Boise State football quarterback profile: Kaiden Bennett
Boise State begins spring football practices Friday and, from the start, no position will be scrutinized more than quarterback.
With Brett Rypien having graduated, the job to replace him is wide open, with four scholarship players taking part in spring ball, two of them true freshmen. A fifth, sophomore Chase Cord, is rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered in October, with a return for fall camp targeted.
“It’s an exciting time,” offensive coordinator Zak Hill said. “… They’re all hungry.”
We will take a look at the competitors as the start of practices draw near, from the eldest to the youngest.
Other QBs: Jaylon Henderson, Chase Cord, Riley Smith, Hank Bachmeier.
KAIDEN BENNETT
Vitals: 6-foot, 175 pounds, freshman
Stats: Put up some wild numbers last fall at Folsom (Calif.) High, completing 73.5 percent of his passes for 3,993 yards with 60 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He also rushed 62 times for 431 yards and 12 more TDs.
Analysis: Though fellow freshman Hank Bachmeier was more highly touted, some in recruiting circles see Bennett as just as talented. Bennett committed after Bachmeier, citing his deep connection with the program. An early enrollee, he will take part in spring ball. His mobility is an enticing trait, and he’s a clearly accurate passer. He lacks ideal size, but so have some pretty good quarterbacks in recent Bronco history like Kellen Moore and Grant Hedrick. If he can use his legs and be accurate to get the starting job, Boise State could tailor an offense that takes advantage of that, like Hedrick in his 2014 campaign, when he set the school completion percentage record and rushed for 592 yards.
Quotable: “He racked up a ton of yards and a ton of touchdowns. … he was 30-1 as a starter, which was really impressive.” - Offensive coordinator Zak Hill
This story was originally published February 25, 2019 at 12:09 PM.
