Boise State adds a QB from Texas, a former USC commit to the O-line on signing day
It’s rare enough for Boise State to reel in one recruit with a scholarship offer from USC, but on Wednesday, the Broncos signed two.
The Broncos added five players to their 2020 recruiting class on National Signing Day, including quarterback Cade Fennegan and offensive lineman Kyle Juergens.
Fennegan racked up 6,454 yards and 94 touchdowns through the air in three seasons as the starter at Woodrow Wilson High in Dallas. He verbally committed to Boise State on Jan. 14 and tweeted about how excited he was to join the team this summer after returning from his LDS mission in Argentina.
On Tuesday, Fennegan gave the Broncos a scare, though, when he announced on Twitter that he received an offer from USC. But in the end, his was the second letter of intent that Boise State received on Wednesday.
Juergens was once committed to USC as a defensive lineman, but he reopened his recruitment in December 2019. He gave the Broncos his verbal Jan. 19, and he’ll come in as an offensive lineman, likely to be a guard.
The San Juan Capistrano, California, native is one of four offensive linemen in the Broncos’ class, which now stands at 20 recruits and ranks No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 64 in the nation, according to 247Sports.
Boise State also added 6-foot-3 junior college defensive back Jonathan Earl on Wednesday. He’s one of four junior college transfers in the class and one of six defensive backs.
N.C. State transfer linebacker Brock Miller and three-star wide receiver Cole Wright also signed Wednesday. The Broncos had one verbally committed recruit not sign — Gabriel Hunter, a defensive lineman/linebacker from Texas, who committed on Tuesday. Hunter might still join the program later.
Check out videos, stories and bios for all of Boise State’s 2020 recruits here.
Here’s a look at the five recruits the Broncos signed Wednesday:
DB Jonathan Earl, 6-3, 190, Golden West College (Concord, North Carolina)
Boise State’s first national letter of intent (NLI) of the day came from JUCO cornerback Jonathan Earl. He had to delay his enrollment in junior college for two years for financial reasons, and once he could enroll, he still had to balance a job, class and football. On the field, he led Golden West in 2018 with six receiving touchdowns. Last season, he started at cornerback and intercepted two passes.
Impact: Earl comes in at a position where the Broncos have a pair of established starters in Jalen Walker and Avery Williams and an up-and-comer in Markel Reed. Earl’s size gives him positional versatility, though, so he could also slide over to safety, especially since senior DeAndre Pierce has missed significant time the past two seasons with injuries.
Sophomore season (JUCO) highlights
QB Cade Fennegan, 6-2, 175, Woodrow Wilson (Dallas)
After a USC scare on Tuesday night, Boise State landed the quarterback it has so desperately needed in this class. Texas native Cade Fennegan’s was the recruit through the door.
In three years as the starter at Woodrow Wilson in Dallas, Fennegan racked up 6,454 yards and 94 touchdowns through the air and added 796 yards and 18 more scores on the ground. Coming out of high school in 2018, he was rated as a two-star recruit by 247Sports and really only had interest from North Texas.
Impact: The Broncos needed to land a quarterback in this class. If they didn’t, they would’ve gone into next season with Hank Bachmeier and Chase Cord as the only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.
The question now is does Boise State go for another? If Fennegan had flipped to USC, the Broncos may have taken a run at former Utah State commit Yaro Duvalko, according to 247Sports national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman, but Duvalko signed with Sacramento State on Wednesday.
Even with Fennegan on board, Huffman said the Broncos are still likely to explore their options in the transfer market.
LB Brock Miller, 6-3, 238, N.C. State (Port St. Lucie, Florida)
Miller will join the Broncos as a graduate transfer after spending four seasons at N.C. State. He started 11 games at outside linebacker last season for the Wolfpack and posted 40 tackles. Boise State recruited the former three-star recruit out of John Carroll High in Vero Beach, Florida, but he said he wasn’t ready to move across the country when he was 18 years old.
Impact: Boise State already returns linebackers Riley Whimpey and Benton Wickersham — two of the team’s top tacklers last season — and redshirt junior Ezekial Noa, who was the team’s leading tackler when he suffered an injury against Air Force, which cost him the rest of the 2019 season. Miller should at the very least add quality depth at a position already flush with experience.
Highlights from Miller’s N.C. State career
ATH Cole Wright, 6-0, 175, Carlsbad (California) High
Wright started at wide receiver and defensive back at Carlsbad High, and he finished his senior season with 71 receptions for 1,176 yards and 13 touchdowns. He committed Tuesday, and he’ll be a wide receiver — a position where the Broncos need a body after Chance Luper re-opened his recruitment on Jan. 16.
Impact: Wright is exactly the shifty, explosive slot receiver the Broncos love to recruit. With Khalil Shakir, CT Thomas and Octavius Evans expected to top the two-deep at wide receiver this fall and the likes of Stefan Cobbs and Shea Whiting likely to step into larger roles, Wright probably isn’t going to see the field any time soon. But he could develop into a solid kick or punt returner, especially if he plays as fast as he looks in his highlight film.
OL Kyle Juergens, 6-6, 260, St. Margaret’s Episcopal (San Juan Capistrano, California)
Juergens was once committed to USC as a defensive lineman, but he confirmed the day he committed to Boise State (Jan. 19) that the Broncos plan to bring him in as an offensive lineman and plug him in at guard.
Impact: Juergens is coming in at a time when there are plenty of jobs up for grabs on the Broncos’ offensive line. Boise State has to replace four starters along the front this season, including left tackle Ezra Cleveland, who announced on Christmas Eve that he would forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. The Broncos also have to replace guards John Molchon and Eric Quevedo and center Garrett Larson.
247Sports National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman said he thinks Juergens could contribute on either side of the ball.
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)
▪ATH Cole Wright, 6-0, 175, Carlsbad (California)
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 5:17 AM.
