Mountain West Football: 2023 Bowl Season Opt-Out and Transfer Tracker
The transfer portal is open. NFL Draft prep looms. Business decisions are made. Which players will sit out the Mountain West’s bowl games?
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Not all the stars will be out in December.
December marks perhaps the busiest time of college football season. Between the upcoming slate of bowl games, the official opening of the transfer portal, and buzz surrounding the game’s brightest stars and their standing in next year’s NFL Draft, players have plenty on their minds when deciding how to finish their season.
Not everyone will choose to stay on the field, though. Check back here throughout the month as we watch which athletes opt out of bowl season, both among the Mountain West’s seven bowl teams and their opponents.
Note: Significant contributors among opponents will be noted in italics.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Air Force
- Aidan Behymer, TE
- Caden Blum, DL
- Mason Carlan, OL
- John Lee Eldridge III, RB
- Jonah Jensen, QB
- Brady Phillips, DL
- Caleb Rillos, TE
- Jarius Stewart, QB
- Anthony Wenson, WR
James Madison
- Brent Austin, DB
- Kaelon Black, RB — team-high 594 rushing yards, 23 catches, 220 receiving yards in 2023
- James Carpenter, DL — FCS Freshman All-American in 2021; two-time all-Sun Belt
- Aiden Fisher, LB — third-team all-Sun Belt, 91 tackles, seven passes defended, six tackles for loss in 2023
- Desmond Green, WR
- Zach Horton, TE — first-team all-Sun Belt, 26 catches, 266 yards, six touchdowns in 2023
- Taurus Jones, LB — first-team all-Sun Belt, 82 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss in 2022
- Mikail Kamara, DL — second-team all-Sun Belt, 18.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks in 2023
- Wayne Knight, RB
- Ty Son Lawton, RB — 742 all-purpose yards, six total touchdowns in 2023
- Chauncey Logan, DB — 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, six passes defended in 2023
- Jordan McCloud, QB — 2023 Sun Belt Player of the Year
- Carter Miller, OL — redshirt freshman, nine starts, 639 snaps at left guard in 2023
- Abi Nwabuoku-Okonji, DL
- Jailin Walker, LB — 30 career starts; 55 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four passes defended in 2023
- Tyshawn Wyatt, OL
Starco Brands LA Bowl, Hosted By Gronk
Boise State
- Taylen Green, QB
- Eric McAlister, WR
- Keenan McCaddy, DB
- Kivon Wright, DL
UCLA
- Kam Brown, WR
- Keegan Jones, WR
- Dante Moore, QB — five-star true freshman, five starts in 2023
- William Nimmo Jr., DB
- Kamari Ramsey, DB — redshirt freshman safety, 11 starts in 2023
- Carsen Ryan, TE
- Jake Wiley, OL
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State
- Tanner Blount, LB
- Logan Fife, QB
- Chrishawn Gordon, DB
- Abraham Montaño, K
- Hayden Pulis, OL
- Raymond Scott, LB
New Mexico State
- Reggie Akles, WR
- Ta’ir Brooks, WR
- Jamari Buddin, LB
- Tyler Devera, TE
- Trent Hudson, WR — 36 catches, 571 yards, team-high ten touchdowns in 2023
- PJ Johnson, WR
- Malachi McLean, DB
- Jordin Parker, WR
- Tyriece Thomas, DL
EasyPost Hawaii Bowl
San Jose State
- Branden Alvarez, WR
- Fernando Carmona Jr., OL
- Blake Davis, DB
- Charlie Leota, DL
- Anthony Madrigal, OL
- Dominick Mazotti, TE
- Elijah Wood, LB
Coastal Carolina
- CJ Beasley, RB — team-high 717 rushing yards in 2022; 262 rushing yards, two touchdowns in 2023
- Mason Bowers, OL
- Jahmar Brown, DB
- Jared Brown, WR — 2022 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year; 108 career receptions, 1,534 career receiving yards, 11 career touchdowns
- Bailey Carraway, LB
- Evan Crenshaw, P — sophomore; 83 career punts, 39.7 career yards per punt
- Aaron Diggs, DB
- Jarrett Guest, QB — two starts in 2023 following injury to Grayson McCall
- Eli Hillman, DB
- Kaleb Hutchinson, DB
- Tavyn Jackson, DB
- JT Killen, LB — 25 career starts; 65 tackles, three tackles for loss in 2023
- Derrick Maxey, DB
- Grayson McCall, QB — three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year
- Tyson Mobley, WR
- Tre Pinkney, LB
- Jacob Proche, DB
- Chris Rhone, WR
- Braylon Ryan, DL — 38 career games, 21 career starts; 24 tackles, two tackles for loss in 2023
- Laurence Sullivan, DB
- Bryson Summers, OL
- Dami’on Thompson, WR
- Donnell Wilson, OL
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
UNLV
- Jordan Jakes, WR
- Jordyn Morgan, DB
Kansas
- Will Huggins, TE
- Reece Thomas, WR
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Utah State
- William Testa, K
- Josh Williams, LB
Georgia State
- KZ Adams, RB
- Rico Arnold, WR
- Bryquice Brown, DB — 42 career games; 35 tackles, six passes defended in nine games
- Marcus Carroll, RB — first-team all-Sun Belt, 1,350 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns
- Montavious Cunningham, OL — redshirt sophomore, 15 career starts, 737 snaps at right tackle in 2023
- Jaquon Dixon, RB
- Cameron Dye, OL
- Evan Graham, LB
- JayT Jackson, DB
- Jordan Jones, LB
- Robert Lewis, WR — led team with 70 catches, 877 yards, five receiving touchdowns
- Tony McCray, DB
- Jalen Tate, DB
Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Wyoming
- DQ James, RB
- Kolbey Taylor, DB
Toledo
- Dequan Finn, QB — three-time all-MAC, 2023 MAC Vern Smith Leadership Award winner (conference MVP)
- Jaret Frantz, WR
- Micah Kelly, RB
- Brad Ling, K
- Vinny Sciury, OL — first-team all-MAC in 2023, 836 snaps at left guard
- Ty Thomas, DL
