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.

Special Teams Players of the Month

1. Jacob De Jesus, KR/PR, UNLV

De Jesus has emerged as a surehanded option in the Rebels passing game, but it is his prowess as a return specialist that earns him a nod here. He’s only returned five punts in five games, but he’s averaged a healthy 11.2 yards per return in those situations; on kickoffs, De Jesus ranks second among Mountain West players with 29.45 yards per return.

2. James Ferguson-Reynolds, P, Boise State

The Aussie has made marked improvement in his second year on the blue, pacing the Mountain West with 49.88 yards per punt and a net of 42.88 through the team’s first five games. He was also named to the Ray Guy Award’s “Ray’s 8” list in Weeks 2 and 3 and has already placed 12 of his 25 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. That combination of power and precision could put him in consideration for a postseason award if it keeps up.

3. John Hoyland, K, Wyoming

The Mountain West has a number of quality kickers, but only one of them is still perfect at this juncture of the 2023 season. Hoyland has been as excellent as always, converting 8-of-8 field goals (including a pair of 56-yard successes) and 13-of-13 extra points while also managing a respectable 53.85% touchback rate on 26 kickoffs.

4. Jose Pizano, K, UNLV

The Missouri State transfer had big shoes to replace in taking over for Daniel Gutierrez, but Pizano’s leg has been just as true as his predecessor’s. He’s one of just six FBS kickers to have made 11 field goals and, within that group, his 91.7% success rate trails only Alabama’s Will Reichard. It hasn’t all been gimmes, either, as the super senior has connected on 3-of-4 attempts from 40-plus yards, including a 52-yarder against Hawaii in Week 5.

Freshmen of the Month

1. Pofele Ashlock, WR, Hawaii

After redshirting 2022, Ashlock earned a starting job out of fall camp and announced his presence with back-to-back 100-yard performances against Vanderbilt and Stanford in Weeks 0 and 1. Though he’s cooled off a bit since then, he’s remained busy and leads all FBS freshmen with 38 catches and 465 yards, scoring three times.

2. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, QB, Colorado State

It came as a surprise when Fowler-Nicolosi supplanted Clay Millen as the starter before the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Week 3, but it’s been hard to argue with the overall results. Though his 4.9% interception rate could use some improvement, Fowler-Nicolosi has a 72.5% completion rate and has averaged 9.6 yards per attempt with 11 passing touchdowns. Additionally, he’s already one of just 15 FBS quarterbacks with at least seven passing plays of 40-plus yards, so it’ll be exciting to see whether he can keep dropping bombs and help the Rams continue to emerge as a bowl contender.

2. Nuer Gatkouth, DE, Colorado State

The redshirt freshman spent 2022 earning the scout team’s nod as special teams player of the year, and that hard work has paid off for the Rams on the field so far in 2023. Playing alongside Kamara, the Edmonton native has notched 20 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in four starts.

4. Jai’Den Thomas, RB, UNLV

The Rebels’ running game has hummed from the jump thanks in no small part to the Atlanta native they call “Jet”. In five games, Thomas leads UNLV with 51 rushing attempts, 273 rushing yards, and seven rushing touchdowns, all of which are reminiscent of another famous Thomas, Lexington, who thrived in the desert.

Story originally appeared on Mountain West Wire