Welcome to another edition of “Friday Five”. It finally happened, folks. After years of in-fighting and petty behavior, the Mountain West split has actually happened. The “departing five” have left to reform the Pac-12. The Mountain West has added the likes of North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and UTEP to fill the gaps.
We at the Mountain West Connection intend to cover both conferences going forward. “Friday Five” will feature the five best of, well, anything leading into football season, alternating between each conference week-to-week. Best quarterbacks, stadiums, mascots, who knows. We’re open to your ideas! This week, we start off with Friday Five linebackers in the Pac-12.
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5. Aiden Sullivan, Oregon State
You would be hard-pressed to find many programs that have undergone more change in recent years than Oregon State. While the faces on the coaching staff will change again this fall, Aiden Sullivan’s consistency will return to Corvallis. Playing in all 12 games last season, starting in 9 of them, Sullivan was one of the team’s leaders with 72 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 3 forced fumbles. He should anchor a linebacking unit that will one of the better groups in the Pac-12.
4. Tano Letuli, San Diego State
The Aztecs’ website describes Letuli as, “A very athletic, twitchy linebacker who is great at getting to the ball, is great against the run, one of the team leaders on a stout defense.” He’s been a standout for the Aztecs since 2024, earning honorable mention in both 2024 and 2025. Last season he was in-and-out of the lineup, injuries hampering him and eventually sidelining him for the season. Despite this he still led the team in tackles with 70. Hopefully poised for a healthier campaign, Letuli is primed for a big season.
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3. K’Vion Thunderbird, Fresno State
Beyond having an incredible last name, Thunderbird was on the verge of a breakout season before injury intervened on his 2025 season. Appearing and starting in seven games before the season-ending injury, K’Vion had 32 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions, including a game-sealing 59-yard pick of Hawaii’s Micah Alejado. Now healthy, I expect Thunderbird to take another step forward and become one of the better defenders in the conference.
2. Bronson Olevao, Utah State
Bronco Mendenhall’s teams typically feature some more than capable linebackers, and this Aggies team won’t be the exception. Olevao was third in the tackles on the team last season with 90, adding 4 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. Somehow only earned honorable mention after the season. It was a helluva season for linebackers in the 2025 Mountain West! Olevao figures to be one of the leaders of the 2026 Aggie defense.
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1. Oumar Diomande, Colorado State
Colorado State hired Jim Mora Jr. to finally put an end to this ugly skid of not-good-enough coaching. As is typical with coaching hires, Mora Jr. brought one of his standout players from UConn with him. Enter Oumar Diomande, a 6’1” 230 lbs force from the Bronx. Diomande had 116 tackles, 65 of them solo for the Huskies along with 5 sacks and 8 tackles for loss on the season. Already an established stud at this level, I think Diomande finds another gear in Ft. Collins and becomes one of the better players in the conference, and maybe one of the best linebackers in the country.
Others in consideration: When so few sure options are available, I’m bound to miss a few guys that could easily crack the top five. Harrison Taggart, Utah State, Raesjon Davis, Oregon State, Terrance Cooks, Texas State, DJ Warner, Washington State are all options to be studs in year one of the reformed Pac-12. There’s bound to be someone not mentioned here in that group as well.
