Welcome back to the Transfer Portal Team of the Week! We’ve reached the final week of the regular season, and a conference champion will soon be crowned! You know the drill by now, we have the best lineup
possible built from the top performing transfers of Week 13! 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 what your favorite portal pickup of the season has been!
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: Braden Pegan
A 6-foot-3 standout from San Juan Capistrano, California, Braden Pegan ended his high school career as a top-700 recruit nationally and a top-50 player in the state. He held several power four offers, including UCLA, Boston College, Colorado, and Utah. After weighing his options, Pegan decided to stay home and commit to the Bruins, who were entering year five of the Chip Kelly era.
In his first year in Los Angeles, Pegan was able to make a modest contribution. He saw the field in four games on special teams and as a reserve receiver, although he wasn’t able to record any stats. His redshirt freshman season would be more eventful, playing in nine contests, including his first career start in the LA Bowl against Boise State, as well as his first career catch against Cal. With four wideouts with over 100 receiving yards departing UCLA after the 2023 campaign, Pegan was projected to battle for a starting role in the Bruins’ first year in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t see the field at all as a sophomore and would end up entering the transfer portal at season’s end. Eight hundred miles northeast, Bronco Mendenhall was building his wide receiver room from scratch at Utah State and wanted Pegan to be his X-factor. He was sold on the opportunity and announced his commitment to the Aggies on New Year’s Day.
Unlike at his previous stop, Pegan was guaranteed to get playing time as soon as he arrived in Logan, but a starting job was still up in the air. Coach Mendenhall was inheriting an offense that lost every single wide receiver snap to the portal and graduation, leaving him with a bundle of underclassmen, return man Kahanu Davis, and whoever he could sign from the portal. Joining Pegan were seniors Demick Starling (Western Kentucky) and Brady Boyd (Texas Tech), junior Corey Thompson Jr. (UNLV), and freshman Carlos Orr-Gillespie (Illinois). The three upperclassmen all entered 2025 with more prior production, while Orr-Gillespie has a very similar skillset to Pegan. Once he won the starting outside receiver role, though, it was finally off to the races.
Pegan kicked the season off with five catches for 38 yards in the Aggies’ win over UTEP and snagged his first career touchdown pass against Texas A&M. His true coming-out party would be against Air Force, where he lit up the Falcons for 147 yards and two scores, becoming the first Utah State player to crack the century mark since Jalen Royals. That performance was closer to what we’ve come to expect from Pegan this season, as he’s notched at least three receptions and 50 yards in every game since. He would break the 100-yard mark two more times this year, with 108 yards and a touchdown against New Mexico, in addition to a career-high eight catches for 109 yards in the Aggies’ overtime loss to UNLV. Pegan caught eight passes again in last week’s win against Fresno State, ending the night with 79 yards to lead both squads. He ranks second in the Mountain West in receptions and receiving yards, trailing only San Jose State’s Danny Scudero. It took four years for Pegan to find consistent reps at the collegiate level, but the Aggies have clearly been the perfect place for him to reach his full potential.
Honorable Mention: GR TE Rocky Beers, FIU to Colorado State — 7 catches (T-career high), 94 REC yards (career high), TD
Defense Spotlight: Bryson Snelling
Despite being the son of Boise State and Tennessee Titans alum Robby Snelling, Bryson Snelling has had to fight for recognition every step of the way. Slotted as a two-star recruit, he received no Division One interest out of high school even though he measured in at 6-foot-3 and excelled on both sides of the ball. With nowhere to play his freshman season of college, Bryson turned to family ties. His father had been the head coach at Butte Junior College in Northern California since 2018 and had been routinely sending his players to the FBS ranks for years. It only made sense for Bryson to join the Roadrunners until the rest of the football world got wise to his talent.
Upon arriving in Oroville, California, Snelling was told he was going to be a full-time cornerback and leaving his offensive skills behind. After sitting out his first game with Butte, he would start every game from then on, ending the year as an all-conference performer with 52 tackles, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups to his name. Snelling helped the Roadrunners finish 10–1, polishing the season off with a six-point win over Foothill College in the Gridiron Classic Bowl. Bryson had his best showing yet in the finale, tallying five tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception. With nothing left to prove, he began to look for a Division One school to call home. He received offers from Eastern Washington and McNeese State of the FCS, but a phone call from Jeff Choate’s staff at Nevada would change the tone of his recruitment. Two weeks after being offered a scholarship, Snelling committed to the Wolf Pack, joining two other Butte College alumni in defensive end Dylan Labarbera and running back Caleb Ramseur.
Although Coach Choate had to replace his top nine defensive backs from 2024, Snelling would have to bide his time before getting his shot as a starter. He saw the field on special teams in each of Nevada’s first nine games but only had 23 true snaps at corner. Snelling would be called upon shortly thereafter, with starter Kansen Kinchen going down with an injury, earning him his first career start against San Jose State. It’s safe to say he seized his opportunity. Staring down the top passing offense in the Mountain West, Snelling knocked down one pass and intercepted another, the first time he’d done either at the FBS level. He outdid himself in his next start against Wyoming, amassing three deflections in addition to three tackles. Only nine other defensive backs in the conference have done that this year, and none of them did it in their second career start. Bryson Snelling is a future star, there’s no doubt about it. The question now lies with whether Jeff Choate and the Wolf Pack can keep him around, or if he’ll blossom on a larger stage in 2026.
Honorable Mention: JR LB Mercury Swaim, St. Francis (PA) (FCS) to New Mexico — 11 tackles (career high), sack, PBU, PFF grade of 78.9
Special Teams Spotlight: Donovan Brown
Hailing from Gaithersburg, Maryland, Donovan Brown was a late riser as a recruit, earning offers from Syracuse and Vanderbilt. At 6-foot-3 with a background in track, he was projected to be an excellent outside receiver at the collegiate level. Following the end of his senior season, where he led his high school to an undefeated state championship, Brown decided to commit to Dino Babers and the Orange ahead of 2022.
As a true freshman, Brown would help out on special teams, appearing in five contests and recording two tackles. He briefly saw time at receiver as well but wasn’t able to get any targets. That changed the year after, as he was able to win one of the starting wideout spots out of fall camp. Across 13 games, Brown secured 27 catches for 321 yards, good for fourth and third on the team, respectively. He introduced himself to the Syracuse faithful with 89 yards and a touchdown against Western Michigan, a mark that remains Brown’s career high. For whatever reason, though, the redshirt freshman would fall out of the rotation toward the end of the year. After putting up nearly 300 yards in the Orange’s first six games, Brown only had five catches in the latter seven. With Coach Babers being fired and replaced by Fran Brown, the Maryland native had to decide between winning his starting job back under a new staff or starting fresh somewhere else. Shortly before the beginning of the 2024 season, Coach Brown announced that Donovan was no longer with the team and would be transferring to Lackawanna Junior College. Ultimately, he would switch his commitment to Monroe University, a JUCO in New York City.
The change of scenery worked wonders for Brown, who immediately became one of the better wide receivers at the junior college level. He led the Mustangs with 30 catches, 611 yards, and eight touchdowns, and ended his tenure with a 138-yard, two-touchdown outburst against Apprentice. Feeling ready to return to Division One after a year away, Brown transferred across the country to San Diego State, joining Sean Lewis to help him in the Aztecs’ final season in the Mountain West.
Coming off a 3–9 finish, Brown was joining a wide receiver room that had lost five of its top six options from the year prior. That didn’t mean playing time was guaranteed, though, as the Aztecs brought back Jordan Napier in addition to adding three other wideouts from the portal. Regardless, Brown was able to secure a starting position out of fall camp, and he’s quietly become one of the most consistent pass catchers in the conference. With 384 yards and 25 receptions on the season so far, he ranks second on the squad behind Napier and has an impressive five catches of over forty yards. Brown has also gotten his first-ever reps as a kick returner, taking his initial attempt 24 yards against Boise State. This past weekend in the Aztecs’ 25–3 thumping of rivals San Jose State, he tallied 63 receiving yards and 44 return yards, making it his most prolific all-purpose performance of his career. Now one game away from playing in the postseason for the first time in three years, Brown looks to have finally found a program that appreciates his elite combination of size, quickness, and route running.
Honorable Mention: JR P Hunter Green, Northern Colorado (FCS) to San Diego State — 5 punts for 208 yards (average of 41.6), 4 downed inside the 20 yard line, long of 47 yards
Team of the Week
Offense
Quarterback
Anthony Colandrea, Virginia to UNLV, Junior || W, 38-10 vs Hawaii || 21/26, 253 pass yards, 3 TDs; 16 rush yards
Running Back (2)
Rayshon “Speedy” Luke, Arizona to Fresno State, Junior || L, 28-17 vs Utah State || 4 carries, 81 rush yards, TD; 6 catches, 32 REC yards; 5 kick returns for 98 yards
Javen Jacobs, New Mexico to Utah State, Junior || W, 28-17 @ Fresno State|| 8 carries, 68 rush yards, 2 TDs (career high), fumble; 2 catches, 4 REC yards
Wide Receiver (3)
Braden Pegan, UCLA to Utah State, Junior || W, 28-17 @ Fresno State || 8 catches (T-career high), 79 REC yards
Danny Scudero, Sacramento State (FCS) to San Jose State, Sophomore || L, 25-3 @ San Diego State || 12 catches (career high), 79 REC yards
Jackson Harris, Stanford to Hawaii, Sophomore || L, 38-10 @ UNLV || 3 catches, 79 REC yards, TD (4th straight game w/ TD catch)
Tight End
Rocky Beers, FIU to Colorado State, Graduate || L, 49-21 @ Boise State || 7 catches (T-career high), 94 REC yards (career high), TD
Offensive Tackle (2)
Zach Cochnauer, Central Arkansas (FCS) to Nevada, Junior || W, 13-7 @ Wyoming || PFF grade of 80.9
Nevell Brown, Alabama A&M (FCS) to New Mexico || W, 20-3 @ Air Force || PFF grade of 74
Offensive Guard (2)
Alani Makihele, UCLA to UNLV, Graduate || W, 38-10 vs Hawaii || PFF grade of 66.2
Kalan Ellis, Syracuse to San Diego State, Junior || W, 25-3 vs San Jose State || PFF grade of 65.6
Center
Reid Williams, Chattanooga (FCS) to UNLV, Graduate || W, 38-10 vs Hawaii || PFF grade of 65.2
Defense
Defensive End (2)
Finn Claypool, Drake (FCS) to Fresno State, Graduate || L, 28-17 vs Utah State || 4 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, sack, PFF grade of 71.9
Darren Agu, Vanderbilt to New Mexico, Junior || W, 20-3 @ Air Force || 6 tackles, fumble recovery, PFF grade of 68.5
Defensive Tackle (2)
Tyree Morris, Lafayette (FCS) to Utah State, Junior || W, 28-17 @ Fresno State || 5 tackles, sack, PFF grade of 65.5
Qwyn Williams, Ohio Dominican (D2) to Hawaii, Graduate || L, 38-10 @ UNLV || 6 tackles, PFF grade of 87.7
Linebacker (3)
Mercury Swaim, St. Francis (PA) (FCS) to New Mexico, Junior || W, 20-3 @ Air Force || 11 tackles (career high), sack, PBU, PFF grade of 78.9
Brayden Johnson, Oklahoma Baptist (D2) to Wyoming, Senior || L, 13-7 vs Nevada|| 13 tackles (career high), TFL, PBU, PFF grade of 82.5
Jadon Pearson, Utah State to Fresno State, Graduate || L, 28-17 vs Utah State || 7 tackles, 0.5 TFL, PBU, fumble recovery, PFF grade of 69.7
Cornerback (2)
Bryson Snelling, Butte College (JUCO) to Nevada, Sophomore || W, 13-7 @ Wyoming || 3 tackles, 3 PBUs (career high), PFF grade of 90.1
AJ Odums, UTEP to Nevada, Graduate || W, 13-7 @ Wyoming || 6 tackles, TFL, PBU, PFF grade of 77.9
Safety (2)
Murvin Kenion III, Sacramento State (FCS) to Nevada, Graduate || W, 13-7 @ Wyoming || 4 tackles, 2 TFLs (career high), forced fumble, PFF grade of 75
Dwayne McDougle, Idaho (FCS) to San Diego State, Junior || W, 25-3 vs San Jose State || 4 tackles, INT, PFF grade of 70.7
Special Teams
Kicker
Joe McFadden, UConn to Nevada, Senior || W, 13-7 @ Wyoming || 2/3 on FGs (41, 43, missed 42), 1/1 on XPs
Punter
Hunter Green, Northern Colorado (FCS) to San Diego State, Junior || W, 25-3 vs San Jose State || 5 punts for 208 yards (average of 41.6), 4 downed inside the 20 yard line, long of 47 yards
Returner
Donovan Brown, Monroe University (JUCO) to San Diego State, Junior || W, 25-3 vs San Jose State || 2 catches, 63 REC yards; 2 kick returns for 44 yards (both career highs)
