The Mountain West Conference hasn’t been the strongest quarterback league in the country over the last half decade, but the offenses are still potent because there is no shortage of good skill players around those quarterbacks.
UNLV’s Jai’Den Thomas was second nationally in yards per carry last season and should be the engine for the league favorite Rebels.
Air Force runs a triple-option offense with a deep stable of running backs, while Hawaii is the premier passing attack.
So how to all the weapons rank? Here is a list of the top non-quarterback skill position players (running backs and receiver) heading into 2026.
1. Jai’Den Thomas, Sr., UNLV, running back
Thomas ranked second nationally with 7.0 yards per carry in 2025 as he piled up 1,036 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns. He also caught 39 passes for 237 yards.
2. Pofele Ashlock, Sr., Hawaii wide receiver
Ashlock has been a high-volume possession receiver, as he had 76 catches last season for 827 yards. Increasing that average per catch will be a key for his senior year.
3. Owen Allen, Sr., Air Force, running back
Allen averaged 5.7 yards per carry last year when he was a tough, physical part of Air Force’s triple-option attack. He had five 100-yard games over the last seven weeks of the season.
4. Troy Omeire, Sr., New Mexico, wide receiver
Now at his fourth school, Omeire had 31 catches for 514 yards last season at UNLV and enters this season as a pre-season all-conference player. His previous stops were at UNLV, Arizona State and Texas. This is his sixth season as he medially redshirted as a freshman in 2020 and ’21.
5. Kam Thomas, Sr., UTEP, wide receiver
Healthy after missing all but the first-game last season, he plays a hybrid running back/receiver role. In 2024 that was mostly receiver when he caught 47 passes for 532 yards. He is also a star kick returner.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: ‘Climb Higher’: Ranking the skill position players of the Mountain West
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
