The college football season is almost upon us. Football games start this Saturday for Week 0, so it’s time to rank the teams entering the year. Take a look at this week’s MWCConnection Power Rankings, and let us know what you like and what you don’t. Feel free to drop your own rankings in the comments section.
Preseason rankings are based almost exclusively on opinions and educated guesses, since no games have been played yet. It’s fair to say they don’t amount to much, like most preseason content,
but that’s no fun. That being said, expect these rankings to go through many changes week to week for the first month of the season. Since they are not games to go off of, each team will feature reasons why they could be successful and reasons why things go in an unwanted direction.
1) UNLV
The Rebels have been to three straight conference championship games and reload with a blend of core and incoming talent. The established running game and offensive line should allow the latest transfer quarterback to settle into the offensive scheme. But expect them to put up a lot of points again this season. UNLV’s defense should be better this year. Notably, the secondary, which was a glaring weakness, is shaping up to be a potential strength. That all being said, they are one of the favorites in the conference, if not the favorite.
2) New Mexico
The Lobos will be the other Mountain West favorites after becoming the darlings of the mid-major world last season. Jason Eck returns a lot of last year’s roster, including his son, who should make another run at MW Defensive Player of the Year. Overall, the defense should be stout with key players at every level. On offense, the quarterback will be more of an unknown, so expect them to rely heavily on the run game as that position should be stacked. It will not be surprising at all to see New Mexico build on last season and cement themselves as one of the top teams in the new Mountain West.
3) North Dakota State
The Bison make their Mountain West/FBS debut and appear competitive from the onset. They return a good chunk of their roster, even if not all the starters at prominent positions were on the field last season. There will be some unknowns at quarterback and wide receiver, but running back and the offensive line will definitely be strengths. Over on defense, expect the team to play with the tough, disciplined style that has defined them for years. North Dakota State should have the floor of a bowl team, with an outside shot to find themselves playing for a conference championship by the end of the season, if a few things break their way.
4) Hawaii
The Rainbow Warriors feature a high-powered offense paired with a solid but not flashy defense, which makes for quite the combo. They boast the best quarterback in the Mountain West to start the season and have a strong wide receiver room, although it will be tested with Pofele Ashlock expected to miss a large portion of the season. The defense has flown under the radar for two seasons but has been well developed by some veteran coaches despite lacking much star power. Expect that to be the case again in 2026. Hawaii will be in the running for a conference title appearance once again, but may face a bit of an uphill battle due to the injury bug.
5) Air Force
The Falcons have unfortunately been a middle-of-the-pack team at best the past two seasons. They are aiming to turn that around heading into 2026. The offense possesses a talented young quarterback who excels in their system, plus the usual stable, determined rushers and fundamental offensive linemen. The defense, a surprising liability last season, boasts at least one all-conference caliber player at every level, with linebacker primed to be the strength. On paper, Air Force should return to a bowl game this year and make life miserable for other teams, but it will be hard to know for sure until the games begin.
6) Wyoming
The Cowboys are another team hoping to improve upon the last season or two. For them, that starts with developing a functional offense, particularly in the passing game. They found a QB with production, albeit at the FCS level, and have several athletic receivers. That should allow the running back to shine behind a solid offensive line. Wyoming should be as good as usual on the defensive side of the ball, with several returning starters with a track record of productive play. But for this program, it all comes down to consistent quarterback play to ease the strain on its strengths.
7) San Jose State
The Spartans took a bit of a nose dive last year, and they are hoping to get back on track in 2026. The offensive scheme should play, keeping them in nearly every game they play. They brought in a new quarterback and a handful of new receivers, hoping that can jump-start their offense again. San Jose State also needs to find ways to be more consistent on defense. They are in the middle tier of the Mountain West, but based on the way their season went last year, they start this one at the bottom of the middle tier.
8) Nevada
The Wolf Pack had some bright spots last year, but they were few and far between. However, as has been said many times this offseason, they scored massive victories in keeping many of their core players. The hope is that retaining key players allows them to take steps forward this year on both sides of the ball. Coach Choate will continue to mold his team into a tough and disciplined group, which will keep them in more games. It will be intriguing to see how Nevada can progress and if they can finally avoid the bottom tier of the rankings for the 2026 season.
9) NIU
The Huskies enter the Mountain West and are already at a disadvantage with their head coach leaving for the NFL during the offseason. They have talented scattered around the roster, especially on the offensive end of things, which bodes well for the increase in compeition. However, there likely isn’t enough to make for a competitive season. That all being said, Northern Illinois could surprise, as they have been known to do against better teams in past seasons.
10) UTEP
Likewise, the Miners has some building blocks for a good football team, but probaby don’t have enough pieces to field a team that will compete for a bowl game or anything beyond that. They should benefit from being in the Mountain West in the long run, but the 2026 season may be too soon to ask. UTEP has some intriguing talent at quarterback and some of the skill positions to make for some flashes of strong play, but it might be a long season for this team.
