The top three Mountain West Conference football programs — Texas Christian, Utah and Brigham Young — were the leaders in MWC recruiting Wednesday.
The league’s big three weren’t alone in four-star hauls, however. New Mexico produced the biggest surprise in the MWC, if not the nation, by getting Hialeah, Fla., four-star defensive tackle Calvin Smith, who had his choice of SEC schools.
School | Rivals.com rank | Commitments
UTAH, No. 32, 22
Utes benefited in a big way from two last-minute decisions, beating Southern California for junior college offensive lineman John Cullen and four-star linebacker V.J. Fehoka from Hawaii.
BYU, No. 40, 27
Coach Bronco Mendenhall already stashed his best players, quarterback Jake Heaps and wide receiver Ross Apo, as midyear arrivals. Heaps is the top incoming player in the league.
TCU, No. 46, 18
On paper, the Horned Frogs didn’t reflect their No. 6 national ranking in a banner 2009 season. TCU lost four-star tailback Josh Huff to Oregon. TCU recruiting classes are typically underrated and then an All-American like Jerry Hughes emerges in a few years.
CSU, No. 57, 27
Rebuilding Rams are following the trend of midyear arrivals.
SAN DIEGO STATE, No. 73, 27
Second-year Aztecs coach Brady Hoke is reversing the setbacks of the Chuck Long era. The Aztecs’ recruiting class, grown mostly in California, is led by star offensive lineman Zack Dilley (6-5, 280).
NEW MEXICO, No. 79, 17
Lobos went into national signing day with just a handful of known commitments and came out with 17 signatures. Coach Mike Locksley nearly lost his job during his first season in Albuquerque but may prove to be the right hire after all. Smith, the prized pickup, cited Locksley and defensive line coach Rubin Carter (a former Broncos star) for his stunning decision to sign with New Mexico.
UNLV, No. 101 (tie), 23
New coach Bobby Hauck signed a record eight local prospects. There was one late addition from Colorado, with Chatfield offensive tackle Alex Novosel signing with the Rebels just a day after his coach said the lineman would walk on at Utah.
WYOMING, No. 101 (tie), 23
Cowboys did much better than their national ranking suggests. Wyoming’s biggest steal could be British Columbia product Nehemie Kankolongo, a 5-11, 200-pound running back.
AIR FORCE, No. 108 (tie), 34
Coach Troy Calhoun never really knows who is in the AFA class until basic cadet training ends during the summer, but plenty of high school players have announced they want to attend the academy.
