It’s almost July, which means the offseason is in its final stretch. It also means rosters are nearly finalized.
And for the Mountain West, there are plenty of fresh faces coming in both from Group of Five programs and Power 5 schools. This includes a group of running backs that should make a ton of early noise in the league. It also includes a couple of FCS transfers.
Here are 10 of the top transfers for the Mountain West:
QB Mikey Keene, UCF to Fresno State
With Jake Haener moving on to the NFL, the Bulldogs were tasked with finding someone to even come close to filling in his shoes. Keene might be able to do that. He was thrust into the starting role as a true freshman in 2021, passing for 1,730 yards and 17 TDs before falling to the backup spot and only appearing in four games last season. Keene has three years of eligibility left.
LB Cody Moon, New Mexico to San Diego State
The fourth leading tackler in the league stays in the league. Moon finished 2022 with 105 total tackles, 9.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks en route to being voted All-MW honorable mention. He steps into a familiar scheme and will be an immediate impact for the Aztecs.
RB Harrison Waylee, Northern Illinois to Wyoming
There was a hole that needed to be filled in the Cowboys’ backfield, and Waylee will be the guy to fill it. The junior rushed for 899 yards and five scores last season while adding 17 receptions for 119 yards. Waylee torched his new squad for 179 yards and two TDs in 2021.
WR Raphael Williams, Western Carolina to San Diego State
If you see Willians on the field, it’s likely he’s open:
Williams’ route running is second-to-none and matched with his speed, he should thrive for the Aztecs. He’s a former HERO Sports Freshman All-American and finished with 120 receptions for 1,617 yards and 15 touchdowns during his two years with the Catamounts.
RB Sean Dollars, Oregon to Nevada
Dollars made the most of his opportunities last year, finishing for 188 yards and one TD on 34 carries. He should have more chances to prove himself after the Wolf Pack lost virtually all of their rushing production from last season and ranked nearly last in many offensive categories.
QB Brendon Lewis, Colorado to Nevada
There’s a QB battle in Reno, but chances are high that Lewis comes out on top. The redshirt sophomore started all 12 games as a true freshman in 2020, passing for 1,540 yards and 10 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Lewis entered the portal midway through the 2022 campaign.
RB Vincent Davis, Pitt to UNLV
Davis will likely split backfield work with Courtney Reese, but his explosiveness and experience will be a boost for the Rebels, who lost a 1,000-yard rusher in Aidan Robbins. The senior is used to being in the same position after rushing for 247 yards and a score last year as a backup. He’s proven he’s capable of doing damage, however, and was the No. 1 guy in 2020:
DB Cam Stone, Wyoming to Hawaii
The other in-conference transfer on this list, Stone’s 10 pass breakups ranked second in the league while he was a cornerstone in the Cowboys’ secondary. He added 35 total tackles and two picks. Stone should retain the same type of reliability for a Hawaii defense that ranked last in total and scoring defense in 2022.
RB Quali Conley, Utah Tech to San Jose State
The junior led the WAC last year with 1,095 yards and eight scores and brings excellent vision and burst out of the backfield, taking some pressure off Chevan Cordeiro and his dual-threat abilities.
WR Dylan Goffney, SMU to Colorado State
Adding Goffney alongside Tory Horton solidifies an even bigger threat on the outside for the Rams. Goffney should help take some attention off of Horton, who had 71 of the team’s 203 receptions last season. He had 18 receptions for 369 yards and two TDs in 2022.
