BRONCO NATION UPDATES

Enter in a young man that I felt should have made a bigger impact last season, Cam Bates. Bates doesn’t have great size, but he makes up for that slighter stature with elite speed.  Cam had 9 catches last season for 67 yards and showed off his versatility by also rushing the ball 4 times and breaking off a 20-yard touchdown run against Portland State. Considering he was a true freshman who did not arrive until fall camp, I would call those numbers pretty respectable.  I see big things in Cam’s future. In high school he set records in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles, showing off his explosive athleticism. He demonstrated soft hands this season and never looked overwhelmed or like the lights were too bright. With new offensive coordinator Nate Potter taking over after the older and admittedly less creative Dirk Koetter stepped away, I think coach Potter could bring more gadget plays into this offense and find creative ways to get the ball into Cam’s hands.

Matt Wagner- #88- 6’5” 243LB RS Sophomore- Prosper, TX

Not that long ago the tight end position at Boise State had somewhat lost its past greatness. Gone were the days of players like Kyle Efaw, Jake Roh, Jeb Putzier, and Derek Shouman. But the talent was still there with John Bates proving that by carving out a very successful NFL career. Sadly, the position just wasn’t being used in the passing game the way it used to be. And then last season this position finally got back on track.  Matt Lauter had an outstanding season. Second on the team in receptions and leading the team in receiving touchdowns, you might wonder why I am highlighting Lauter’s assumed backup? And I’ll answer that question with a question of my own. What’s better than having one great tight end? Having two!  In an offense that uses multiple tight ends on a regular basis and after beating out the very talented Austin Terry and Oliver Fisher for the #2 spot, Matt Wagner found himself in on a ton of plays last season. And when given his opportunity, he did not disappoint very often.  Wagner only had 10 receptions on the year, but they added up to 108 yards with the long being a massive 22 yard reception against UNLV that lead to the game winning score.For a tight end to get that playing time and those opportunities they must first show they can run block as well. Boise State gave Wagner the highest run blocking grade in the matchup against the then top 5 ranked Oregon Ducks.  Wagner already has the size needed to play at the NFL level and it will only improve as his body continues to develop as he focuses on weight training and nutrition.  While I have no doubt Matt Lauter will be listed at TE1 on the opening depth chart, just know that the 2nd tight end might as well also be considered a starter based on the amount of snaps he will see within this offense.

Defense:

Roman Caywood #51- 6’3” 245lb RS Freshman- Holladay, UT

Last season saw Jayden Virgin-Morgan dominate his way into being named First Team All Mountain West. He showed signs of Curtis Weaver-like dominance and opposite him was the remarkably effective Ahmad Hassanein who was one of the top QB pressures in the nation.  But behind those two, the production from the pass rusher position dropped off. Yes, there were plenty of sacks from other positions. Seyi Oladipo had a shocking 6.5 sacks from his nickle position. Andrew Simpson had 3.5 sacks. Heck, even Rodney Robinson had 3.5. But all those came via blitzing, which often put the Boise State defensive backs in one-on-one situations that they seemingly rarely won.  This upcoming season I am hoping this defense can pressure the QB more often rushing just the base four. I have high hopes of that happening when Jayden Virgin-Morgan is on the field. But he can’t play every down. Injuries will happen, rest will be needed, and other teams could see that #5 isn’t on the field and take advantage. So, who will add to that edge rushing depth? Enter Roman Caywood.  Roman Caywood comes from one of the powerhouse high school football programs in the nation, Corner Canyon High School. I have heard from reliable sources he was set to be in the every game rotation going into last season as a true freshman, however injury derailed that plan and he redshirted.  Coming out of high school Roman Caywood had offers from several Mountain West conference rivals as well as Washington State and interest from University of Utah and Oregon State.  Caywood has a very high ceiling in my opinion and could be a great sidekick for Jayden Virgin-Morgan next season.

Jaylen Webb- 6’2” 195LB Junior- Kennedale, TX

One of the biggest position groups I will be watching this off season will be the safeties. This team loses Alexander Teubner, Seyi Oladipo and Rodney Robinson, three starters who, while not always the most consistent, played a ton of football for Boise State last season.  The Broncos addressed their need for depth at the position by adding two junior college safeties, Jaylen Webb and Samuel Brooks. While Brooks is talented, it is Webb that I feel can make the most immediate impact.  Webb comes from Kilgore Junior College where he was named SWJCFC Defense Player of the Year and NJCAA First Team All-American. Webb had 5 interceptions last year following up the year before where he had 3. Paired with those interceptions were 44 tackles last season.  Watch his tape and you’ll see a defensive back that has great instincts for finding the ball and plays the ball well in the air. Webb reminds me a lot of former Boise State great, Darian Thompson. Thomson was an elite mixture of run stopper and what you might consider a center fielder of sorts; reading offenses and making plays in the pass defense.  Of the three players Boise State loses from last season, Webb brings improved size over two of them. And no disrespect to Oladipo and Robinson, they both played well and were great contributors. However, I’m excited to see the improved size on the back end of the defense and I am hopeful we will see an improvement in the coverage of deep passes that has plagued this defense for several seasons now.

There are plenty of other players I could have listed here, and I would welcome each and every one of you to voice who you think could be the next breakout player in the comment section of any Facebook or X post I have! God Bless!