Welcome back to the Transfer Portal Team of the Week! We’re still getting over the shock of San Diego State allowing 38 points, but have no fear, your weekly lineup is here! We have the best possible lineup that
can be built from the top performing transfers of Week 11! 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 transfer has impressed you the most this season!
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: Brady Boyd
Born and raised in Southlake, Texas, Brady Boyd had his choice of power four programs out of high school, including offers from Oklahoma State, Utah, and Minnesota. He opted to play in the Big 10, and committed to the Golden Gophers out of high school.
Though Boyd would see the field a decent amount as a true freshman, appearing in nine games, he ended the year with just two catches for 18 yards. Ultimately, he decided to enter the transfer portal at season’s end. After just five days in limbo, the Texan chose to return to his home state and play for Texas Tech entering the 2022 campaign.
As a sophomore, Boyd was able to make a more sizable impact with the Red Raiders. Playing in all but one game, he tallied 125 receiving yards and the first touchdown catch of his career against West Virginia. Although signs were pointing to a breakout 2023, Texas Tech’s coaching staff felt that he needed some time off the field to reach his full potential. They decided to have him redshirt, preserving his eligibility, leading to him only playing in three games all year.
In theory, the season spent in the weight room should have been a springboard to stardom for Boyd, but reality was not nearly as kind. He saw the field in eleven contests, but only caught one pass for the entire season. With one year of college ball remaining, Boyd re-entered the transfer portal, and chose to end his career with Utah State one month later.
Even though the Aggies were replacing their entire wide receiver room, Boyd still had to battle for a starting job. Bronco Mendenhall brought in five other transfers at that position, including Braden Pegan from UCLA and Demick Starling from Western Kentucky. Regardless, Boyd proved himself in camp and was named one of the three first stringers entering their season opener against UTEP. Since then, he’s been one of the most consistent wideouts in the Mountain West. He put the league on notice with six catches for 87 yards at CFP-bound Texas A&M, and caught a career high two touchdowns against McNeese State. Boyd has had multiple receptions in every single game in 2025, and just had the best performance of his career. He torched Nevada again and again, ending the night with 117 yards and two touchdowns to his name. It’s been a crazy journey for Boyd, who started in the Lone Star state, moved north to Minnesota, back to Texas, and finally northwest to Logan, Utah, but he’s finally found a place that can properly utilize his talents.
Honorable Mention: SO WR Jackson Harris, Stanford to Hawaii — 7 catches (T-career high), 130 REC yards, 3 TDs (career high) (all in 1st quarter)
Defense Spotlight: Brevin Hamblin
A three sport star at Syracuse High School in Utah, Brevin Hamblin has had to fight for every opportunity he’s gotten. Despite an excellent career, his lone scholarship offer was from in-state FCS school Utah Tech. He jumped at it, and joined the Trail Blazers ahead of the 2023 season.
Hamblin wasted no time working his way into the lineup, playing in eleven games as a true freshman. He racked up 43 tackles on the year, including eight stops against future conference foe Colorado State. Stepping into the full-time starting role as a sophomore, Hamblin emerged as one of the most dynamic safeties in the FCS. He led Utah Tech with 96 tackles, in addition to two forced fumbles and a blocked field goal.
While the individual success was there, the Trail Blazers weren’t as fortunate. Since Hamblin arrived on campus, they hold a record of just 3-20. With enough of a track record to get noticed in the recruiting world and a desire to win some football games, he decided to enter the transfer portal for his junior campaign. It wouldn’t be long before Bronco Mendenhall would be in contact, offering Hamblin a chance to jump to FBS level while still staying in his home state. The fit was too perfect, and he would officially join Utah State just ten days after filing his paperwork.
Entering the 2025 season, Hamblin’s exact position was up in the air. With perennial all-conference selection Ike Larsen returning, some thought the Utah Tech transfer would end up starting at linebacker or nickel. Those plans were altered quickly after Larsen’s six game suspension, and Hamblin was named a week one starter at safety. He hasn’t missed a beat, notching at least seven tackles in all but one contest so far. By far, his most impressive outing came this past weekend, where he dominated Nevada to the tune of 8 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a sack, a fumble recovery, AND a pick six. That interception is the first of his career, and is certainly a moment he’ll never forget. At every stage of his career, Hamblin has been told that he wasn’t talented enough to make an impact. Time after time, though, he’s let his play do the talking, and it’s proven him right on each occasion.
Honorable Mention: JR LB Nakian Jackson, Sacramento State (FCS) to Nevada — 12 tackles, PFF grade of 77.6
Special Teams Spotlight: Lloyd Avant
Rated as a three star recruit out of Humble, Texas, Lloyd Avant was one of the most sought after running back prospects in the Group of 5, holding several offers from the American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, and CUSA. With his main priority being seeing the field as soon as possible, Avant committed to Tulsa for the 2024 season.
The Humble native showed no humility when he arrived on campus, taking a kick return 100 yards to the house in his very first game against Northwestern State. He also added 64 rushing yards in this one, providing the theme for Avant’s season. Across all twelve of the Golden Hurricane’s contests, he routinely made an impact on the ground and on special teams, ending the year with 322 total yards and a whopping 392 yards on kick returns. Despite his success on the field, Tulsa was heading in a new direction. They fired head coach Kevin Wilson at the tail end of the year, and with the coach that recruited him out the door, the writing was on the wall. Avant decided to enter the transfer portal, and would land at Colorado State with Jay Norvell.
While it goes without saying that this year was a rough one for Ram fans, Avant has continued to be a bright spot in a dark season. He currently leads the team with three rushing scores, along with 356 rushing yards and 251 in the return game (3rd in the Mountain West). There’s no shortage of talent in Colorado State’s backfield, with Jalen Dupree, Justin Marshall, and Javion Kinnard all showing flashes, but Avant has arguably been the most consistent and effective of the bunch. He’s had a tough break, with this being the second straight year the coach that recruited him was let go midseason, but there’s a real chance for Avant to become a star in the Green and Gold. If the next Colorado State head coach can convince him to stick around, that is.
Honorable Mention: JR K Tanner Rinker, Garden City CC (JUCO) to Utah State — 3/3 on FGs (32, 44, 21), 6/6 on XPs
Team of the Week
Offense
Quarterback
Anthony Colandrea, Virginia to UNLV, Junior || W, 42-10 @ Colorado State|| 15/22, 251 pass yards, 2 TDs, INT; 33 rush yards, 2 TDs (T-career high)
Running Back (2)
Jaylon Glover, Utah to UNLV, Junior|| W, 42-10 @ Colorado State || 12 carries, 99 rush yards, TD; 7 yard catch; 14 yard kick return
Miles Davis, BYU to Utah State, Graduate || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || 11 carries, 33 rush yards, 2 TDs (T-career high)
Wide Receiver (3)
Jackson Harris, Stanford to Hawaii, Sophomore || W, 38-6 vs San Diego State || 7 catches (T-career high), 130 REC yards, 3 TDs (career high) (all in 1st quarter)
Brady Boyd, Texas Tech to Utah State, Senior || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || 5 catches, 117 REC yards (career high), 2 TDs (T-career high)
Leland Smith, Purdue to San Jose State, Junior || L, 26-16 vs Air Force || 9 catches, 144 REC yards (both career high)
Tight End
Rocky Beers, FIU to Colorado State, Graduate || L, 42-10 vs UNLV || 4 catches (T-career high), 61 REC yards (career high), TD
Offensive Tackle (2)
Trenton Scott, Texas State to Nevada, Senior || L, 51-14 @ Utah State || PFF grade of 74.1
James Faminu, Temple to UNLV, Graduate || W, 42-10 @ Colorado State || PFF grade of 63.4
Offensive Guard (2)
Malik McGowan, North Carolina to UNLV, Senior || W, 42-10 @ Colorado State || PFF grade of 65.9
Liam Wortmann, Central Missouri (D2) to Colorado State, Graduate || L, 42-10 vs UNLV || PFF grade of 63.3
Center
Jimmy Liston, Purdue to Utah State, Sophomore || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || PFF grade of 72.6
Defense
Defensive End (2)
Vili Taufatofua, Utah to San Jose State, Junior || L, 26-16 vs Air Force || 5 tackles, TFL, PFF grade of 70
Tunmise Adeleye, Texas State to UNLV, Senior || W, 42-10 @ Colorado State || 4 tackles, sack, PFF grade of 63.2
Defensive Tackle (2)
Tyree Morris, Lafayette (FCS) to Utah State, Junior || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, PFF grade of 63.2
De’Jon Benton, New Mexico to Hawaii, Graduate || W, 38-6 vs San Diego State || 4 tackles, 0.5 sack, PFF grade of 62.5
Linebacker (3)
Nakian Jackson, Sacramento State (FCS) to Nevada, Junior || L, 51-14 @ Utah State || 12 tackles, PFF grade of 77.6
Tymere Burton, East Mississippi CC (JUCO) to Utah State, Sophomore || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || 6 tackles, 0.5 sack, PBU, PFF grade of 79.3
Giovanni Iovino, San Diego (FCS) to Hawaii, Graduate || W, 38-6 vs San Diego State || 2 tackles, sack, PFF grade of 71.3
Cornerback (2)
Aamaris Brown, USF to UNLV, Graduate || W, 42-10 @ Colorado State || 7 tackles, PFF grade of 71.5
AJ Odums, UTEP to Nevada, Senior || L, 51-14 @ Utah State || 9 tackles (career high), 2 PBUs, PFF grade of 64.1
Safety (2)
Brevin Hamblin, Utah Tech (FCS) to Utah State, Junior || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || 8 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, sack, P6, FR, PFF grade of 68.8
Noah Avinger, New Mexico to Utah State, Senior || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || 7 tackles, PFF grade of 72.4
Special Teams
Kicker
Tanner Rinker, Garden City CC (JUCO) to Utah State, Junior || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || 3/3 on FGs (32, 44, 21), 6/6 on XPs
Punter
Landon Rekhow, BYU to Utah State, Sophomore || W, 51-14 vs Nevada || 3 punts for 146 yards (average of 48.7), 1 downed inside the 20 yard line, long of 63
Returner
Lloyd Avant, RB, Tulsa to Colorado State, Sophomore || L, 42-10 vs UNLV || 5 carries, 14 rush yards; 2 yard catch; 20 yard kick return
