Mountain West Media Days Players Interview Special! All 10 team's best quote! Insider intel on teams, players, & storylines for 2026!

Mountain West Media Days Players Interview Special! All 10 team's best quote! Insider intel on teams, players, & storylines for 2026!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! We are back from Mountain West Media Days in Las Vegas, where we were able to interview over 30 players & every head coach. We’re going to dive into what I learned from the players during my conversations with them, highlighted by each team’s best quote. From position battles, to team attitudes & expectations, I certainly left the event with a better handle on all 10 teams entering the 2026 season, & now I’ll pass that insider info onto you! Some quick housekeeping before we get into things. First up, as of this upload, all of the interviews with 30+ players are now available in their entirety on my YouTube channel. You can find the link to those in the show notes below, & my interviews with all 10 head coaches will be released next week, along with a similar style episode to this one. The following week, our final Mountain West Media Days episode will drop, featuring conversations with MW commissioner Gloria Nevarez & college sports business expert KC Smurthwaite. Second, if you haven’t already heard, Mountain West Connection has launched a second podcast! It’s called The PAC-Mountain Pulse [https://open.spotify.com/show/0K9I1XCZbshbisI83ikZhm?si=83d3e44cde0b400e], hosted by Derek Raridon & Dominic Gutierrez! It’s a much more conversational show, diving into a few key topics each week, & is a perfect addition to your weekly sports diet! The Pulse drops every Thursday, & I’ll actually be on the next episode, so definitely make sure to check the site’s newest show out, you won’t want to miss it! Alright, that’s all I got for now, let’s dive into some stories from Vegas! Show Notes: 1. Rundown of MW Media Days Content Plan 2. All 10 team's best quote (players w/ interview clips in this episode) * Air Force: SR MLB Blake Fletcher * Hawaii: SR CB Elijah Palmer * Nevada: SR OT Jack Foster * New Mexico: SR QB Jack Layne * North Dakota State: SR SAF Darius Givance * Northern Illinois: JR DE Jay'shon Thomas * San Jose State: SR C Joseph Harbert * UNLV: SR CB Mumu Bin-Wahad * UTEP: SR SAF Kode Lowe * Wyoming: SR OT Rex Johnsen That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for listening! This is week one of our three part series from Mountain West Media Days. Find all of our full length interviews from the event here [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK5IcRyup-Uk]. Make sure to explore the FREE depth chart tracker app [https://mountain-west-pac-12-depth-charts.lovable.app/]! Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection [https://x.com/MWCConnection] & find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com [https://www.mwcconnection.com/]. Also make sure to check out our site’s brand new podcast, “The Pac-Mountain Pulse [https://open.spotify.com/show/0K9I1XCZbshbisI83ikZhm?si=83d3e44cde0b400e]”, with Derek & Dom’s conversations airing on Thursdays! Thank you again for coming back to the mountain!

Every PAC-12 Teams' Projected Win Totals & Most Important Player! Scouting reports, analysis, and key players to watch in 2026! Plus MW Media Days Announcement!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! As promised, we’re going to spend this week analyzing each PAC-12 team’s projected win totals, along with their most important player for 2026. I’ll let you know what I’m thinking about all eight team’s prospects in the win column, good or bad, which will help explain why a specific player is going to be your favorite team’s X-factor this season. Complete with scouting, depth chart projections, scenarios, and my personal expectations for each pick, this episode should introduce you to the main characters of the upcoming PAC-12 campaign. Lots of scouting reports to get through, let’s dive in! Real quick before we get going, first off, I’m very happy to announce that I will be attending Mountain West Media Days in Las Vegas on July 15th and 16th at the Palms Casino, providing you with interviews with all 10 head coaches and every attending player! Can’t wait to bring you guys some fantastic, exclusive content for you all, but in order to prepare, we will be taking next Tuesday off. As long as everything goes according to plan, the following Tuesday, you’ll receive the interviews with all of the players, and we’ll talk to every head coach the week after. Second thing, check out the always-free Mountain West PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker [https://mountain-west-pac-12-depth-charts.lovable.app/] which should have complete stats for every player in the Mountain West in time for Media Days! The PAC-12 stats are on the way, I promise, but since they didn’t want to have an official media day for their conference, I feel okay making them wait an extra week. Alright, enough shop talk, let’s get on with it! Show Notes: 1. MW Media Days Announcement & MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker App update 2. Each PAC-12 teams' O/U win total & Most Important Player w/ analysis * Most Important Player breakdown (by position): 1. Quarterback, Running Back, Safety: 2 2. Wide Receiver, Cornerback: 1 That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! This completes our preview of each Mountain West and PAC-12 team’s projected win totals and most important player, if you missed the Mountain West version just click here [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0FmbWbGWhzo3uVSYDns7GD?si=c98db450e12541a8] to catch up on that. Make sure to explore the FREE depth chart tracker app [https://mountain-west-pac-12-depth-charts.lovable.app/]! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection [https://x.com/MWCConnection] and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com [https://www.mwcconnection.com/]. Thank you again for listening, I will see you all when I get back from Las Vegas on July 21st with suitcases full of football intel! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

Projected O/U Win Totals & Most Important Player for each Mountain West Team! Scouting reports, analysis, & key players to watch in 2026!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! With the offseason starting to reach its twilight, let’s look forward to the 2026 season and what to expect from your Mountain West teams. This week, we’re going to dive into each school’s projected over/under for total wins provided by DraftKings, complete with my thoughts on how their season’s may go. We’ll also go over each squad’s most important player entering the year, with a full analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, and the situation around them that’s left all this responsibility on their shoulders. A great episode to get you ready for football season, let’s dive right in! Two things before we get going. First, this week’s episode will be going over the 10 Mountain West teams, and next week we’ll go over the projected win totals and most important player for all 8 PAC-12 teams. Second thing, the Mountain West PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker app is still going strong and getting better everyday! We fixed a few bugs, added some images to spruce things up, and are about 90% done with adding heights, weights, hometowns, and high school rankings for every player in the PAC-12. That should be done in the next few days, and then we’ll start adding all of the stats into the database. Also I do want to make it clear that this tool is completely free to use, there’s no paid option or anything, there’s only the free version and that’s the best available resource out there for west coast football fans. So, if you haven’t checked it out yet or haven’t looked in a few weeks, take a look at the link in the show notes below, I really think you’ll learn something new about your favorite team. Show Notes: 1. MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker App update 2. Each Mountain West teams' O/U win total & Most Important Player w/ analysis * Most Important Player breakdown (by position): 1. Running Back, Linebacker: 3 2. Quarterback: 2 3. Edge Rusher, Wide Receiver: 1 That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! I sincerely hope you take some time to explore the FREE depth chart tracker app [https://mountain-west-pac-12-depth-charts.lovable.app/]! This project has been a massive undertaking, but I truly believe this is the best fan resource out there if you care about Mountain West or PAC-12 football, so check out the link in the show notes below! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection [https://x.com/MWCConnection] and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com [https://www.mwcconnection.com/]. Of course, the CBK transfer portal tracker [https://www.mwcconnection.com/transfer-portal/83991/mountain-west-transfer-portal-tracker-2026-cbk-pac-12-rankings-updated-utep-hawaii-uc-davis-gonzaga-washington-state] is still live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list! Thank you again for listening, until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

Top 3 Incoming MW/PAC Transfers At EVERY Position! Learn the top names to watch for the 2026 CFB season! 21 players highlighted!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! For this week, I’m giving you the rundown on the best and brightest transfers entering the Mountain West and PAC-12 for the 2026 season. We’ll go through each position and highlight the top three newcomers at each spot, complete with their stories leading up to this point and how I think they’ll fare at their new homes. This list has it all, from former five stars, to journeymen joining their fourth school or embarking on their seventh year, there’s a good mix of high-profile names and under-the-radar additions. This should be fun, let’s dive right in! Real quick, here is your Mountain West PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker App update, of course the link will be in the show notes below. As of now, every single player in the Mountain West has their height, weight, hometown, and high school ranking listed, along with a few depth chart adjustments. Every PAC-12 player should have theirs added over the next few days, and then it’s on to the stats phase! Transfers Highlighted by Team: Boise State - JR RB Juelz Goff (Pitt) - JR CB JeRico Washington Jr (Kennesaw State) Colorado State - SO QB Hauss Hejny (Oklahoma State) - JR RB Durell Robinson (Auburn) - SR OT Quinton Harris (TCU) - JR LB Oumar Diomande (UConn) Fresno State - JR DE Dylan Hampsten (Sacramento State) (FCS) Nevada - JR RG Ethan Newman (Memphis) New Mexico - GR WR Troy Omeire (UNLV) Oregon State - SR LB Dylan Layne (Idaho) (FCS) San Diego State - SR S Jalen Thomeson (Ohio) San Jose State - SR QB Luke Weaver (Hawaii) - JR DT Jayland McGlothen (Sacramento State) (FCS) UNLV - SR QB Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) - JR OG BJ Tolo (New Mexico State) - SR LB Cam Santee (Holy Cross) (FCS) Utah State - SR WR Javon Robinson (Georgia State) UTEP - JR WR Carver Cheeks (Northern Colorado) (FCS) Wyoming - SR RB Markell Holman (Western Illinois) (FCS) - GR DE Thaddeus Gianaris (Dartmouth) (FCS) Washington State - JR S Jeremiah Bernard (Cal Poly) (FCS) That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! I sincerely hope you take some time to explore the depth chart tracker app [https://mountain-west-pac-12-depth-charts.lovable.app/]! This project has been a massive undertaking, but I truly believe this is the best fan resource out there if you care about Mountain West or PAC-12 football, so check out the link in the show notes below! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection [https://x.com/MWCConnection] and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com [https://www.mwcconnection.com/]. Of course, the CBK transfer portal tracker [https://www.mwcconnection.com/transfer-portal/83991/mountain-west-transfer-portal-tracker-2026-cbk-pac-12-rankings-updated-utep-hawaii-uc-davis-gonzaga-washington-state] is still live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list! Thank you again for listening, until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

Summer Report Cards for all 12 Mountain West Teams! Grades, storylines, & stars for football/basketball! MW/PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker UPDATE!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! With summer just around the corner, it’s time to hand out report cards to all 12 of the 2025 Mountain West teams. We’ll be taking an overhead look at how each school’s football and basketball programs fared this past season, complete with highs and lows, star players, and the biggest storylines that went down or came up during the offseason. No time to waste, let’s dive right in! Mountain West/PAC 12 Depth Chart Tracker App Link! [https://mountain-west-pac-12-depth-charts.lovable.app/] Show Notes: 1. MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker roadmap update 2. Report Cards (Football, Basketball, Cumulative) for all 12 2025 Mountain West teams! * One grade from each team * Air Force: Football - C- * Boise State: Basketball - C+ * Colorado State: Cumulative - C- * Fresno State: Football - B * Hawaii: Basketball - A- * Nevada: Cumulative - C+ * New Mexico: Football - A+ * San Diego State: Basketball - B- * San Jose State: Cumulative - D * UNLV: Football - B+ * Utah State: Basketball: A+ * Wyoming: Cumulative - C+ That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! I sincerely hope you take some time to explore the depth chart tracker app [https://mountain-west-pac-12-depth-charts.lovable.app/]! This project has been a massive undertaking, but I truly believe this is the best fan resource out there if you care about Mountain West or PAC-12 football, so check out the link in the show notes below! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection [https://x.com/MWCConnection] and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com [https://www.mwcconnection.com/]. Of course, the CBK transfer portal tracker [https://www.mwcconnection.com/transfer-portal/83991/mountain-west-transfer-portal-tracker-2026-cbk-pac-12-rankings-updated-utep-hawaii-uc-davis-gonzaga-washington-state] is still live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list, and is updated whenever news drops, so bookmark that to never miss out on transfer movement! Thank you again for listening, one last time, click the link in the show notes to check out the Mountain West PAC 12 Depth Chart Tracker App [https://mountain-west-pac-12-depth-charts.lovable.app/]! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!