2025 Preseason Best-in-West Group of 5 Power Rankings

1. Boise State

Here they are again. Even with the loss of Ashton Jeanty, the best Group of Five team in the West, and nationally, is none other than Boise State.

The Broncos return Maddux Madsen at quarterback, who just fits the BSU style of continuing to win.

They could also have another dominant running back in Sire Gaines. Jambres Dubar and former Fresno State running back Malik Sherrod round out this unit.

Boise State gets a few key pass catchers back in tight end Matt Lauter and wideout Latrell Caples. And BSU’s offensive line should destroy souls in the Mountain West.

On defense, the Broncos lose linebackers Seyi Oladipo and Andrew Simpson, but return Ty Benefield in the secondary. Benefield was their leading tackler last season. They also get back a great safety in Zion Washington.

Boise State returns 14 players this year, which is a testament to their culture, and a problem for everyone else.

2. Oregon State

Oregon State is hoping to reinvigorate its program after a disappointing 2024 season.

The most notable move the Beavers made was bringing in Maalik Murphy, a transfer from Duke, who led the Blue Devils to a 9-3 mark last year.

He should provide a spark for OSU’s passing attack, which finished 94th a season ago.

Oregon State also returns Anthony Hankerson at halfback, as well as two solid receivers in Trent Walker and Darrius Clemons.

The Beaver defense is mostly unknown, but Skyler Thomas is a playmaker at the safety position. They are hoping Takari Hickle is going to provide some pressure on the defensive line.

The Beavs need to get more pressure on the quarterback this season.

3. San Jose State

The Spartans could be a sleeper team nationally.

San Jose State returns quarterback Walker Eget, who threw for 2,504 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Nick Nash is gone, but they did a good job getting guys in the transfer portal.

SJSU brought in three receivers from Power Four conferences and return their top three running backs. Sticking with the theme, they got three offensive linemen back as well.

On defense, Ken Niumatalolo thinks the D-line could be the team’s strongest unit. They return their top tackler and linebacker in Jordan Pollard, who was selected to the preseason Bednarik Award Watch List.

The Spartans return another good linebacker in Taniela Latu. In the secondary, they lost Robert Rahimi, but it shouldn’t prove too problematic.

If everything hits right, these guys could win the conference.

4. Washington State

Is an alumnus of Washington State, I don’t know what to expect out of my Cougars this year—no one does.

WSU got a new Head Coach in Jimmy Rogers, who won a National Championship with South Dakota State, but that was at the FCS Level.

Rogers brought in a slew of Jackrabbits with him to Pullman, but who knows what they’ll do at the FBS level. The Cougs lost all of their notable names in the off-season, with the biggest being John Mateer to Oklahoma.

The three returners on offense are wideout Josh Meredith, and linemen in Brock Dieu and Christian Hilborn. Wazzu also returns two linebackers in Parker McKenna and Keith Brown.

Getting back Jamorri Colson in the secondary is another  plus.

Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus looked solid in the Holiday Bowl, but it’s too small of a sample size to make a judgment.

5. UNLV

UNLV is hoping to continue its run of recent success with new Head Coach Dan Mullen.

Mullen has historically been good at designing offenses, but it will be interesting to see what he does with this unit. He will have two transfer quarterbacks to choose from in Alex Orji and Anthony Colandrea.

The Rebels also return halfback Jai’Den Thomas, who gives Mullen a legit ground weapon. The key to the offense figures to be the line, though, which lost the entire unit.

On the defensive side of the ball, UNLV needs to rebuild its entire line as well. They also lost all of their linebackers, most notably Jackson Woodard. In the secondary, Jalen Catalon is no longer there.

UNLV has some talent, but they could lose a few weird games due to the instability of both lines.

6. Air Force

Last season started rough for Air Force, with seven losses in the first eight games. But this year could prove different.

The Falcons lacked experience in 2024, and it took them a while to find their rhythm. But once they did, the wins came, punctuated by victories in their last four games.

This season, AF returns 13 players, but lost quarterback Quentin Hayes. Outside of that loss, the team looks solid. Their offensive line is more experienced, which is vital for an option-based attack.

On the defensive side of the ball, Air Force returns its top three defensive linemen, as well as five experienced linebackers.

Since service schools have transfer portal limitations, the continuity of this team should prove crucial.

7. Fresno State

Fresno State has long been a dangerous team in the Mountain West, but this season feels like a rebuild.

Tim Skipper couldn’t find success in The Valley, so they brought in a new head coach in Matt Entz.

Entz is in a tough position, though. Outside of halfback, the Bulldogs lost pretty much everything. Mikey Keene is now at Michigan, and Mac Dalena is off to the NFL.

If Elijah Gilliam and Bryson Donelson don’t make a big impact on offense, this year could be tough.

On defense, it’s more of the same. The Bulldogs lost Malachi Langley at the defensive tackle position. And in the secondary, they lost Cam Lockridge and Dean Clark.

This squad doesn’t have the same depth or experience it had a year ago.

8. Hawai’i

Hawai’i could be flying under the radar this year. The Rainbow Warriors return 15 players with experience, which works in their favor.

If new quarterback Micah Alejado plays well, UH could have one of the best offenses in the Mountain West.

Hawaii returns Landon Sims at halfback, and he’ll be running behind a more experienced offensive line. They also return two great receivers in Nick Cenacle and Pofele Ashlock.

The defense returns a lot of production and could have the best linebacking core in the Mountain West.

9. Wyoming

The Cowboys had a tough non-conference schedule last year, which helps explain their disappointing record and the Idaho loss.

This year, Wyoming gets Akron and Northern Iowa, which should result in a few more wins.

In terms of their roster, the Pokes have 12 returnees, nine of them on offense. Kaden Anderson could be a pleasant surprise at quarterback after a decent campaign last season.

The Cowboys also return some solid receivers. But Wyoming’s biggest weapon is tight end John Michael Gyllenborg.

On defense the Pokes lost their top nine defenders, which they’re trying to replace with FCS talent. The linebacking core is probably their strongest group on this side of the ball.

10. Colorado State

The Biggest determinant of Colorado State’s success this year will be the play of Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi.

Fowler-Nicolosi will have a much bigger role on his shoulders this year, due to everything the Rams lost. Not only is Tory Horton in the NFL, but most of their top offensive linemen are also gone.

On defense, CSU is going to be really thin in the front seven. They  lost most of this group, including all of their starting linebackers.

If Colorado State’s defense is going to be reputable this year, it will need the secondary to boss up.

11. San Diego State Aztecs

The Aztecs are on this list because they return 14 players with starting experience.

They lost a ton of production on the offensive side of the ball, but that might not be a bad thing, as they ranked 116th in points per game last season.

San Diego State will need to replace Marquez Cooper at running back, as well as Danny O’Neil at quarterback. They also lost three offensive linemen.

If SDSU is going to be successful this year, Jayden Denegal and Lucky Sutton will need to provide more offensive production.

The defense should be solid with the return of 10 players on this side of the ball.

12. Utah State

Utah State has a new head coach in Bronco Mendenhall, which should set the program up well for the future.

This year the Aggies could have some slight improvement, because they return eight players with experience.

Bryson Barnes is a solid quarterback who feels like a 10th-year NFL veteran at this point. They did lose halfback Rahsul Faison, however, as well as most of their top receivers.

The offensive line should still prove to be a work in progress.

On defense, USU returns six players, which could provide a bit of stability. But they were one of the worst units in the country last year, ranking 129th in points allowed per game.

This team could sneak into a bowl if the defense is makes things happen.