Boise State faces big questions heading into 2020 — starting with quarterback depth
When the final second ticked away in Saturday’s 38-7 loss to Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl, Boise State President Marlene Tromp was one of the first people to navigate the postgame mob on the field in Sam Boyd Stadium and track down Broncos quarterback Jaylon Henderson.
She gave the senior a hug, but she wasn’t there to console him after the Broncos’ season and his career ended in disappointing fashion. She sought him out to offer thanks and share how proud she was of him.
“I told him it takes a lot of integrity and courage to hang in there when you’re not getting on the field, and that I was so proud of all he’d done,” Tromp said. “He’s not just a great football player. He’s an extraordinary young man, and you see it in his character and everything he does. I really saw Jaylon step up and provide leadership.”
Henderson, who started the previous four games, was only on the field for two plays Saturday before he was inserted in the third quarter and immediately led a scoring drive. But by the time he took the field for good, the Broncos were trailing 24-0.
After a historic regular season, which included Boise State’s first undefeated run through Mountain West play and its second conference championship in three years, the Broncos’ performance in the Las Vegas Bowl and the decisions made by the coaching staff leading up to the game left more questions than answers heading into the 2020 season.
Who will start at quarterback, and how long of a leash will the starter have? Who will come onboard as the new offensive coordinator, and will he call the plays? How long will it take for rebuilt offensive and defensive lines to jell? If he leaves early for the NFL Draft, who will fill the shoes of STUD Curtis Weaver, the team’s top pass rusher?
Answers to some of these questions will begin to take shape when the Broncos start spring ball in March. Others, as was made evident this fall, could stretch well into next season and beyond.
Here’s a look at what Boise State is losing and which players are expected back on offense, defense and special teams, and a glimpse at next season’s schedule:
Offense
Starters lost: WR John Hightower, WR Akilian Butler, OG John Molchon, OG Eric Quevedo, C Garrett Larson, OT Ezra Cleveland.
Starters returning: QB Hank Bachmeier, RB George Holani, WR Khalil Shakir, TE John Bates, OT John Ojukwu.
The questions begin at quarterback. The job seems like Hank Bachmeier’s to lose, but he’ll have to earn it in another head-to-head competition with Chase Cord. Unless, of course, one of them decides to transfer. Then the Broncos are left scrambling for depth.
As a true freshman, Bachmeier won seven of the eight games he started, but durability concerns may force the Broncos to add a graduate or junior college transfer even if both he and Cord stay.
Whoever takes the snaps will do so behind a rebuilt offensive line. Four starters are gone in center Garrett Larson, guards John Molchon and Eric Quevedo, and left tackle Ezra Cleveland, who said Tuesday he’s entering the NFL Draft.
After seeing snaps this fall at guard and center, Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez is the early favorite to replace Larson at center. Redshirt junior Jake Stetz made four starts this season in place of Molchon or Quevedo, and while most of 306-pound Dallas Holliday’s snaps came in mop-up duty, he’ll be competing to start at guard, too. Redshirt junior Donte Harrington also may be in the mix after missing this season with a torn ACL.
Right tackle John Ojukwu could be the lone returning starter. Redshirt freshman Garrett Curran made his first career start this season against Portland State with Ojukwu sidelined by an injury. Nick Crabtree, at 6-foot-7, technically was Cleveland’s backup but didn’t start when Cleveland was injured.
The Broncos lose plenty of speed in wide receivers John Hightower and Akilian Butler, but they return a budding star in Khalil Shakir, a shifty slot receiver in CT Thomas and a wideout in Octavius Evans, who showed flashes of big-play ability this season. Young receivers Stefan Cobbs and Shea Whiting also may see more snaps.
Boise State is expected to return its backfield intact next season. True freshman George Holani eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in the Las Vegas Bowl against Washington, extending the Broncos’ streak to 11 straight seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher. He finished with 1,014 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
Redshirt junior Robert Mahone was slowed by injuries this fall, but he ended the year with 425 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, and sophomore Andrew Van Buren posted a career-high 85 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown, in the Broncos’ come-from-behind win at San Jose State.
Defense
Starters lost: DL David Moa, DL Chase Hatada, DL Sonatane Lui, S Kekoa Nawahine.
Starters returning: N Kekaula Kaniho, CB Jalen Walker, CB Avery Williams, S DeAndre Pierce, LB Riley Whimpey, LB Benton Wickersham, STUD Curtis Weaver.
Just like on offense, much of the Broncos’ success on defense in 2020 will be determined by how well they can rebuild the line.
Boise State loses senior defensive linemen David Moa, Chase Hatada and Sonatane Lui — who combined this season for 128 tackles and 11.5 sacks — and backup Emmanuel Fesili. The Broncos are probably also going to lose sack leader Curtis Weaver, who may be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft if he decides to leave school a year early.
Two names to keep an eye on next season are nose tackle Scale Igiehon and STUD Demitri Washington. In limited action this season, Igiehon, who will be a junior, posted 38 tackles (three for loss). He started three games in 2018 as a true freshman.
Igiehon will get some help on the defensive front from Scott Matlock, who didn’t see any action this season as a redshirt freshman, but impressed the coaches enough in his role on the scout team to earn a bowl-week shoutout from coach Bryan Harsin. Junior college transfer Divine Obichere also should see time on the interior and, after playing in just one game this season as a true freshman, Mike Callahan may be in the mix to replace Hatada at defensive end.
As a redshirt freshman, Washington showed flashes of his potential late this season as four of his 4.5 sacks came in the final five games, including one in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Broncos have some depth at STUD, too. Sam Whitney is expected to return for a sixth season, Aisa Kelemete looked explosive in limited action this fall, four-star recruit Casey Kline will be a sophomore and the coaches expect junior college transfer Shane Irwin to contribute right away.
Next season’s depth will extend to the linebackers, too. Riley Whimpey and Benton Wickersham, both of whom will be seniors, combined this season for 146 tackles, three sacks, one interception and 10 pass breakups. They’ll be joined by Ezekiel Noa, who was the Broncos’ leading tackler when he suffered a torn ACL and broken wrist in the fourth game against Air Force, which left him on the shelf for the rest of the year.
The Broncos return plenty in the secondary, too. Starting cornerbacks Jalen Walker and Avery Williams and top backup Markel Reed are expected back. Nickel Kekaula Kaniho will be back for his senior year, and safeties Jordan Happle, Tyreque Jones and DeAndre Pierce are expected to return after recording multiple starts. Pierce was lost to a knee injury in the overtime win against Wyoming.
Physically imposing safety JL Skinner (6-4, 213) also may play a more prominent role after seeing his snaps increase in the latter half of his true freshman season.
Special teams
Starters lost: K Eric Sachse, KR John Hightower.
Starters returning: P/KO Joel Velazquez, PR Avery Williams, LS Daniel Cantrell, H Connor Riddle.
Returning the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year in Avery Williams is a nice start, but Boise State running backs coach Lee Marks, who doubles as the Broncos’ director of special teams, has some decisions to make on the rest of his units.
That begins with finding a replacement for kicker Eric Sachse, who went 14-of-17 on field goals this season as a graduate transfer and hit the game-winner in overtime against Wyoming.
The Broncos don’t have a kicker in their 2020 recruiting class, though there’s still time to add a transfer. They did bring in a scholarship kicker with the 2019 class in Gavin Wale, who is the cousin of former Boise State punter Sean Wale. Wale and redshirt freshman Ryan Meyer are the only true kickers on the roster.
Punter Joel Velazquez hit his first career field goal from 52 yards against UNLV, and he handled kickoffs this season. The redshirt junior was far from consistent on his punts, though, and finished the season averaging 39.3 yards per punt, which ranked last in the Mountain West. Wale also was an accomplished punter in high school — ranked No. 21 in the nation, per 247Sports — which could create competition for Velazquez next fall.
Williams almost certainly will handle the punt-return duties again after returning two for touchdowns this season, and he may try a few kickoff returns. Shakir and Thomas are also likely candidates to fill Hightower’s shoes on the kickoff-return team.
2020 schedule
Home: Georgia Southern (Sept. 5), Florida State (Sept. 19), BYU (Nov. 7), UNLV, Colorado State, San Jose State, Utah State.
Away: Marshall (Sept. 26), Air Force, Hawaii, Wyoming, New Mexico.
* Dates for conference games have not been announced.
This story was originally published December 24, 2019 at 12:07 PM.
