With signing day today, this week’s Peak Perspective will take on a recruiting theme. When I started doing recruitment-related posts in February of 2018, I had the thought that reviewing them in a few years would be a fun exercise. Today, we continue to carry out that thought.This post will review our projections from the class of 2022. As everyone should know, recruiting is not an exact science. Much like the weather, rankings and projections are based on the best information available at the time. Just because it’s not perfectly accurate doesn’t mean it isn’t beneficial. With that being said, this post is probably for both the “recruiting rankings are awesome” group, as well as the “stars don’t matter” people, as both will be justified in this post. Looking back at the class of 2022, it will show that some players who were projected to be impact players fulfilled that potential. Also, some didn’t come close at all to doing so. And some players were late bloomers or diamonds in the rough, greatly exceeding their expectations. It’s a fun exercise to do with a new class signing their letters of intent today.For those who wish to look back, here is the signing day tracker from this class. Also, the MWCConnection All-Mountain West recruit teams and top 10 players posts from 2022.Also, here’s last year’s version.The Mountain West 2022 All-Recruit TeamsQuarterbackFirst team:QB Jackson Strutton (Colorado State): After two seasons of limited action, he transferred to Iowa, where he continued to see limited action.Second team:QB Joshua Wood (Fresno State): He carved out a role as a backup, running QB and then turned that into a spot at Idaho, where he became the starter. Missed: Maddux Madsen (Boise State)Running backFirst team:RB Lucky Sutton (San Diego State): After playing in a backup row for most of his career, Sutton exploded in 2025, and is leading the league in rushing this season. Second team:RB Jakob Galloway (San Jose State): He never saw the field, and he may have retired due to an injury. Missed: RB Kade Frew (Air Force), RB Dylan Carson (Air Force)Wide ReceiverFirst team:WR Mekhi Fox (Colorado State): Despite the hype, he barely saw the field in two seasons with the Rams before going the JUCO route and turning that into one game of stats at Eastern Michigan this year. WR Jalen Moss (Fresno State): Moss had two strong years for the Bulldogs before taking his talents to Arizona State. Second team:WR Jacoby Kelly (San Diego State): He didn’t record any stats before leaving the team. WR Zamandre Merriweather (Boise State): Injuries slowed him before transferring. Missed: Louis Brown (Colorado State)Tight EndFirst team:TE Autin Terry (Boise State): Terry has carved out a role as a reserve blocker, but hasn’t amounted to much else in his career thus far. Second team:TE Jordan Williams (Colorado State): After appearing in 11 games as a true freshman, Williams has seen the field less each season. Missed: N/AFlexFirst team:FLEX Ashton Jeanty (Boise State): It seems comical now to think that at one time, Jeanty was relegated to the Flex spot rather than the RB1 spot in these rankings. He went on to have an illustrious college career, including the second-best college season by a running back ever, and was a Heisman runner-up in 2024. Second team:FLEX Hassan Mahasin (San Diego State): He didn’t see the field for SDSU, instead going to junior college, and is now at Georgetown. Missed: N/AOffensive LineFirst team:OL Deshawn Woods (Wyoming): After two years at Wyoming, where he couldn’t crack the depth chart, Woods went to junior college. OL Weylin Lapuaho (Utah State): He won the starting job as a true freshman, then took his talents to BYU, where he has turned into an all-conference player. OL Sione Tavo Motuapuaka (Utah State): He is still with the Aggies, but it doesn’t appear to have amounted to much. OL Laakea Kapoi (San Diego State): He was with the Aztecs and transferred after not appearing in a game. Kapoi is actually now at San Jose State, where he still hasn’t played. OL Kage Casey (Boise State): Casey has started every game at left tackle since his redshirt freshman season, complete with All-Mountain West and All-American honors. Second team:OL Uluakinofo Taliauli (San Jose State): It doesn’t look like he is still with the team after not seeing the field. OL Aubrey Scott (Colorado State): Scott left for Northwestern after two seasons with the Rams.OL Marcus Simien (Fresno State): Marcus is still with the Bulldogs, but it hasn’t led to much playing time. OL Nate Maier (Fresno State): It looks like he left after one season in the program. OL JJ Talo (Boise State): Talo spent his entire career with the Broncos, but never carved out a role. Missed: Roger Carreon (Boise State), Aaron Karas (Colorado State)Defensive LineFirst team:DL Miles Bailey (Fresno State): Bailey moved on from Fresno State and ended up at Murray State. DL Jacob Holmes (Fresno State): After three strong seasons with the Bulldogs, Jacob played a key role this season at Virginia. EDGE Jayden Virgin (Boise State): Now Jayden Virgin-Morgan, he has blossomed into an all-MW level player over the past two seasons. EDGE Marshon Oxley (Colorado State): A strong freshman campaign led Oxley to West Virginia. Second team:DL Ryan Henderson (San Diego State): He’s been part of the DL rotation for the Aztecs. DL Braxon Fely (Boise State): Fely has been a key defensive player for the Broncos, anchoring the DL this season. EDGE Jack Curtis (Air Force): He played a few seasons for the Falcons, with minimal impact. EDGE Ike Nnakenyi (Nevada): Ike went from Nevada to Grambling State, with little time on the field at either place. Missed: Trey White (San Diego State)LinebackerFirst team:LB Dishawn Misa (Boise State): Misa had a ton of hype, but injuries and ineffectiveness led him to Eastern Washington, where he has played sparingly. LB Tanner Salisbury (UNLV): Tanner entered the transfer portal before the start of his true freshman season and it doesn’t look like he landed anywhere. LB Justin Eklund (San Jose State): After two seasons with the Spartans, Eklund transferred to Bowling Green, where he’s played in most games. Second team:LB Damonie Perkins (San Jose State): He disappeared after his first season in the program and has not resurfaced. LB Christopher Smalley (Nevada): Smalley has had a consistent career for the Wolf Pack as a reserve and special teams player. LB Justin Stearns (San Jose State): Justin has done well as a rotational defensive end for the Spartans during his career. Missed: Jordan Pollard (San Jose State)Defensive BackFirst team:DB Joshua Hunter (San Diego State): Hunter has developed into a rotational defensive back for the Aztecs. DB Max Garrison (San Diego State): Max played as a true freshman, but has mostly been utilized as a special teams player. DB Jomarion Briggs (Fresno State): He hasn’t seen the field much in his seasons with the Bulldogs. DB Eric Butler (San Diego State): Butler has played since his true freshman season, earning a bigger role every season and becoming a key starter. Second team:DB Dionte Thornton (Boise State): After three seasons of barely seeing the field, he ventured to Portland State. DB Chris Johnson (San Diego State): Johnson has lived up to the hype, playing since his true freshman season. He’s been the best cornerback in the league in 2025 and appears to have an NFL future. DB Jordan Drew (Utah State): Became a starter for the Aggies before transferring to Tulsa. DB Christian Ellis (New Mexico): Became a star for the Lobos in three seasons before transferring. Missed: N/AFLEXFirst team:FLEX Malaki Te’o (Hawaii): After his redshirt season, Te’o went the JUCO route and now plays for Coastal Carolina. Second team:FLEX Anthony Costanzo (UNLV): It looks like Anthony didn’t make it past his first season with the program. Missed: N/ASpecial TeamsFirst team:K Luke Freer (Air Force): Luke has played in various capacities the past four years, becoming one of the top specialists in the Mountain West. P James Ferguson (Boise State): He had a tremendous 2023 season and a pretty good 2024 prior to transferring to Oregon. LS Carson York (Wyoming): York became a four-year snapper for the Cowboys, excelling in that role. Second team:K Luke Drzewiecki (New Mexico): Drzewiecki has been a four-year contributor for the Lobos and one of the best kickers in school history. P Trey Balsbaugh (Colorado State): It appears that Trey didn’t record any stats with the Rams and didn’t catch on anywhere else. LS Ryan Manis (Air Force): He ended up transferring to Liberty, where he’s emerged as the long-snapper the past two seasons. Missed: N/AJUCO/Grad Transfer Team:This team is tough to evaluate. Many players fail to make a significant impact on their teams after transferring. Some became depth players, and quite a few transferred again after a season or two. And a few didn’t even arrive on campus for the schools they committed to.Missed: EDGE George Tarlas (Boise State), WR Tory Horton (Colorado State), DB Carlton Johnson (Fresno State), WR Justin Lockhard (San Jose State), WR Ricky White III (UNLV)QuarterbackQB Cheavan Cordeiro (San Jose State): After playing most of his career at Hawaii, Cheavan showcased his talents with the Spartans for a season. Running backRB Sherrod White (New Mexico): White played two seasons for the Lobos in the RB rotation. Wide ReceiverWR Elijah Cooks (San Jose State): Cooks’ one season with the Spartans was one to remember and helped him jump to the NFL. WR Brian Cobbs (Utah State): Cobbs had a huge season for Utah State, which worked out well for both sides. Tight EndTE Jordan Murray (Hawaii): He didn’t make a huge impact. FlexFLEX Melquan Stovall (Colorado State): Stovall blossomed with the Rams and then transferred again to Arizona State. Offensive LineOL Cade Bennett (San Diego State): Had a big season for SDSU and transferred again. OL Cade Beresford (Boise State): He became a stalwart on the Bronco OL during his time. OL Bryce Petersen (San Jose State): Transferred again after this season. OL Jacob Gardner (Colorado State): Gardner anchored the offensive line for the Rams, starting all three years he was on the team. OL Anthony LaFrance (Fresno State): He didn’t make it to the next season, leaving again the same offseason he arrived. Defensive LineDL Justus Tavai (San Diego State): He saved his best college season for his year as an Aztec. DL Darius Johnson (UNLV): Johnson worked his way into a starting role over two seasons with the Rebels. EDGE Deven Wright (Boise State): He had one forgettable season for the Broncos. EDGE Cortez Hogans (Boise State): Same for Hogans, but it was two seasons instead of one. LinebackerLB MJ Tafisi (Utah State): Tafisi had two remarkable years with the Aggies, becoming a tackle machine.LB Cooper McDonald (San Diego State): McDonald had the two best years of his career with the Aztecs, sandwiched in between some mediocre years at other schools. LB Fred Thompkins (UNLV): Fred had two productive seasons for the Rebels at linebacker. Defensive BackDB Cam Lockridge (Fresno State): Cam became one of the best defensive players in the Mountain West when he was healthy during his time with the Bulldogs.DB Dre Greeley (Colorado State): He’s bounced around to many different places, most recently at Eastern Washington this season. DB Deron Harrell (Wyoming): Harrell had a positive season for the Cowboys to close out his career. DB Jakorey Hawkins (Wyoming): He had two productive years at Wyoming. FLEXFLEX Noah Kema (Hawaii): He spent a few seasons as a backup linebacker and special teams player for Hawaii. Special TeamsK Alberto Arroyo (Fresno State): It doesn’t seem like he ever suited up for Fresno State. Instead, he transferred again before the start of the season. P Paddy Turner (Colorado State): Turner was the Rams’ punter for three seasons and turned in three solid seasons. LS Nick D’Ambra (Fresno State): Nick stepped into the long-snapper role over two seasons for the Bulldogs. Top 10 Players from the 2022 recruiting class1) LB Dishawn Misa (Boise State)2) WR Mekhi Fox (Colorado State)3) EDGE Jayden Virgin (Boise State)4) RB Lucky Sutton (San Diego State)5) OL Deshawn Woods (Wyoming)6) WR Jalen Moss (Fresno State)7) RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)8) RB Hassan Mahasin (San Diego State)9) TE Austin Terry (Boise State)10) WR Jacoby Kelly (San Diego State)Revised Top 10 List1) RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)2) EDGE Trey White (San Diego State)3) OL Kage Casey (Boise State)4) DB Chris Johnson (San Diego State)5) EDGE Jayden Virgin-Morgan (Boise State)6) RB Lucky Sutton (San Diego State)7) LB Jordan Pollard (San Jose State)8) Maddux Madsen (Boise State)9) Eric Butler (San Diego State)10) Roger Carreon (Boise State)