Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! We’re getting into the thick of the offseason now, with movement in basketball’s transfer portal happening constantly and football’s spring camps coming to a close. First off, we’ll get you caught up on the latest portal news, with some massive commitments and entries that you have to hear about, and then we’ll switch over to the gridiron! It’s been too long since we’ve talked football on here, so to start us off, we’ll go over my current starting quarterback power rankings, complete with projections and backstory for why certain players have the edge over others. Fun episode this week, let’s dive right in!

Show Notes:

1. Transfer Portal Update: UNM star Jake Hall enters, plenty of P4 commitments, & trouble brewing in San Diego
2. Way-too-early QB Power Rankings:
   1. ???
   2. ???
   3. UNLV SR Jackson Arnold (Auburn)
   4. ???
   5. ???
   6. San Jose State SR Luke Weaver (Hawaii)
   7. ???
   8. ???
   9. San Diego State SR Jayden Denegal
   10. ???
   11. ???
   12. Nevada JR Luke Duncan (UCLA) OR SO Carter Jones
3. Way-too-early QB Power Rankings: North Dakota State vs. UTEP; Oregon State vs. Texas State vs. Washington State

That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you so much for listening! With transfer portal season back in full swing, make sure to follow me on Twitter @JackTalksCFB and turn post notifications on so you don’t miss any Mountain West or PAC 12 movement! 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. 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! Thank you again for listening, being able to do this every week is a dream come true! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! Transfer portal season is back, with the gates officially opening on the day this releases! Obviously, we all know there’s been lots of movement already, so we’re spending this week going over every team’s offseason outlook and goals! I’ll tell you each team’s biggest portal losses, most important retentions, and how I feel about their roster going into 2027. Fun episode this week, let’s dive in!

Quick plug: The transfer portal tracker is officially live! Complete with all 77 players currently in the portal from the Mountain West and PAC 12, this is the best resource for fans to see who’s leaving and who’s staying from their favorite team, as well as their rivals. Check it out whenever you can, as it’s updated daily whenever news drops.

Show Notes:

1. Opinion: Transfer Portal = College Basketball Free Agency (and how to deal with it as a fan)
2. Portal Report for all 11 '25-'26 Mountain West teams (Air Force not included)
   1. Most impactful retentions/departures
   2. Outlook for 2027 roster, key players to watch

That is it for this week’s episode of the Hike’s Peak Podcast, thank you so much for listening! With transfer portal season back in full swing, make sure to follow me on Twitter @JackTalksCFB and turn post notifications on so you don’t miss any Mountain West or PAC 12 movement! 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. 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! Thank you again for listening, being able to do this every week is a dream come true! Until next time, I’m Jack Thompson, and thank you for coming back to the mountain!

Welcome back everyone to the Hike's Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! The offseason has already kicked into high gear, with Utah State moving quickly to hire their next head coach in Ben Jacobson from Northern Iowa. Not exactly a household name, but I’ll walk you through his resume and tell you why I think he’s the right man to lead the Aggies into the future, as well as how his hiring affects their chances of retaining their star players. The portal is also heating up, with seven different award winners announcing their intentions to transfer. We’ll talk about who all of those guys are, where they could potentially be heading, and how college sports continues to evolve, or devolve. No time to waste here, let’s dive in!

Show Notes:

1. Utah State hires Ben Jacobson from Northern Iowa
   1. How Jacobson turned the Panthers into a mid-major force
   2. Pros & Cons of the hire, plus buyout numbers (SHOCKING)!
   3. Overall opinion
2. Transfer Portal Madness begins!
   1. Six All-Mountain West members / award winners already in the portal
   2. Bios, accomplishments, landing spots for each player
   3. All-Mountain West departures: By the Numbers
   4. Diagnosis of the current college sports landscape (tampering, lack of penalties, etc.)

If you enjoy the episode, consider rating it 5 stars, leaving a review on Apple Podcast/Spotify, or sharing the podcast with one friend who you think would enjoy it! It would help us immensely if you took the time out of your day to help the show! Our CBB Transfer Tracker will be releasing this week, so look out for that always-updating list! Also, check out my first ever YouTube video, diving into Boise State's 2026 transfer class if you haven't already! Thank you for coming back to the mountain, and we hope you’ll make the trek back up here for the entire offseason marathon!

Quick note: I've been a little under the weather the past few days, so I don’t have a preview for New Mexico’s NIT semifinal against Tulsa, but that will be on Thursday at 5 PM, and if they win that they’ll advance to the finals on Sunday at 6 PM. I’m rooting for Eric Olen, Jake Hall and the boys to become the first Mountain West team to reach the NIT final, but apologies to Lobo fans for not having an in-depth breakdown for you here. Don't worry, we'll break their performance down next week!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! What an insane week it has been for Utah State fans, as you can imagine, we have a lot of Aggie talk ahead of us. Starting with the good in Utah State’s run in the Big Dance, we’ll break down the Aggies hard-fought Round of 64 win over Villanova, and then we’ll go over their admirable effort against one seed Arizona that did ultimately fall short. After talking about all the madness that March brought to Logan, we’ll switch gears to the other shoe that dropped, which was head coach Jerrod Calhoun officially taking the Cincinnati job. Lots to go over there as well, from candidates to watch, top players at risk of jumping into the portal, the Aggies coaching curse continuing, and my thoughts on the awkward timing of this whole situation. To end the show, we’ll recap how the Mountain West has been doing in the NIT, with two teams still standing as the quarterfinals get underway. Big time show this week, let’s dive in!

Show Notes:

1. Utah State outlasts Villanova in Round of 64, Jerrod Calhoun secures first NCAAT win
2. Aggies give one seed Arizona a scare, but ultimately fall short
3. Jerrod Calhoun officially leaving for Cincinnati
   1. Thoughts on the awkward timing
   2. Head Coach Curse Continues in Logan
   3. Top Replacement Candidates to look for
   4. Aggie's most important players to retain
4. NIT Recap: Two Mountain West teams reach the quarterfinals

If you enjoy the episode, consider rating it 5 stars, leaving a review on Apple Podcast/Spotify, or sharing the podcast with one friend who you think would enjoy it! It would help us immensely if you took the time out of your day to help the show! Our CFB transfer portal tracker is now LIVE, find that here and keep an eye out for daily updates (North Dakota State is now included!). Make sure to check out the depth chart tracker for football and basketball, available to all for free and updated as soon as news breaks! Additionally, check out my first ever YouTube video, diving into Boise State's 2026 transfer class! Thank you for coming back to the mountain, and we hope you’ll make the trek back up here for the entire offseason marathon!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! Well, we’ve been discussing the scenario for the past month now, and it officially happened. Top seed Utah State ran the table in Vegas to claim the Mountain West tournament crown, which ultimately doomed the conference to just one bid into March Madness. We’ll break down what was an insanely fun conference tournament, which led into a frustrating Selection Sunday across the board. After going over the Aggie’s seeding and place in the bracket, we’ll go over what the rest of the Mountain West is doing in the postseason, with some heading to the NIT and others heading home for the year. Of course, to end the show, I’ll give you a complete analysis of Utah State’s matchup with Villanova, finishing things off with my official prediction. No time to waste, let’s dive right in!

Show notes:

1. Mountain West Tournament, Selection Sunday Recap
2. Was Utah State's seed in the Big Dance disrespectful? HC Jerrod Calhoun thought so.
3. Three MW teams decline postseason invites, five competing in the NIT (dates/times/opponents included!)
4. Preview/prediction for #9 Utah State vs #8 Villanova, Aggies' keys to victory, Wildcats top players, etc.

If you enjoy the episode, consider rating it 5 stars, leaving a review on Apple Podcast/Spotify, or sharing the podcast with one friend who you think would enjoy it! It would help us immensely if you took the time out of your day to help the show! Our CFB transfer portal tracker is now LIVE, find that here and keep an eye out for daily updates (North Dakota State is now included!). Make sure to check out the depth chart tracker for football and basketball, available to all for free and updated as soon as news breaks! Additionally, check out my first ever YouTube video, diving into Boise State's 2026 transfer class! Thank you for coming back to the mountain, and we hope you’ll make the trek back up here for the rest of the football offseason and home stretch for basketball!

Welcome back everyone, to the Hike’s peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! Like always in the Mountain West, the final week of the regular season was crazy, but when the dust settled, Utah State emerged as the undisputed champions. With that squared away, everyone’s attentions now shift to the conference tournament in Las Vegas, where one guaranteed spot in March Madness awaits. We’re going to go over how all 12 teams are doing as they enter this do-or-die week, complete with their path to the championship game. Once we’ve gone over that, I’ll tell you guys my official bracket for the tournament, complete with everything you need to know. No time to waste, let’s dive right in!

Show notes:

1. Utah State takes the regular season title
2. Outlook for all 12 teams entering MW Tournament (includes path to title game)
3. Predictions for each game + predicted champion

If you enjoy the episode, consider rating it 5 stars, leaving a review on Apple Podcast/Spotify, or sharing the podcast with one friend who you think would enjoy it! It would help us immensely if you took the time out of your day to help the show! Our CFB transfer portal tracker is now LIVE, find that here and keep an eye out for daily updates (North Dakota State is now included!). Make sure to check out the depth chart tracker for football and basketball, available to all for free and updated as soon as news breaks! Additionally, check out my first ever YouTube video, diving into Boise State's 2026 transfer class! Thank you for coming back to the mountain, and we hope you’ll make the trek back up here for the rest of the football offseason and home stretch for basketball!

Welcome back everyone to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! We’re finally switching over to basketball, as Mountain West play is kicking into high gear. It’s been a few weeks since we last discussed the contenders that were emerging, so let’s now go over who’s hot and who’s not? Some teams, like Utah State, are off to historically fast starts, while others, like Boise State, are about to hit the panic button. I’ve identified the three hottest squads in the conference, as well as three that have trouble brewing under the surface, complete with all the information you’ll need if you’re just catching up with Mountain West basketball now. No time to waste hikers, let’s dive right in!

Show Notes:

1. Breaking down the race for the Regular Season title (all scenarios EXPLAINED!)
2. March Madness odds/resume for Utah State, New Mexico, San Diego State
3. Dark Horses to watch out for in the Mountain West Tournament
4. Predicted Regular Season Champion(s)

If you enjoy the episode, consider rating it 5 stars, leaving a review on Apple Podcast/Spotify, or sharing the podcast with one friend who you think would enjoy it! It would help us immensely if you took the time out of your day to help the show! Our CFB transfer portal tracker is now LIVE, find that here and keep an eye out for daily updates (North Dakota State is now included!). Make sure to check out the depth chart tracker for football and basketball, available to all for free and updated as soon as news breaks! Additionally, check out my first ever YouTube video, diving into Boise State's 2026 transfer class! Thank you for coming back to the mountain, and we hope you’ll make the trek back up here for the rest of the football offseason and home stretch for basketball!

Welcome back, everyone, to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! This past week of Mountain West basketball has to be the most unexpected and consequential of the year. We had a bunch of upsets, photo finishes, and after the dust settled, the conference has punched itself into the danger zone. Find out in this episode how the last few days of chaos on the court has put the Mountain West in danger of being a one-bid league for the first time in almost a decade. After we go through all of those twists and turns, we’ll run through the top five teams in the standings to talk about their final four games and what’s still at stake for them. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Show notes:

1. Before the week: 2 teams safely in the field, 3 teams on the bubble
2. Tuesday: Grand Canyon completes sweep of San Diego State, Nevada's resume collapses after loss to San Jose State
3. Saturday: Nevada STUNS Utah State, Grand Canyon AND San Diego State lose
4. Aftermath: Who's still in the at-large hunt? Can the Wolf Pack, Aztecs, and Lopes recover in time for March? (complete w/ Top 5 Teams last four games + what's at stake)

If you enjoy the episode, consider rating it 5 stars, leaving a review on Apple Podcast/Spotify, or sharing the podcast with one friend who you think would enjoy it! It would help us immensely if you took the time out of your day to help the show! Our CFB transfer portal tracker is now LIVE, find that here and keep an eye out for daily updates (North Dakota State is now included!). Make sure to check out the depth chart tracker for football and basketball, available to all for free and updated as soon as news breaks! Thank you for coming back to the mountain, and we hope you’ll make the trek back up here for the rest of the football offseason and home stretch for basketball!

Welcome back everyone to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! One week after the Mountain West announced the addition of North Dakota State, the conference realignment dominoes continued to fall with Sacramento State joining the MAC? We’re going to break that move down, but mainly we’ll focus on why the Mountain West didn’t go after the Hornets, and what these last two weeks tell us about the future of the conference. After that, we’ll dive back into basketball talk, and with only three weeks left in the regular season, we’re going over every team’s resume to this point, complete with their chances of making it to March Madness. Fun episode this week, let’s dive in!

Show notes:

1. Sacramento State joins the MAC: Financials, Precedent of Pay to Move Up, & more
2. CBB Resume Recap for all 12 teams
   1. Cream of the Crop: Utah State, San Diego State
   2. March Madness Bubble: New Mexico, Nevada, Grand Canyon
   3. Don't count them out: UNLV, Boise State, Colorado State
   4. Not their year: Fresno State, Wyoming
   5. Really not their year: San Jose State, Air Force

If you enjoy the episode, consider rating it 5 stars, leaving a review on Apple Podcast/Spotify, or sharing the podcast with one friend who you think would enjoy it! It would help us immensely if you took the time out of your day to help the show! Our CFB transfer portal tracker is now LIVE, find that here and keep an eye out for daily updates (North Dakota State is now included!). Make sure to check out the depth chart tracker for football and basketball, available to all for free and updated as soon as news breaks! Thank you for coming back to the mountain, and we hope you’ll make the trek back up here for the rest of the football offseason and home stretch for basketball!

Welcome back everyone to the Hike’s Peak podcast, thank you for coming back to the mountain! We have to take a quick break from talking basketball, as the Mountain West has officially welcomed their 10th member for the 2026 football season, which is none other than the giant killers themselves North Dakota State! We’ll break down how this agreement came to be, complete with financials and the specifics of when the Bison will be eligible for postseason play, and then we’ll dive into the story of how North Dakota State got so dominant, that the Mountain West had to make them their first ever FCS call-up. It’s a story of stardom, familiar faces, and most importantly, a whole lot of winning, and after giving the program their flowers, we’ll finish the show with the pros and cons of this addition from the conference’s perspective, as well as discussing what this means for the next round of expansion. Massive episode this week, let’s dive right in!

Show Notes:

1. How the deal was reached: Financials, transition period, no postseason w/o waiver until 2028
2. North Dakota State: How the Bison took over the FCS for two decades
3. Introducing NDSU head coach Tim Polasek
4. Pros & Cons of NDSU addition from the Mountain West's perspective (w/ likely targets for next round of expansion)

If you enjoy the episode, consider rating it 5 stars, leaving a review on Apple Podcast/Spotify, or sharing the podcast with one friend who you think would enjoy it! It would help us immensely if you took the time out of your day to help the show! Our CFB transfer portal tracker is now LIVE, find that here and keep an eye out for daily updates (North Dakota State will be added later this week). Make sure to check out the depth chart tracker for football and basketball, available to all for free and updated as soon as news breaks! Thank you for coming back to the mountain, and we hope you’ll make the trek back up here for the rest of the football offseason and home stretch for basketball!