2026 College Football Predictions: Mountain West Conference

This is finally Hawaii’s year to win the MWC. They have a favorable schedule this year, especially with all of the teams leaving the Mountain West for the new Pac-12. Plus, Micah Alejado is in my opinion, one of the quarterbacks to keep an eye on this year (like, his name could end up in some award discussions).

UNLV should be good again this year, and they will give the Rainbow Warriors a run for their money with new QB, Jackson Arnold. New Mexico has a great defense (they have 12 returning starters, which reminds me of the line from Dazed and Confused), and they will definitely be tough to beat.

Intriguing Team: North Dakota State. The Bison have dominated at the FCS level, and they have won against FBS opponents. I do not think they are ready to win the conference quite yet, but I do not think they will settle for a subpar season.

Hot Seat: Thomas Hammock of Northern Illinois has had three winning seasons since 2019. Moving to a new conference with a bunch of the top teams gone means he has no excuses for not doing well this year. I could see the Huskies moving on from him if things go poorly.