COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Boise State tabbed as favorite in Mountain West; Jeanty named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

From news services

LAS VEGAS — The 2024 Preseason All-Mountain West Football Team was announced today at the league’s annual media days, being held at Circa Resort & Casino. As selected by a media panel, the team features 21 student-athletes who were first or second-team All-Mountain West selections in 2023. The 28-member squad is comprised of four graduate students, 14 seniors, eight juniors and one sophomore.

Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty is the Preseason Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, while Boise State senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein and UNLV senior linebacker Jackson Woodard share Preseason MW Defensive Player of the Year honors. UNLV senior returner Jacob De Jesus is the Preseason MW Special Teams Player of the Year.

Jeanty, the reigning conference Offensive Player of the Year, finished second in the FBS in 2023 with 159.7 all-purpose yards per game and seventh with 112.3 rushing yards per game. He ranked 11th with 1,347 total rushing yards and scored 19 rushing touchdowns, which ranked fifth in the FBS. The Jacksonville, Florida, native earned All-America honors from several organizations last season, including The Associated Press, Athlon Sports, ESPN and USA Today. Jeanty rushed for at least 100 yards in six games, including a pair of contests over 200 yards, and twice went over 100 yards receiving. He was one of five national finalists for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and helped the Broncos to a share of the 2023 regular-season title and the conference championship. Jeanty is Boise State’s third Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and first since Brett Rypien in 2018.

Hassanein was fifth in the FBS last season with 12.5 total sacks and seventh with 0.89 per game. A 2023 first-team All-MW selection, Hassanein recorded a streak of nine straight games with at least half a sack, the longest streak in the FBS since 2015. His total for the season was the sixth-best in program history. The Cairo, Egypt, native also turned in 16.5 tackles for loss in 2023, ranking third in the conference. A second-team College Sports Communicators Academic All-America selection and a Phil Steele All-America honorable mention last season, Hassanein forced two fumbles and anchored a defensive line that was second in the conference in rushing defense at 134.8 yards per game. He is Boise State’s second Preseason conference Defensive Player of the Year, joining Curtis Weaver, who took the honor in 2019.

Boise State tabbed preseason

favorite in Mountain West

Boise State was selected as the preseason favorite to claim the 2024 Mountain West football regular-season title, as selected by a media panel and announced by the Conference at its annual media days, being held at Circa Casino & Resort.

 The Broncos, who claimed a share of the 2023 regular-season Mountain West title and won last year’s conference championship game, earned 38 of 46 first-place votes and 543 total points to lead the preseason poll for the 14th straight season. Spencer Danielson, who coached Boise State’s final four games of the 2023 campaign in an interim role, was named the permanent head coach after the season.

Led by reigning conference Coach of the Year Barry Odom, UNLV, which also earned a share of the 2023 regular-season MW crown and competed in its first MW Football Championship game, is second in the preseason poll with 471 points and four first-place votes.

Fresno State follows in third with 460 points and the remaining four first-place votes, followed by Air Force in fourth with 384 points. Colorado State is fifth with 337 points, followed by Wyoming (296), Utah State (285), San Diego State (251), Hawai‘i (214) and defending 2023 MW regular-season tri-champion San José State (185). New Mexico (85) and Nevada (77) round out the poll.

In addition to Boise State, six other MW programs are under the leadership of new head coaches this season, as former Post Falls High football and Montana State coach Jeff Choate (Nevada), Bronco Mendenhall (New Mexico), Sean Lewis (San Diego State), Ken Niumatalolo (San Jose State), Nate Dreiling (Utah State, interim) and Jay Sawvel (Wyoming) enter their first seasons at the helms of their respective programs. Mendenhall was a head coach in the Mountain West at BYU from 2005-10.

2024 Mountain West Predicated Order of Finish

First-place votes in parentheses

1, Boise State (38) 543 points. 2, UNLV (4), 471. 3, Fresno State (4), 460. 4, Air Force 384. 5, Colorado State 337. 6, Wyoming 296. 7, Utah State 285. 8, San Diego State 251. 9, Hawaii 214. 10, San Jose State 185. 11, New Mexico 85. 12, Nevada 77.

2024 MOUNTAIN WEST PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

Offensive Player of the Year — Ashton Jeanty, jr., running back, Boise State.

Co-Defensive Player of the Year — Ahmed Hassenein, sr., defensive lineman, Boise State; Jackson Woodard, sr., linebacker, UNLV.

Special Teams Player of the Year — Jacob De Jesus, sr., PR/KR, UNLV.

Offense

Quarterback — Mikey Keene, jr., Fresno State. Wide receivers — Tory Horton, gr., Colorado State; Ricky White III, sr., UNLV; Jalen Royals, sr., Utah State. Running backs — Ashton Jeanty, jr., Boise State; Malik Sherrod, sr., Fresno State. Offensive linemen — Kage Casey, so., Boise State; Jacob Gardner, gr., Colorado State; Mose Vavao, sr., Fresno State; Tiger Shanks, sr., UNLV; Jack Walsh, jr., Wyoming. Tight end — John Michael Gyllenborg, jr., Wyoming.

Defense

Defensive linemen — Ahmed Hassanein, sr., Boise State; Devo Bridges, sr., Fresno State; Soane Toia, sr., San Jose State; Jordan Bertagnole, gr., Wyoming. Linebackers — Andrew Simpson, jr., Boise State; Chase Wilson, sr., Colorado State; Jordan Pollard, jr., San Jose State; Jackson Woodard, sr., UNLV. Defensive backs — A'Marion McCoy, sr., Boise State; Jack Howell, sr., Colorado State; Cameron Oliver, sr., UNLV; Ike Larsen, jr., Utah State.

Specialists

Punter — James Ferguson-Reynolds, jr., Boise State. Place kicker — Jonah Dalmas, gr., Boise State. Punt returner — Jacob De Jesus, sr., UNLV. Kick returner — Jacob De Jesus, sr., UNLV.