By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
It’s about that time.
Bold predictions are my specialty, and this is not the moment to back down.
From predicting a surprise team to make the Mountain West Championship game to highlighting programs coming off three-win seasons, you’ve come to the right place.
The landscape of college football has dramatically changed. Nobody was predicting Arizona State’s run in 2024. Anything is possible. Dream big.
Here’s my list of the Top 10 Surprise Teams in the West for the 2025 season.
1. Utah
Like it or not, there are growing expectations surrounding Utah in 2025. The Utes lost five games by single possessions last season and the Big 12 should be wide open once again.
Devon Dampier is a quality quarterback, and new offensive coordinator Jason Beck was with him at New Mexico last season. The familiarity between the two should pay dividends in Salt Lake City.
If Utah’s defense is strong once again, the Utes could legitimately contend for a Big 12 Championship. Dampier is that good.
2. San Jose State
Ken Niumatalolo will lead San Jose State to the Mountain West Championship Game this year. It could be characterized as a bold prediction, but in reality it’s not.
The Spartans won seven games in Niumatalolo’s first season and the program is on the rise. The Mountain West is begging for a consistent No. 2 team behind Boise State and SJSU is it.
The program has been building new facilities and hiring competent coaches in the process. 2025 is their year.
3. UCLA
There’s clear momentum brewing in Westwood. Recruiting is starting to tick up and the Bruins finished last season winning four of their last six.
Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava was brought in, helping to boost UCLA’s transfer class to No. 20 nationally, per 247Sports.
A bowl game is the minimum expectation for 2025. And don’t call me crazy, but an eight-win year is not out of reach.
4. Oregon State
The Beavers are being slept on. Maalik Murphy is a game-changer at quarterback that alters the trajectory of the program.
Momentum killed last season’s run. After Oregon State started the year 4-1, the Beavs lost two-straight games by single possessions and collapsed to finish 1-6 over their final seven games.
That won’t happen with Murphy under center. His dynamic play-making ability should rally the team and makes OSU a sleeper pick in the West.
5. Washington
Washington will be ranked in the Top 25 at one point in the season. You heard it here first.
Year One of the Jedd Fisch era set the foundation. The second season should come with noteworthy progress. Demond Williams Jr. is the type of quarterback that a program can be built around.
Combined with Fisch’s offensive acuity, the Huskies will be better than some may think.
6. UTEP
UTEP only won three games in Scotty Walden’s first season in El Paso. But the Miners finished the year winning two of their last three and went 3-3 in the second half of their season.
There’s clear momentum heading into Walden’s second year and it shows in recruiting. UTEP has the No. 1 recruiting class in Conference USA and the No. 4 transfer class, per 247Sports.
A six-win season might be over-ambitious, but it’s a not outside the realm of possibilities.
7. Arizona
Brent Brennan had to take action after last season’s debacle. The Wildcats were the biggest flop of 2024 and much of the blame can be placed on the offensive coaching staff.
To Brennan’s credit, he went out and hired up-and-coming offensive coordinator Seth Doege to implement a new scheme. Changes were made to the defensive staff, too.
Brennan reeled in Miami defensive line coach Joe Salave’a, an offseason coup that’s arguably as impactful as Doege’s addition. Mixed with Noah Fifita’s leadership, the regained belief throughout the program should show on the field.
8. San Diego State
Sean Lewis’s first year in San Diego was not great. The Aztecs won just three games and ended the year with six-straight losses. But the tide is turning.
SDSU has the No. 2 recruiting class in the Mountain West and the No. 6 transfer class, per 247Sports. Lewis runs a solid offensive system and Year 2 should see marked improvement.
Finding ways to consistently win single-possession games could be the difference in 2025.
9. California
The Bears were a few plays away from a nine-win season in 2024. But close is not good enough and the program went through a bit of a reset.
Fernando Mendoza left for Indiana and Jaydn Ott transferred to Oklahoma. Bryan Harsin was hired as the new offensive coordinator and a slew of the remaining running backs transferred out.
Still, Cal has the No. 7 transfer class in the ACC, per 247Sports, including UNLV wide receiver Jacob De Jesus and BYU linebacker Harrison Taggart. Don’t overlook California this season.
10. Stanford
The Cardinal went through unexpected changes over the offseason that should prove beneficial in the long run. Troy Taylor was let go due to off-field issues and Frank Reich was named the interim coach for the year.
Taylor’s offensive system was overly predicated on quarterback runs and inefficient. Reich’s NFL background should produce a more traditional offensive style that scores with greater consistently.
Don’t be surprised when Stanford upsets a team or two on The Farm.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.