National recruiting expert: Boise State ‘dodged a bullet’ by signing Borah’s Austin Bolt
Boise State has hit the offensive and defensive lines hard in its 2020 recruiting class and added what national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman said might be the Broncos’ best group of defensive backs in recent memory.
But Huffman also said the diamond in the rough may be an Idaho native.
Huffman not only sees former Borah quarterback Austin Bolt developing into a weapon as an athletic tight end, but he wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the field this fall.
“Boise State dodged a bullet because they offered him so late. Utah State was on him hard, but ultimately he decided to stay home, which probably makes the most sense,” Huffman said. “I saw the kid at three different events last spring, and I love him. I had a hard time figuring out what was taking Boise State so long to offer him.”
In Bolt’s first season at quarterback, the converted wide receiver put up 2,771 yards of offense and 36 touchdowns (26 rushing, 10 passing) for Borah. He also started at safety, finishing the season with 62 tackles and four interceptions, and he returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns.
In December, Bolt was named the 2019 Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year and the 5A All-Idaho Player of the Year, and he signed with Boise State on early signing day. In January, he was named the Offensive MVP of the Blue-Grey All-America Bowl after scoring three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.
Huffman sees Bolt developing into a “flex tight end” who has the ability to line up as a traditional tight end with the athleticism to also see time in the slot.
“That way you’re lining him up against smaller corners or slower safeties where you can really take advantage of that athleticism,” Huffman said.
Huffman also said Bolt’s signing takes some of the sting out of losing wide receiver Chance Luper, who was verbally committed to the Broncos but re-opened his recruitment Jan. 16, which left Texas native LaTrell Caples as the only wide receiver in the 2020 class.
Boise State signed 15 players on early signing day, and the Broncos have since added six verbal commits, including one who was once committed to USC, and a quarterback who is flying under the radar despite putting up prolific numbers in high school.
247Sports ranks the class No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 63 in the nation.
As Boise State prepares to put the finishing touches on the class Wednesday during traditional signing day, Huffman fielded some questions about the incoming crop of Broncos and what holes still need to be filled.
Quarterback Cade Fennegan is a bit of a mystery. What can Boise State expect when he joins the team this summer after returning from his LDS mission in Argentina?
“There has been a long history of quarterbacks who come back from a long break, with the exception of Taysom Hill, and when they come back, it takes them a little longer than normal to get back to where they were. It’s one of those things where they should lower their expectations, especially right away, just so he can get back into football shape and get his timing back down.
“I see him initially coming in and giving them some depth, but I also think (Boise State) is actively shopping for quarterbacks.”
Boise State has missed on the last three quarterbacks it offered: Carl Richardson (Northwestern), Dillon Markiewicz (Syracuse) and Daylin McLemore (Arizona State). Where do the Broncos turn next?
“I think they’re going to do kind of what every other school is doing now, which is instead of offering a high school kid because you need a body, they’re going to wait and see what the (transfer) portal looks like. That’s starting to become the more popular quick fix.
“Maybe Andy Peters (Timberline High) ends up going on scholarship? That would be a route I could see them potentially taking because what you don’t want to have happen is you wind up offering a kid just for the sake of offering him. At least in this situation, they get a local kid who is more likely to stick it out.
“And then there’s Yaro Duvalko, who was committed to Utah State. They asked him to grayshirt and then (former Boise State offensive coordinator Mike) Sanford left, so he’s back on the market. He’s already visited UNLV and Sacramento State and, from what his coach said, Boise State was coming to watch him throw and had offered him.
“He’s a solid quarterback. He’s never going to wow you with his arm, and he’s a little skinny, but he’s pretty technically sound. He needs to put on some weight so he can take those hits when he gets to college, especially because he’s a pure pocket passer.”
Kyle Juergens — who was once a USC commit — is another recent addition to the class. What do you know about him and how quickly do you see him working his way into the offensive line rotation?
“It’s kind of funny. We were doing our updated California state rankings, and we had Kyle at like an 81 or 82 and we moved him up to an 85. It’s got to be the first time we’ve moved a Boise State commit, who de-committed from USC, up the rankings.
“He’s intriguing because he’s really a versatile player. It sounds like they’re looking at him as an offensive lineman, but he could also go in and make an impact on the defensive line. He might even be more of a natural defensive lineman.
“He’s super athletic, he’s got a frame that’s going to put on another 20 or 30 pounds and I love the kid’s upside. Really the big thing for him is just going to be getting stronger, like most offensive linemen making the transition from high school to college.”
How about a guy they added on early signing day, DB Rodney Robinson? That’s a position where Boise State already went pretty heavy. How do you see him fitting into that group?
“This is a guy who literally went against (Arizona State QB Jayden Daniels) in practice for three years. They were on the same seven-on-seven team, and what I love about Rodney is he’s a competitor. He’s never going to blow you away with his size, but don’t tell him that.
“He just has this dog personality where it’s almost like if he was 4 inches taller, he wouldn’t be as good of a football player. Being undersized has given him more of that dog mentality on the field, and I think what he really benefited from was not only going against Daniels, but Darren Jones was a 6-7 receiver who had 2,000 yards as a senior. Rodney was the guy who would go against him in practice. He didn’t care there was almost a foot difference.
“He can play safety, he can play nickel and he can play corner. He had Pac-12 offers, and I think Boise State got a real steal there because Donovan Clark is the guy who is going to impress everybody with his physical ability. Donovan is a great player, I’ve watched him for four years, and he looks the part. But if I’m playing a game tomorrow, I’m taking Rodney Robinson.”
Another thing Boise State has done pretty heavily in this class is hit the transfer market, especially the junior colleges. The Broncos have four JUCO and one graduate transfer so far. As you look at this group, do you expect most of these guys to come in and provide depth right away or are they guys who can start?
“They’re bringing those guys in with the expectation that you’re here for a short amount of time and we need to get you playing as quickly as possible. The (defensive) tackle they got from Long Beach City, Divine Obichere, I talked to two other Mountain West schools about him and they’re like, ‘You have no idea how good of a football player this kid is and how explosive he is.’ There’s no waiting for him to develop in the weight room. You’re bringing him in and saying get out there and stop the run.
“Riden Leong (Orange Coast College, offensive tackle) is another guy, especially when they have a loss like with Ezra Cleveland. As they look for somebody to fill that spot, this gives you a guy who can come in and slide right in at a number of spots. I think he’s a little bit on the older side. He hasn’t played a lot of football, but physically they’re expecting him to be ready to come in and play.
“And Shane Irwin (Long Beach City College, defensive end) is a guy who I would definitely expect to be used right away. I loved him coming out of high school. He’s got some twitch to his game and he’s gotten bigger and stronger.
“Jonathan Earl (Golden West College, cornerback) is another guy who has some seriously intriguing size to him. If you can find a 6-3 corner, you take it because that provides so much positional versatility. By the end of the spring, he’s 205 and now maybe he’s playing safety, or if he stays thin and shows he’s still fluid and athletic, you’re putting him up against some of the bigger receivers in the conference.”
Broncos add two more to 2020 class
One day before traditional signing day, Boise State dipped back into Texas and added another piece to its defensive front seven.
Gabriel Hunter announced his verbal commitment Tuesday afternoon on Twitter. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Pflugerville, Texas, native was a defensive lineman and linebacker at Hendrickson High but, per the photo he tweeted Tuesday, he’ll join the Broncos as a STUD — a position recently vacated by Mountain West career sacks leader Curtis Weaver.
247Sports hadn’t rated Hunter as of Tuesday afternoon, but he also has scholarship offers from SMU, Rice, Air Force and a host of Ivy League programs, such as Cornell, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton and Columbia.
Hunter joins a growing stable of STUDs, which is essentially a pass-rushing outside linebacker who has the ability to play as a traditional defensive end and the athleticism to contribute in pass coverage.
Redshirt sophomore Demitri Washington saw his playing time increase in the latter half of last season. He may get pushed by Irwin for playing time this fall, and the Broncos are expected to appeal for a sixth year of eligibility for Sam Whitney. Redshirt freshman James Cline came in as a four-star recruit in the 2019 class, and 2020 recruit Robert Cooper also may develop into the position.
Hunter is the fourth member of the 2020 class from Texas, joining Caples, Fennegan and defensive tackle Herbert Gums.
The Broncos added a 21st commit to the class late Tuesday afternoon when three-star athlete Cole Wright gave the Broncos his verbal. Wright started at wide receiver and defensive back at Carlsbad High School, and he finished his senior season with 71 receptions for 1,176 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He also has scholarship offers from Harvard, Princeton, UNLV, New Mexico and Hawaii, according to 247Sports.
2020 recruiting class
▪ DB Isaiah Bradford, 6-0, 170, Redlands (Calif.) East Valley High
▪ OT Brandon Hernandez, 6-6, 275, Yucaipa (Calif.) High
▪ TE Russell Corrigan, 6-4, 230, Hutchinson (Minn.) High
▪ CB Donovan Clark, 6-3, 190, Lincoln High (Tacoma, Wash.)
▪ CB Kaonohi Kaniho, 6-0, 180, Kahuku (Hawaii) High
▪ OG Nathan Cardona, 6-3, 280, Yorba Linda (Calif.) High
▪ DE Robert Cooper, 6-5, 255, Bethel High (Spanaway, Wash.)
▪ WR Latrell Caples, 6-0, 185, Lancaster (Texas) High
▪ OT Riden Leong, 6-5, 320, Orange Coast College (Waimanalo, Hawaii)
▪ S Semaj Verner, 6-2, 185, Mayfair High (Lakewood, California)
▪ DT Herbert Gums, 6-1, 284, Diboll (Texas) High
▪ DE Shane Irwin, 6-4, 252, Long Beach City College (Palos Verdes Peninsula, California)
▪ DT Divine Obichere, 6-4, 295, Long Beach City College (Long Beach, California)
▪ DB Rodney Robinson, 5-10, 265, Cajon High (San Bernardino, California)
▪ TE Austin Bolt, 6-4, 205, Borah High (Boise)
▪ QB Cade Fennegan, 6-2, 275, Woodrow Wilson High (Dallas)
▪ LB Brock Miller, 6-3, 238, N.C. State (Port St. Lucie, Florida)
▪OL Kyle Juergens, 6-6, 260, St. Margaret’s Episcopal (San Juan Capistrano, California)
▪CB Jonathan Earl, 6-3, 190, Golden West College (Concord, North Carolina)
▪STUD Gabriel Hunter, 6-4, 220, Hendrickson High (Pflugerville, Texas)
▪ATH Cole Wright, 6-0, 175, Carlsbad (California)
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 1:48 PM.
