Perennial Mountain West title contender Boise State is leaving to join the newly rebuilt Pac-12 next season, leaving the conference in search of a new flagship program.
The race to fill that void began Wednesday as teams added what they hope are transformational recruiting classes on college football’s early signing day. San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and Utah State will join the Broncos in the Pac-12. Northern Illinois and UTEP are joining the Mountain West.
UNLV’s 2026 recruiting class leads the new-look conference with 195.1 points and an average recruit rating of 85.9, according to 247Sports. Northern Illinois is No. 2 with 177.7 points and an 84.5 average rating, followed by UTEP, which has 176.7 points and a 84.4 average rating. New Mexico is No. 4 with 176.4 points and a 84.5 average rating.
Here are players to watch in each class:
UNLV
WR Tatum Bell Jr., Lewisville, Texas – Bell is the son of former NFL running back Tatum Bell, and the three-star recruit chose the Rebels over a long list of suitors, which includes Michigan, Baylor, Houston, and his father’s alma mater, Oklahoma State. Bell is considered one of the fastest players in Texas and posted 1,026 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior at Heritage High.
Northern Illinois
QB Bryshawn Brown, Cincinnati, Ohio – The 6-foot-6, 200-pound dual-threat quarterback posted 2,431 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air and added 10 rushing touchdowns as a senior at Winton Woods High. Kentucky, Marshall, and Toledo also offered the three-star recruit a scholarship.
Running back Jaiduan Cranford is another recruit to keep an eye on. He posted 2,125 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground the past two seasons at Metamora High in Illinois.
UTEP
S Kane White-Tinsley, Canyon, Texas – A two-way star at West Plains High, White-Tinsley posted 116 tackles and 16 interceptions in his career as a defensive back and added 1,943 yards and 24 touchdowns as a wide receiver. He intercepted nine passes as a junior in 2024. The three-star recruit chose UTEP over offers from a long list of programs, including Texas State, New Mexico, Air Force, and Navy.
New Mexico
S Joshua Mensah, Rancho Cucamonga, California – The three-star recruit was committed to UCLA until he flipped to New Mexico in October. Arizona, BYU, Cal, and Georgia Tech are a few of the many programs that were vying to land the two-way star.
Wide receiver Massiah Mingo is another player to keep an eye on. He posted 589 yards and six touchdowns as a senior at national powerhouse Bishop Gorman, according to MaxPreps.
Wyoming
LB Boston “Bo” Gable, Gering, Nebraska – The 6-foot, 200-pound three-star recruit is the No. 17 overall prospect in Nebraska, according to 247Sports. He averaged 10.5 tackles a game as a senior at Gering High and posted 330 career tackles, 220 of which came in the past two seasons.
The Cowboys also signed quarterback Taylor Hasselbeck, who is the son of former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck and the nephew of former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
Nevada
RB Bronwyn Rios, Sparks, Nevada – Rios is a local product who played his high school ball just outside of Reno and decided to stay home after finishing his career as Reed High’s all-time leader in points, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. He racked up 4,085 yards and 54 touchdowns on the ground in four varsity seasons.
Quarterback Reeve Slone also signed with the Wolf Pack after finishing his career at Rocklin High in California with 6,468 passing yards and 63 touchdowns.
Hawaii
QB Maika Eugenio, Las Vegas, Nevada – Hawaii kept its Bishop Gorman pipeline going after signing Eugenio, who is the top quarterback in Nevada and 247Sports’ No. 13 overall prospect in the state. Rainbow Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado, who was just named Mountain West Freshman of the Year, also played at Bishop Gorman. Eugenio posted 68 career touchdown passes while throwing for 4,805 yards the past two seasons.
San Jose State
WR Carson Clark, Los Angeles, California – The three-star recruit spent the past two seasons at national powerhouse St. John Bosco, where he caught 86 passes for 1,411 yards and 16 touchdowns and averaged 16.4 yards a catch.
The Spartans also signed quarterback Daniel Rolovich, who is the son of former Hawaii and Washington State head coach and current Cal interim head coach Nick Rolovich. He threw for 2,435 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career at San Marin High in California.
Air Force
S Knight Wilson, Franklin, Tennessee – The three-star recruit was a two-way standout at Page High in Tennessee. He posted 72 tackles, six interceptions, and four forced fumbles on defense as a senior and added 311 receiving yards and three touchdowns on offense.
