For Boise State senior cornerback Jerrell Gavins, this is the year where confidence meets opportunity.
Gavins, who wasn’t sure he was ready two years ago and received limited playing time last year, replaces three-year starter Brandyn Thompson at one of the most challenging positions in the Broncos’ defense.
He’s the field corner, which means he plays to the wide side of the field — often matching up 1-on-1 with wide receivers.
“It’s a big steppingstone for me and I’m ready to take it on,” said Gavins, who transferred to Boise State from El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., in 2009. “… There’s a lot of plays to make. I’m a playmaker. I’m going to showcase my talent.”
Gavins is one of two new starters in the Broncos’ secondary. Senior Cedric Febis replaces four-year starter Jeron Johnson at boundary safety, also known as strong safety.
Febis was the Broncos’ special teams player of the year in 2010 and he played extensively in the season opener against Virginia Tech when Johnson was ailing. He has experience, but like Gavins he’s getting his first opportunity to make a consistent impact.
“I’m still not where I want to be,” Febis said. “I still have a lot of work to do. But I definitely feel good out there and I have an awesome group of guys around me to help me with whatever I need. … I’m not like, ‘Oh, my God … I’m in the spotlight.’ It’s just awesome to know that the game is coming.”
Gavins and Febis join fourth-year starting field (or free) safety George Iloka and second-year starting boundary cornerback Jamar Taylor in the lineup.
Iloka earned All-WAC first-team honors last year and Taylor looks like the next in a long line of accomplished Broncos cornerbacks.
“They need to be my top two playmakers,” defensive backs coach Marcel Yates said. “They’re the leaders and they need to be the guys that are having fun and running the show.”
Iloka and Taylor can help Febis and Gavins acclimate, too. The main line of communication runs from safety to cornerback, which connects Iloka to Gavins and Taylor to Febis.
Communication is essential. The lapses were obvious early in fall camp, with quarterback Kellen Moore throwing some easy touchdown passes.
“We hashed it out,” Iloka said. “Me and Jamar Taylor, we brought the guys together after one practice. We had a bad practice, not because we were getting beat but because of a lot of communication errors.”
They came out of that meeting determined to make loud, confident calls — and to live with them. Second-guessing is for the sideline.
“It’s basically become standard that if you want to play, you have to be loud and overemphasize what you want,” Febis said. “You can’t have big egos out there.”
Said Gavins: “One blown coverage can determine a win or a loss, so we have to communicate.”
Gavins and Taylor, who worked out together six days a week in the summer, hope to become the best cornerback tandem in the Mountain West. Neither has been an all-conference player at Boise State.
“You can’t just say you’re the best,” said Gavins, who started the 2010 Fiesta Bowl. “You’ve got to go out and prove it.”
That’s how Febis spent his August — proving it.
He missed all of spring ball with an injury and still entered camp as the projected starter. He didn’t disappoint, separating from contenders such as freshman Jeremy Ioane and senior Travis Stanaway.
“Every day he came out and worked to get better,” Yates said. “We’ll see how that transfers to the game.”
Consistency will be critical for Febis. Yates expects the backups to push him for playing time.
“Leadership … and be that consistent football player,” Yates said of his expectations. “Your hope is for all the guys to make plays — and hopefully big plays. We hope he brings that to the table.”
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Field cornerback (wide side)
Jerrell Gavins (5-9, 167, sr.): Gavins was the Broncos’ fifth defensive back the past two years. But this is his first chance to start regularly.
Bryan Douglas (5-9, 163, fr.): Solid fall camp gave him a boost, but sophomore Ebo Makinde will challenge when he returns from injury.
Boundary cornerback (short side)
Jamar Taylor (5-11, 196, jr.): Emerged as a solid starter last year after redshirting in 2009. He finished eighth on the team in tackles and forced three fumbles.
Quaylon Ewing-Burton (6-0, 182, so.): Has impressed this year while playing safety and cornerback. Junior Josh Borgman and senior Antwon Murray also are competing for time.
Field safety
George Iloka (6-3, 213, sr.): All-WAC first-teamer was third on the team with 63 tackles and five pass breakups last year.
Travis Stanaway (5-11, 199, sr.): Key special-teams performer can play both safety positions. Junior Hazen Moss is an option.
Boundary safety
Cedric Febis (6-3, 206, sr.): Brings a different dimension to this spot with his size. He needs to be physical and reliable.
Jeremy Ioane (5-10, 192, fr.): Highly touted 2010 recruit could become a bigger factor as season progresses.
