UNLV football absent from preseason All-Mountain West team

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Friday, July 22, 2022 | 2 a.m.

In a very expected development at Mountain West football media days, the conference released its preseason All-MWC team on Thursday, and no UNLV players made the cut.

It marks the second straight year that the Scarlet and Gray have no representation on the preseason squad.

UNLV went 2-10 last year and placed one player on the 2021 All-Mountain West team: running back Charles Williams, who ran for 1,261 yards and 15 touchdowns. Williams has since graduated.

The team was voted on by the league’s local media contingent.

Speaking at media day, UNLV senior linebacker Austin Ajiake reacted to the news.

“Do I feel like we have players that should have been on? Yeah, for sure,” Ajiake said. “Are we upset about it? Nah. We see those lists and it’s cool, the recognition is cool, but at the same time that’s not really what I play for. It’s just a bonus. I know what I can do, I know what me and my teammates are capable of doing this year.”

A perusal of UNLV’s roster doesn’t reveal too many candidates for preseason accolades.

Quarterback Cameron Friel took home MWC Freshman of the Year honors in 2021, but he is currently battling for a starting job, and the conference is deep at the position. Fresno State passer Jake Haener was the preseason selection at QB after throwing for 4,096 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2021.

Another former Freshman of the Year, junior receiver Kyle Williams, could have made a case for inclusion on the preseason All-MWC team, but he’s coming off a down year statistically (42 receptions, two touchdowns). The two preseason picks, Fresno State’s Jalen Cropper and San Diego State’s Jesse Matthews, combined for 142 catches, 1,541 yards and 20 TDs.

Williams seemed more affected by a different preseason snub. The Biletnikoff Award, which goes to college football’s best receiver, also released its watch list on Thursday, and Williams was not among the 43 players nominated.

Williams figures to play a big role in UNLV’s offense this season and has already set his sights on proving the prognosticators wrong.

“This year is definitely a personal year for me,” Williams said. “The Biletnikoff award is definitely what I want to win. I wasn’t on the watch list. That really hit me hard, so being the Biletnikoff Award winner, 1,200 yards, those individual stats, but mainly winning and being a good teammate is what I’m looking forward to.”

On the All-Mountain West front, former UNLV linebacker Jacoby Windmon would have been a lock had he returned for his senior year, but he transferred to Michigan State in the offseason. That left UNLV with no returning players worthy of all-conference recognition.

Ajiake believes the postseason all-conference squad will be more favorable to UNLV.

“The list after the season will look different. Me and Kyle and a lot of our teammates plan on making that.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.