Hike's Peak: The Weekly Mountain West Podcast

Mountain West Connection

Welcome to "Hike's Peak", a Mountain West Connection podcast. Visit the mountain every Tuesday for a brand new episode covering everything Mountain West related! Find us on Twitter @MWCConnection or on our website mwcconnection.com !

  1. Projected O/U Win Totals & Most Important Player for each Mountain West Team! Scouting reports, analysis, & key players to watch in 2026!

    2d ago

    Projected O/U Win Totals & Most Important Player for each Mountain West Team! Scouting reports, analysis, & key players to watch in 2026!

    Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! With the offseason starting to reach its twilight, let’s look forward to the 2026 season and what to expect from your Mountain West teams. This week, we’re going to dive into each school’s projected over/under for total wins provided by DraftKings, complete with my thoughts on how their season’s may go. We’ll also go over each squad’s most important player entering the year, with a full analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, and the situation around them that’s left all this responsibility on their shoulders. A great episode to get you ready for football season, let’s dive right in! Two things before we get going. First, this week’s episode will be going over the 10 Mountain West teams, and next week we’ll go over the projected win totals and most important player for all 8 PAC-12 teams. Second thing, the Mountain West PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker app is still going strong and getting better everyday! We fixed a few bugs, added some images to spruce things up, and are about 90% done with adding heights, weights, hometowns, and high school rankings for every player in the PAC-12. That should be done in the next few days, and then we’ll start adding all of the stats into the database. Also I do want to make it clear that this tool is completely free to use, there’s no paid option or anything, there’s only the free version and that’s the best available resource out there for west coast football fans. So, if you haven’t checked it out yet or haven’t looked in a few weeks, take a look at the link in the show notes below, I really think you’ll learn something new about your favorite team. Show Notes: MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker App updateEach Mountain West teams' O/U win total & Most Important Player w/ analysisMost Important Player breakdown (by position):Running Back, Linebacker: 3Quarterback: 2Edge Rusher, Wide Receiver: 1That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! I sincerely hope you take some time to explore the FREE depth chart tracker app! This project has been a massive undertaking, but I truly believe this is the best fan resource out there if you care about Mountain West or PAC-12 football, so check out the link in the show notes below! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com. Of course, the CBK transfer portal tracker is still live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list! Thank you again for listening, until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

    21 min
  2. Top 3 Incoming MW/PAC Transfers At EVERY Position! Learn the top names to watch for the 2026 CFB season! 21 players highlighted!

    Jun 23

    Top 3 Incoming MW/PAC Transfers At EVERY Position! Learn the top names to watch for the 2026 CFB season! 21 players highlighted!

    Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! For this week, I’m giving you the rundown on the best and brightest transfers entering the Mountain West and PAC-12 for the 2026 season. We’ll go through each position and highlight the top three newcomers at each spot, complete with their stories leading up to this point and how I think they’ll fare at their new homes. This list has it all, from former five stars, to journeymen joining their fourth school or embarking on their seventh year, there’s a good mix of high-profile names and under-the-radar additions. This should be fun, let’s dive right in! Real quick, here is your Mountain West PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker App update, of course the link will be in the show notes below. As of now, every single player in the Mountain West has their height, weight, hometown, and high school ranking listed, along with a few depth chart adjustments. Every PAC-12 player should have theirs added over the next few days, and then it’s on to the stats phase! Transfers Highlighted by Team: Boise State - JR RB Juelz Goff (Pitt) - JR CB JeRico Washington Jr (Kennesaw State) Colorado State - SO QB Hauss Hejny (Oklahoma State) - JR RB Durell Robinson (Auburn) - SR OT Quinton Harris (TCU) - JR LB Oumar Diomande (UConn) Fresno State - JR DE Dylan Hampsten (Sacramento State) (FCS) Nevada - JR RG Ethan Newman (Memphis) New Mexico - GR WR Troy Omeire (UNLV) Oregon State - SR LB Dylan Layne (Idaho) (FCS) San Diego State - SR S Jalen Thomeson (Ohio) San Jose State - SR QB Luke Weaver (Hawaii) - JR DT Jayland McGlothen (Sacramento State) (FCS) UNLV - SR QB Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) - JR OG BJ Tolo (New Mexico State) - SR LB Cam Santee (Holy Cross) (FCS) Utah State - SR WR Javon Robinson (Georgia State) UTEP - JR WR Carver Cheeks (Northern Colorado) (FCS) Wyoming - SR RB Markell Holman (Western Illinois) (FCS) - GR DE Thaddeus Gianaris (Dartmouth) (FCS) Washington State - JR S Jeremiah Bernard (Cal Poly) (FCS) That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! I sincerely hope you take some time to explore the depth chart tracker app! This project has been a massive undertaking, but I truly believe this is the best fan resource out there if you care about Mountain West or PAC-12 football, so check out the link in the show notes below! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com. Of course, the CBK transfer portal tracker is still live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list! Thank you again for listening, until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

    22 min
  3. Summer Report Cards for all 12 Mountain West Teams! Grades, storylines, & stars for football/basketball! MW/PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker UPDATE!

    Jun 17

    Summer Report Cards for all 12 Mountain West Teams! Grades, storylines, & stars for football/basketball! MW/PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker UPDATE!

    Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! With summer just around the corner, it’s time to hand out report cards to all 12 of the 2025 Mountain West teams. We’ll be taking an overhead look at how each school’s football and basketball programs fared this past season, complete with highs and lows, star players, and the biggest storylines that went down or came up during the offseason. No time to waste, let’s dive right in! Mountain West/PAC 12 Depth Chart Tracker App Link! Show Notes: MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker roadmap updateReport Cards (Football, Basketball, Cumulative) for all 12 2025 Mountain West teams!One grade from each teamAir Force: Football - C-Boise State: Basketball - C+Colorado State: Cumulative - C-Fresno State: Football - BHawaii: Basketball - A-Nevada: Cumulative - C+New Mexico: Football - A+San Diego State: Basketball - B-San Jose State: Cumulative - DUNLV: Football - B+Utah State: Basketball: A+Wyoming: Cumulative - C+That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! I sincerely hope you take some time to explore the depth chart tracker app! This project has been a massive undertaking, but I truly believe this is the best fan resource out there if you care about Mountain West or PAC-12 football, so check out the link in the show notes below! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com. Of course, the CBK transfer portal tracker is still live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list, and is updated whenever news drops, so bookmark that to never miss out on transfer movement! Thank you again for listening, one last time, click the link in the show notes to check out the Mountain West PAC 12 Depth Chart Tracker App! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

    25 min
  4. MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker App Update! All 8 PAC-12 Teams' projections added! Track EVERY rostered MW/PAC player NOW! Each PAC-12 Teams' Top Position Group for 2026!

    Jun 10

    MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker App Update! All 8 PAC-12 Teams' projections added! Track EVERY rostered MW/PAC player NOW! Each PAC-12 Teams' Top Position Group for 2026!

    Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! As promised last week, the official Mountain West PAC-12 Depth Chart Tracker App is now live with every rostered player in the PAC-12 conference! That now means no matter if you root for Boise State or New Mexico or Texas State or Wyoming, you can now find your complete projected depth chart for 2026 right now with the link in the show notes below. To celebrate, we’ll be going through all eight PAC-12 teams and tabbing their top position group entering this pseudo-inaugural season, since I can now confidently say I know all of their rosters like the back of my hand. We’ll also kick the show off with a demonstration of when the depth chart tracker app will be useful for all of you fans out there. Time to get going, let’s dive right in! Mountain West/PAC 12 Depth Chart Tracker App Link! Show Notes: MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker roadmap, features, & more!Each Mountain West Team's top position group entering 2026Tally by position:Wide Receiver: 2Running Backs: 2Offensive Line: 1Cornerbacks: 1Linebackers: 1Safeties: 1That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! I sincerely hope you take some time to explore the depth chart tracker app! This project has been a massive undertaking, but I truly believe this is the best fan resource out there if you care about Mountain West or PAC-12 football, so check out the link in the show notes below! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com. Of course, the CBK transfer portal tracker is still live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list, and is updated whenever news drops, so bookmark that to never miss out on transfer movement! Thank you again for listening, one last time, click the link in the show notes to check out the Mountain West PAC 12 Depth Chart Tracker App! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

    16 min
  5. INTRODUCING the MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker App! Each MW Team's Top Position Group for 2026! Depth Chart App Info, Roadmap, Planned Features, & more!

    Jun 2

    INTRODUCING the MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker App! Each MW Team's Top Position Group for 2026! Depth Chart App Info, Roadmap, Planned Features, & more!

    Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! I missed you all last week, but it was for good reason, as I’m proud to announce the official launch of the Mountain West and PAC 12 depth chart tracker app! You can find the link in the show notes below to check it out, but I guarantee this is the best informational resource for Mountain West and PAC 12 fans out there! We’ll start the show by going over a roadmap for what updates you can expect in the app over the next few weeks, with some really exciting plans to share, and we’ll celebrate the release by going over every Mountain West team’s top position group entering the 2026 season. No time to waste, let’s all dive in! Mountain West/PAC 12 Depth Chart Tracker App Link! Show Notes: MW/PAC Depth Chart Tracker roadmap, features, & more!Each Mountain West Team's top position group entering 2026Tally by position:Wide Receiver: 3Defensive Line: 2Offensive Line: 1Cornerbacks: 1Linebackers: 1Running Backs: 1Safeties: 1That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! I sincerely hope you take a minute to check out the depth chart tracker app! I’ve been grinding on this non stop to get you all ready for the season, so go see what we’ve cooked up, the link is in the show notes below! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com. Of course, the transfer portal tracker is still live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list, and is updated whenever news drops, so bookmark that to never miss out on transfer movement! Thank you again for listening, one last time, click the link in the show notes to check out the Mountain West PAC 12 Depth Chart Tracker App! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

    12 min
  6. Mountain West & PAC 12 Agree to Settlement! Details, dates, & prediction$! Spring Football Preview: MVP, X-Factor, & Breakout picks for all 12 teams!

    May 19

    Mountain West & PAC 12 Agree to Settlement! Details, dates, & prediction$! Spring Football Preview: MVP, X-Factor, & Breakout picks for all 12 teams!

    Welcome back everyone to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! We have breaking news for you all, as the Mountain West and PAC 12 have officially reached a settlement in their legal battle over exit fees. There aren't a ton of details out on the specifics yet, but I’ll give you everything we have as well as my thoughts and predictions for the amount paid to the Mountain West conference. After that, we’ll get into the meat of the episode, which will be each football team’s MVP, X Factor, and top breakout candidate, with the battles on the gridiron only being a few months away! Lots of fun stuff this week, let’s dive in! Show Notes: Mountain West & PAC 12 agree to settlement terms: What we know, key dates to watch, & predicted realignment feesSpring Football Preview: All 12 Teams MVP, X Factor, and Top Breakout candidate for 2026Air Force: MVP: JR QB Liam SzarkaBoise State: X-Factor: SR QB Maddux MadsenColorado State: Top Breakout: SO TE Pearce Spurlin III (Georgia)Fresno State: Top Breakout: JR WR Jahlil McClainHawaii: X-Factor: SR WR Pofele AshlockNevada: X-Factor: SR RB Ky WoodsNew Mexico: Top Breakout: SO TE Cade KeithSan Diego State: X-Factor: SR QB Jayden DenegalSan Jose State: Top Breakout: JR DT Jayland McGlothern (Sacramento State, FCS)UNLV: MVP: SR RB Jai'Den "Jet" ThomasUtah State: MVP: SR S Brevin HamblinWyoming: X-Factor: SO RB Samuel "Tote" HarrisThat is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! Fingers crossed that we'll have more settlement details next week! Make sure to follow me on Twitter at JackTalksCFB and turn post notifications on so you don’t miss any Mountain West or PAC 12 movement! Also, check out the brand new transfer portal tracker, which is live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list, and is updated daily, so bookmark that to never miss out on transfer news! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com. Thank you again for listening! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

    26 min
  7. Transfer Spotlight Special Part TWO! Top 12 Forwards/Big Men entering the MW/PAC! Complete scouting reports, projections, & more! HP's Highest Rated Transfer EVER!

    May 12

    Transfer Spotlight Special Part TWO! Top 12 Forwards/Big Men entering the MW/PAC! Complete scouting reports, projections, & more! HP's Highest Rated Transfer EVER!

    Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! Last week, we went over the top 12 incoming transfer guards entering the Mountain West and PAC 12, and this time around, we’re talking about the forwards and big men. Like part one, this episode will have players coming from everywhere, from JUCO journeyman to Top 10 recruits. I’ve picked out the twelve best of the bunch, complete with scouting reports, bios, and analysis, and we’re working backwards so make sure to stay until the end to find out who my highest graded transfer ever is! No time to waste, let’s dive right into our second top twelve transfers list! Player breakdown by conference: ACC: 2Big West: 2Big Sky: 2SEC: 1Big 12: 1WCC: 1SWAC: 1OVC: 1Southland: 1That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! Hopefully, you feel like this series is getting you up to speed on the always shifting rosters of college basketball! Make sure to follow me on Twitter at JackTalksCFB and turn post notifications on so you don’t miss any Mountain West or PAC 12 movement! Also, check out the brand new transfer portal tracker, which is live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list, and is updated daily, so bookmark that to never miss out on transfer news! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com. Thank you again for listening! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

    22 min
  8. Transfer Spotlight Special Part One! Top 12 Guards entering the MW/PAC! Scouting reports, projections, bios, & more!

    May 5

    Transfer Spotlight Special Part One! Top 12 Guards entering the MW/PAC! Scouting reports, projections, bios, & more!

    Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! It’s finally time to do a deep dive into the 2026 college basketball transfer portal cycle for the Mountain West and PAC 12! With close to 100 new players joining the ranks, I’ve sorted through the names to find the very best that will be joining your favorite team next season. This is part one, featuring the point guards and shooting guards, and next week will be the second part on the forwards and big men. This week, you’ll learn about the twelve best guards entering the fold, with every kind of journey being represented. From former 5 stars to D3 transfers, head coaches discover talent anywhere and everywhere, and this episode will prove that without a doubt. No time to waste, let’s dive into the top twelve transfer guards entering the conferences in 2026. Player Breakdown by Conference: MAAC: 2Big 12: 1Summit League: 1MAC: 1WCC: 1AAC: 1Patriot League: 1SoCon: 1ASUN: 1MVC: 1SEC: 1That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you so much for listening! Hopefully, you feel like this series is getting you up to speed on the always shifting rosters of college basketball! Make sure to follow me on Twitter at JackTalksCFB and turn post notifications on so you don’t miss any Mountain West or PAC 12 movement! Also, check out the brand new transfer portal tracker, which is live on the website now. It’s complete with bios, stats, and previous stops for every player on the list, and is updated daily, so bookmark that to never miss out on transfer news! If you like the show and enjoy our coverage, leave a rating on whatever platform you’re listening on, every single one of those helps us out immensely. Follow us on twitter at MWCConnection and find all of your Mountain West news at MWCConnection.com. Thank you again for listening, get ready for part two next week on the top basketball forwards and big men entering the conferences! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

    18 min
4.3
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Welcome to "Hike's Peak", a Mountain West Connection podcast. Visit the mountain every Tuesday for a brand new episode covering everything Mountain West related! Find us on Twitter @MWCConnection or on our website mwcconnection.com !

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