The Mountain West may not be a BCS conference, but it is loaded with talent. Notable names to watch this season are potential draft picks: San Jose State quarterback David Fales and Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr.
The Mountain West also has a lot of younger talent that scouts are starting to take notice of. Here are some of the names of the top underclassmen of the conference.
1. Davante Adams (WR, Fresno State)
Adams exploded onto the scene during his redshirt freshman season for the Bulldogs. He finished last season with 102 receptions, 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Adams is the definition of a playmaker at the wide receiver position. He has good size (6’2”, 212 pounds), has good speed and hands, and is incredibly elusive. Anytime he gets his hands on the ball, there is a legitimate chance he will end up in the endzone.
There is a chance Adams isn’t just the best underclassman in the Mountain West, but the best player in the conference.
2. DeMarcus Lawrence (DE/OLB, Boise State)
Lawrence primarily lined up at defensive end last season for the Broncos, but at his size (6’3”, 244 pounds), slim build, and the speed he possesses, he projects better as an outside linebacker. In the snaps where he was standing up, he looked much more explosive than he does on plays where he puts his hand in the ground.
Teams often ran away from Lawrence and running backs often helped in pass blocking on his side. He uses his size and speed well to create havoc in the backfield.
He finished 2012 with 48 tackles and 9.5 sacks, as well as a blocked kick.
You can see eDraft’s NFL draft expert’s, Jon Dove, thoughts on Lawrence here.
3. Brett Smith (QB, Wyoming)
Playing at Wyoming, Smith does not have a lot of help. He is consistently under pressure behind a subpar offensive line, but he does a good job using his feet to move around in the pocket, as well as scramble outside.
Smith displays good arm strength in all facets of the passing game (short, intermediate and deep). His deep ball tends to float, but that seems to be more him trying to put “touch” on his passes, not a lack of arm strength. He also showed improvement in his decision making last season, decreasing his interception total from 11 in 2011, to only six last season.
Wyoming definitely rests its offense on Smith’s arm, who has thrown 745 times in his first two years with the Cowboys. He is a playmaker, and if he had a little more protection, could be a lot more dangerous than he already is.
4. Jay Ajayi (RB, Boise State)
Ajayi is the next in line to carry the Boise State running game. Last season, as a redshirt freshman, he ran for 548 yards on only 82 carries (6.7 yards per carry).
He is well built (6’0”, 215 pounds) and a downhill runner who is tough to stop once he gets moving. He cuts fairly well in the backfield and hits the hole well. As the feature back this season, Ajayi looks to showcase his talents on a more regular basis and emerge as one of the better running backs in college football.
5. Chuckie Keeton (QB, Utah State)
As a first-year starter, Keeton was impressive. Although Utah State had Kerwynn Williams, now with the Colts, as the focal point of their offense, Keeton showcased his abilities as a passer and a runner. He passed for over 3,300 yards, 27 touchdowns and only nine interceptions, and led the Aggies to an 11-2 record and a blowout win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl over Toledo.
Keeton showed maturity in the pocket and did a good job progressing through his reads.He has good accuracy, shown by his 67.6% completion percentage, but can do a better job hitting his receivers and giving them more room to make plays after the catch. Keeton has good arm strength and the ability to run. Utah State, like other NCAA and NFL teams, used the read-option as part of their offense. Keeton excelled in this aspect, rushing for 619 yards and eight touchdowns.
If Keeton continues to progress and develop as a passer, his skill set could be intriguing to the NFL as the read-option continues to become more commonplace.