Boise State football is back? Yes, spring practice is here. Here are 5 things of note

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — It feels like not that long ago when Boise State football’s season ended with a loss to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl, a game that meant fans had to wave goodbye to a stellar group of seniors and NFL-bound running back Ashton Jeanty.

In reality, it’s been nearly 10 weeks since New Year’s Eve, when the Broncos fell in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. And that brings us to the second full week of March, which began Monday morning with — believe it or not — spring practice kicking off.

With Jeanty gone after nearly winning the Heisman Trophy and star defensive end Ahmed Hassanein no longer around — both were at the NFL Combine a couple of weeks ago — Monday morning’s practice had a new vibe. It’s a long way until the 2025 season opener at USF on Aug. 28, but Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson met with the media after the practice to field questions that ranged from team depth to why nobody on the roster claimed the No. 2 jersey. Here are some highlights of the day.

Broncos will still run the football

The biggest question heading into 2025 is how Boise State will try to replace the amazing production of Jeanty. The Heisman runner-up had arguably the best season for anyone in a Broncos jersey, leading the nation in rushing yards (2,601) and being second in rushing touchdowns (29). With Jeanty NFL-bound, how will the offense change?

Danielson said his team would still “establish a run game” and that competition for the starting spot is wide open.

“We will run the football here, we believe in it. That is our mentality,” Danielson said. “Just because Ashton isn’t here, that does not change. We will run the football here.”

Boise State will head into next season with redshirt freshman Sire Gaines, sophomore Dylan Riley, junior Jambres Dubar, redshirt junior Ethan Mikita and sixth-year transfer Malik Sherrod, a transfer from Fresno State.

Danielson also said junior receiver Troy Wilke is a “Swiss army knife” who will practice as a running back this spring. Incoming freshmen Greg Ard and Ja’Bree Bickham will add to the Broncos’ depth in a backfield that could feature several players.

Two JUCO quarterbacks add to the competition

Maddux Madsen, who is about to be a redshirt junior, is used to his summers consisting of battles for the starting quarterback spot, first with Taylen Green and then with Malachi Nelson.

Last summer, he won against former five-star recruit Nelson, who transferred to Boise State from USC. Nelson has found yet another new home, having transferred to UTEP a week after the Fiesta Bowl loss. It would appear Madsen doesn’t have to worry about such competition this year.

Redshirt sophomore Max Cutforth is on the roster, but he’s completed just two passes in his career. However, the Broncos brought in a pair of junior college quarterbacks: juniors Trenton Giles from Grossmont College and Jack Benson from Mt. San Antonio College, both California schools.

Giles’ father was Danielson’s offensive coordinator in high school, while Benson attended Eagle High School.

“With new guys, you can see what they do on film, you can see some of what they’ve done before they came here. Some things they do well, maybe some things you’re excited to grow,” Danielson said. “But we’re really not going to know exactly who they are and the value they bring football-wise until we get through three or four practices.”

Who’s going to slot in at nickel?

Danielson confirmed that redshirt senior Davon Banks is the starter at nickel heading into spring. Graduating seniors Rodney Robinson and Kekaula Kaniho primarily rotated in the position in 2024, while Banks played all 14 games at cornerback.

“I think Davon Banks is one of our best 11, and he’s shown the physicality to be able to tackle the space,” Danielson said. “Your nickel has got to be able to blitz, got to be able to cover, has to be able to tackle in space. Those are three non-negotiables at nickel, and Devon can do those.”

Danielson said Banks isn’t practicing yet because of a soft tissue injury he sustained in the offseason, but he’s expected to return soon. In the meantime, it gives the coaching staff time to find other players who can step up.

Junior Jaylen Webb, a transfer from Kilgore JC in Texas, will practice at nickel, Danielson said, while returning redshirt sophomore safety Cole Miller also will get some reps in the position.

“We’ll be able to rotate a lot of guys through (nickel),” Danielson said. “Because our job, when we come out of spring ball, we’ve got to know at that point this is our two-deep.”

Boise State to still have spring game

Multiple big-name programs nationwide, including Ohio State, Texas, and Nebraska, have canceled their annual spring games because of fears other teams will be able to scout their new players. But fear not, Bronco fans. Danielson confirmed that Boise State’s spring game will go ahead as planned on Saturday, April 19.

“I get that someone can scout our players and all these things that people are deciding not to do a spring game for,” Danielson said. “For me, there’s a lot of things that come into it. The community being a part of this football team, and our football team being a part of this community, matters deeply to me. The post-spring game, for our players to be able to meet fans, sign autographs, is a monster deal for me.”

The annual game between the offense and defense will be played at Albertsons Stadium. Fans can attend for free, and no tickets need to be purchased in advance.

Off-limit jersey numbers

Boise State released its spring roster last week, and there was a distinct lack of a particular jersey number: 2. Jeanty wore No. 2 the past three seasons, and it looks as if it will be a little while before someone else sports it.

“We’re not going to be wearing a No. 2 or a No. 11 anytime soon, I can promise you that,” Danielson said. “That is the way it is. I’ve had some guys talk to me about ‘Coach, I want No. 2.’ There are a lot of college football places you can go and wear No. 2, it just ain’t at Boise State.”

No. 11 belonged to legendary Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore — the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints — between 2007 and 2011; no Bronco has owned the number since wide receiver Shane Williams-Rhodes in 2014.

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