Welcome back to the Transfer Portal Team of the Week! This week had upsets, photo finishes, and standout showings! As per usual, we have another fantastic lineup, comprised of the top performing transfers
of Week 7! We’ll also highlight the best transfer performance from each aspect of the game, complete with their journey to this point. Congrats to the honorees, and let us know who you think should’ve made this week’s list!
Note: For the spotlight players, we’re doing our absolute best to avoid repeat selections. The main point of that section is to showcase the incredible, sometimes arduous journeys that these transfers took to reach the Mountain West. Therefore, picking players more than one time would defeat the purpose of the spotlights. If there’s a standout performance going forward that doesn’t receive top billing, that’s most likely why!
Offense Spotlight: Anthony Colandrea
An accomplished but undersized quarterback coming out of St. Petersburg, Florida, Anthony Colandrea held offers from schools across the country, but only two from the Power Four. Between Kentucky and Virginia, the three star recruit decided to move to Charlottesville and committed to the Cavaliers.
Even though he was only a true freshman, Colandrea would end up winning the starting job over Monmouth transfer Tony Muskett (phenomenal name for a QB, by the way). He was stellar across the eight games he played in, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns, along with 225 more yards on the ground. It should be noted that Colandrea threw nine interceptions this year, a stat that will be more prominent as the story continues.
Set up to be the future of Virginia football, Colandrea started the first eleven games of his sophomore campaign, tossing another 13 touchdowns while improving his total yardage to above 2,300. However, his turnover numbers rose as well, jumping to eleven by season’s end. The twenty giveaways were enough for Tony Elliott and the Cavs to look in another direction, causing the man who started the year as their savior to enter the transfer portal. After weighing his options, he chose to join Dan Mullen (and 49 other fresh faces) at UNLV.
Entering the 2025 season, Coach Mullen had been non-committal on choosing a starter between Colandrea and Michigan transfer Alex Orji. They split reps in the Rebels first game of the year against Idaho State, and after that, it was all AC’s show. He’s now had four games with over 250 total yards and three scores, putting him firmly in the running for Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. His latest showing against Air Force was his most heroic yet, as he tallied 423 total yards, completed passes to seven different receivers, and ran in two scores. The second of those came with just 36 seconds to play, as Colandrea scrambled out of the pocket and across the goal line for the eventual game-winning touchdown. UNLV has had their fair share of close calls halfway through the regular season, but with the way their “AC” is running right now, they should be able to stay cool, calm, and collected down the stretch. As for Colandrea, he seems to have found the perfect home for his gunslinger playstyle in Las Vegas. There’s a long way to go for him and the Rebels to reach the CFP, but no matter what, he’s already proven himself worthy to the UNLV faithful.
Honorable Mention: SO WR Danny Scudero, Sacramento State (FCS) to San Jose State — 10 catches, 180 REC yards, 4 TDs (career high) (all four caught in the 1st half)
Defense Spotlight: Keyshawn James-Newby
In the “Transfer Portal Era”, there’s more evidence than ever that elite talent can come from any level. Keyshawn James-Newby may exemplify that more than anyone, as his journey began as an unranked linebacker from Helena, Montana. He decided to attend in-state Montana Tech to become a civil engineer, but also “heard that [they] had a good football team”. Once James-Newby had made the Diggers’ roster, it became clearer after each day that his engineering career might have to be put to the side. He dominated the NAIA level in his two seasons there, posting four sacks as a freshman and nine sacks as a sophomore, which was good enough to lead the Frontier Conference and earn him first team honors. Ready to make the leap and see how good he really was, KJN entered the transfer portal and committed to Jason Eck at Idaho.
Though the jump from the NAIA to the FCS is a steep one, James-Newby didn’t miss a beat upon arriving in Moscow. As a junior, he racked up 38 tackles and five sacks, four of which came in consecutive games. This was nothing compared to what “The Terminator” would unleash on the Big Sky in 2024, as he turned into one of the top edge rushers in the FCS. He would be named an All-American after finishing the year with 65 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, putting any doubt to rest surrounding whether or not he was meant to be a football player. With Coach Eck leaving the Vandals for the New Mexico job, James-Newby had a choice between following the coach that saw greatness in him or going elsewhere for a bigger stage or opportunity. He decided to stick with Eck and his teammates, and moved to Albuquerque for his final collegiate season.
It took a couple of games for his stats to catch up to his impact, but James-Newby is well on his way to an All-Mountain West selection. Halfway through the 2025 campaign, he leads New Mexico in TFLs, sacks, and deflections, as well as grading out as one of the top 20 edge rushers in America according to PFF. He got his first sack of the season against New Mexico State two weeks ago, when he terrorized the Lobos hated rivals to the tune of 2.5 sacks and two pass breakups. James-Newby looked even more dangerous this past Saturday, torching Boise State for five tackles, three TFLs, and two sacks. Though they didn’t leave the blue turf with a win, considering the amount of elite talent on the Broncos offensive line, namely left tackle Kage Casey, this performance from KJN should not go unnoticed by NFL scouts. His ascension from engineering major in Montana to one of the top defensive ends in college football isn’t just inspiring, it’s a testament to what can happen if you tune out the outside noise and focus on honing your craft. You never know where your skills could lead you, maybe even to a shot at playing on Sundays.
Honorable Mention: GR CB Lemondre Joe, Missouri State to Colorado State — 6 tackles, sack, 3 deflections (T-career high), PFF grade of 70.1
Special Teams Spotlight: Oscar Doyle
Born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, Oscar Doyle dreamt of starring in Australian Rules Football. He was able to get his shot with the Lions Academy in the Coates Talent League, which is the AFL’s under-19 league, but a different oval-shaped ball began to draw his interest. Doyle would leave his childhood dream behind as he joined Prokick Australia, turning his existing kicking skills into an American football punting force. He was able to earn a spot with Weber State for the 2024 season, and Doyle never looked back.
With the Wildcats, Doyle instantly slotted in as their starting punter, and he had zero issue adjusting to the new sport. Starting all twelve of their games, he finished the year with 44.4 yards per punt, ranking 11th in FCS and 4th best in school history. Doyle’s efforts earned him a semifinalist nod for the FCS’s Punter of the Year award, solidifying him as a bona fide, field-flipping punter that any FBS program would be lucky to have. Once the spring portal window opened, Doyle took his chances and entered his name into the database. Coincidentally, fellow Prokick Australia alumni James Ferguson-Reynolds had just abandoned his post at Boise State to chase the NFL at Oregon. Needing a capable punter immediately, Spencer Danielson called up Doyle and convinced him to join the Broncos for his junior year of eligibility.
So far in his time on the Blue, Doyle has been consistent when called upon. Though that hasn’t been much, with the Broncos tied for the third least punts in the conference, he’s put five of his 18 punts inside the 20 yard line, which is a more than adequate conversion rate. Against New Mexico this past weekend, he tallied 86 yards across his two punts, but to be frank, no one is going to remember those. That’s because, in addition to his punting duties, Doyle is also Boise State’s holder.
With the clock stopped at 7:36 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos sent out the field goal unit to add to their 34-17 lead. Rocking on one knee, Doyle called for the snap from long snapper Troy Grizzle, which he wasn’t able to catch cleanly. After fiddling with the ball on the ground for a moment, any chance of a successful field goal was gone, leaving only one option: the “fire” play. As if he didn’t learn the rules of this sport two years ago, Doyle shot up to his feet, rolled out to his right, and threw an absolute seed to Grizzle in the end zone. In one of the most improbable plays in recent memory, the Aussie’s quick thinking and shocking accuracy produced the first kicker or punter thrown touchdown since 2023. It’s also the first time it’s happened in a Mountain West game since 2004. Time will tell whether or not Doyle is able to boot his way to an all-conference nod, but after Saturday night, he could hit the moon on his next punt and that laser he threw would still be the play he’s most known for.
Honorable Mention: JR WR Jahari Johnson, Shasta College (JUCO) to San Jose State — 2 KRs for 118 yards, long of 98 yards
Team of the Week
Offense
Quarterback
Anthony Colandrea, Virginia to UNLV, Junior || W, 51-48 vs Air Force || 20/32, 361 pass yards, TD; 62 rush yards, 2 TDs (career high)
Running Back (2)
Miles Davis, BYU to Utah State, Graduate || L, 44-26 @ Hawaii || 15 carries (career high), 102 rush yards, TD, fumble; 3 catches, 12 REC yards
Christian Washington, Coastal Carolina to San Diego State, Junior || W, 44-10 @ Nevada || 9 carries, 51 rush yards; 2 yard TD catch
Wide Receiver (3)
Danny Scudero, Sacramento State (FCS) to San Jose State, Sophomore || L, 35-28 @ Wyoming || 10 catches, 180 REC yards, 4 TDs (career high) (all four caught in the 1st half)
Daejon “DaeDae” Reynolds, Pitt to UNLV, Junior || W, 51-48 vs Air Force || 4 catches, 139 REC yards, TD
Jackson Harris, Stanford to Hawaii, Sophomore || W, 44-26 vs Utah State || 7 catches (T-career high), 117 REC yards; tackle
Tight End
Dorian Thomas, Arizona to New Mexico, Sophomore || L, 41-25 @ Boise State || 4 catches, 61 REC yards, TD
Offensive Tackle (2)
Nevell Brown, Alabama A&M (FCS) to New Mexico, Graduate || L, 41-25 @ Boise State || PFF grade of 68.9
Jack Foster, Idaho (FCS) to Nevada, Junior || L, 44-10 vs San Diego State || PFF grade of 66.1
Offensive Guard (2)
Kalan Ellis, Syracuse to San Diego State, Junior || W, 44-10 @ Nevada || PFF grade of 73.7
Liam Wortmann, Central Missouri (D2) to Colorado State, Graduate || W, 49-21 vs Fresno State || PFF grade of 71.9
Center
Reid Williams, Chattanooga (FCS) to UNLV, Graduate || W, 51-48 vs Air Force || PFF grade of 64.5
Defense
Defensive End (2)
Keyshawn James-Newby, Idaho (FCS) to New Mexico, Graduate || L, 41-25 @ Boise State || 5 tackles, 3 TFLs (career high), 2 sacks, deflection, PFF grade of 72
Vili Taufatofua, Utah to San Jose State, Junior || L, 35-28 @ Wyoming || 4 tackles, 2 sacks (career high), PFF grade of 71.9
Defensive Tackle (2)
Brian Booker, Texas Southern (FCS) to New Mexico, Junior || L, 41-25 @ Boise State || 3 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, deflection, PFF grade of 84
Martin Owusu, Minnesota to Fresno State, Sophomore || L, 49-21 @ Colorado State || 5 tackles (career high), PFF grade of 70.6
Linebacker (3)
Brayden Johnson, Oklahoma Baptist (D2) to Wyoming, Senior || W, 35-28 vs San Jose State || 6 tackles, TFL, Pick Six, PFF grade of 84.8
Jaxton Eck, Idaho (FCS) to New Mexico, Junior || L, 41-25 @ Boise State || 18 tackles (career high), PFF grade of 65.8
Robert Edmonson, Prairie View A&M (FCS) to Colorado State, Sophomore || W, 49-21 vs Fresno State || 9 tackles (career high), 2 TFLs (career high), PFF grade of 65.4
Cornerback (2)
Lemondre Joe, Missouri State to Colorado State, Graduate || W, 49-21 vs Fresno State || 6 tackles, sack, 3 deflections (T-career high), PFF grade of 70.1
Andrew Powdrell, Montana State (FCS) to UNLV, Junior || W, 51-48 vs Air Force || 13 tackles (career high), PFF grade of 60.6
Safety (2)
Dwayne McDougle, Idaho (FCS) to San Diego State, Junior || W, 44-10 @ Nevada || 4 tackles, INT, PFF grade of 68.8
Samuel Brooks, Dodge City CC (JUCO) to Boise State, Junior || W, 41-25 vs New Mexico || 5 tackles, PFF grade of 76.7
Special Teams
Kicker
Colton Boomer, UCF to Boise State, Junior || W, 41-25 vs New Mexico || 2/2 on FGs (24, 50), 5/5 on XPs
Punter
Oscar Doyle, Weber State (FCS) to Boise State, Junior || W, 41-25 vs New Mexico || 2 punts for 86 yards (average of 44), 1 downed inside 20 yard line; 10 yard TD pass on busted FG attempt (1st K/P to throw a TD since 2023, 1st K/P from the MW to throw a TD since 2004)
Returner
Jahari Johnson, Shasta College (JUCO) to San Jose State || L, 35-28 @ Wyoming || 2 KRs for 118 yards, long of 98 yards
