The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Quarterbacks Preview

With spring football starting soon or already underway in some circumstances, we have reached the point in the offseason where we can start diving into individual position groups. The quarterback position is going to be a fascinating one to watch with nearly every team having a quarterback competition. Let’s take a look at how each Mountain West team currently stacks up at the quarterback position.

The Good

Fresno State

Mikey Keane should easily be regarded as the top quarterback in the conference at this point. He has proven to be a capable quarterback that can win big games. However, if you are a Bulldog fan you have to be concerned about his durability and who you have playing behind him. Keane is a small quarterback and the Fresno State offensive line has struggled to protect him. If Keane stays healthy, the Bulldogs will contend for a championship and maybe even a spot in the playoff.

Boise State

There are a number of uncertainties on the offensive side of the ball for the Broncos. They will have a new offensive coordinator and the starting quarterback will either be Maddux Madsen or incoming USC transfer Malachi Nelson. I think Nelson will ultimately win the job and he will have no shortage of weapons at his disposable, including one of the best running backs in the nation in Ashton Jeanty. It will be interesting to see if this team can hit the ground running with a new offensive coordinator.

Colorado State

Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi emerged as a prolific passer as the season progressed and he gained more experience. Fowler-Nicolosi has an elite arm and some great wide receivers he can throw the ball to. His success will likely hinge on reducing turnovers and whether or not the Rams can establish a more consistent rushing attack. I think Fowler-Nicolosi will lead the league in passing yards, but an unbalanced offense and a weak defense will keep the Rams from being true contenders.

Hawaii

Brayden Schager returns after flirting with the transfer portal this past December. Schager made the right move. He is a solid quarterback, but Hawaii is a good fit and he will thrive in another year of Timmy Chang’s offense. Schager will put up huge numbers this year an will have ample opportunities to show off his arm. The Rainbow Warriors have a real chance to be a bowl team this fall.

New Mexico

Call me crazy but I really like Devon Dampier. What he did against Boise State and Fresno State with very little experience left me feeling very optimistic about the quarterback situation for the Lobos. Now, do I think Dampier is going to be elite this fall? No. But I think he has a ton of potential and is a great fit for this team moving forward. There might be some bumps with a new system in place, but I think Damipier will be one of the more solid quarterbacks in the conference by the end of the 2024 season.

The Bad

San Diego State

As I have noted before, I am a big Sean Lewis believer and contemplated putting the Aztecs in the “good” category. The starting quarterback will likely be Florida State transfer AJ Duffy or true freshman Danny O’Neil. O’Neil is a Lewis guy, he was originally committed to Colorado, but followed Lewis to San Diego. Duffy struggled to see the field for a Florida State team that was a mess at quarterback after Jordan Travis went down. I’d like to see O’Neil win the starting job and build a legacy is San Diego.

San Jose State

When the Spartans landed Jay Butterfield out of Oregon last year, I thought they had found Chevan Cordeiro’s replacement. Then the Spartans were active in the transfer portal this offseason, eventually landing Emmett Brown out of Washington State. Brown might be the better fit in Niumatololo’s system, but neither one of these guys looks like a top tier quarterback at this point.

Utah State

If there is one thing the Aggies have, it is options. I have no clue how the quarterback race is going to play out for Utah State. Cooper Legas and McCae Hillstead have both started multiple games for the Aggies. They also brought in two Power Five transfer quarterbacks in Spencer Petras out of Iowa and Bryson Barnes out of Utah. Barnes has experience at Utah but was not and effective passer, but I think he will probably win the job and take the first snap in the opener. Do I think Barnes is good enough to help the Aggies take the next step? No. I also don’t think he has enough talent around him to make up for some of his inefficiencies.

UNLV

Another school that will likely have a wild quarterback competition. With Jayden Maiava gone, the Rebels were left scrambling for a transfer quarterback. Head coach Barry Odom decided to go crazy and added three quarterbacks from the FCS level with Matthew Sluka from Holy Cross being the headliner. Sluka is not an elite passer, but he can run. I feel like he has a similar skill set to Maiava and is a good fit in the Go-Go offense. I give Sluka a slight advantage over former starter Doug Brumfield.

The Ugly

Nevada

It is hard to see a scenario where Chubba Purdy is not the starting quarterback for this team. For the third consecutive season, the Wolf Pack has been forced to look to the transfer portal. I suppose we could see Brendon Lewis or AJ Bianco give Purdy a run for his money, but I don’t think any of these guys are doing enough for this team to have a realistic chance at making a bowl game.

Air Force

We know the starter at quarterback is going to be young and inexperienced. Will it be John Busha? It was pretty clear that there was a huge fall-off at quarterback when Zac Larrier went down with an injury. Troy Calhoun and his staff have an excellent track record of developing quarterbacks for their triple option system, but it is hard to be too optimistic with this current roster.

Wyoming

I was shocked that the Cowboys did not bring in a transfer quarterback. It has been pretty clear for the better part of the last decade that this team is a good quarterback away from being a legitimate contender. With Craig Bohl gone, I was optimistic that the Cowboys would be more creative in the passing game, but that does not appear to be the case. If there is one thing the Cowboys do have, it is big quarterback with strong arms. But can they actually throw the football? Cowboy fans, who will be your starting quarterback this fall?

How are you feeling about the quarterback position for your team? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.