker spot, but redshirt senior Kyrel Fisher-Morris gets the nod to start opposite him and replace departed star Avery Roberts.
Why that could be important: Roberts was invaluable as someone who could create havoc, as he led the Beavers with 9.5 tackles for loss and contributed 2.5 sacks, as well. The linebackers, in general were most likely to get in the backfield, so one key against Boise State is whether Fisher-Morris and the other new starter in that unit, John McCartan, can step up and do the same.
Western Kentucky (link to depth chart)
What stands out: It took a while for Bailey Zappe’s heir apparent to establish himself, but Austin Reed beat out Jarret Doege for the QB1 job in fall camp and has already led the Hilltoppers to a season-opening victory over Austin Peay.
Why that could be important: Hawaii had a wealth of defensive issues last Saturday against Vanderbilt and now must deal with a former Division II national champion. His WKU wasn’t flawless (20-of-34, 280 yards, four touchdowns, one interception), but he flashed enough to think that the Warriors may run into those same problems again this weekend if they can’t make fixes in practice.
More Week 1!
Portland State vs. San Jose State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
Colorado State, Hawaii To Face Different Michigan Quarterbacks In Weeks 1 And 2
New Mexico Football: First Look At Maine Black Bears
