Boise State expects transfers to play key role in rebuilding defensive line
Boise State defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding’s top priority this offseason is to rebuild the defensive line, which lost four starters, including Mountain West sacks leader Curtis Weaver.
“That position is the tip of the spear for us,” Schmedding said on National Signing Day. “Those are the guys who can affect every single play. You want to say that about most positions, but really that position can truly affect the game at all times, and we graduated some really good ones.”
The Broncos lost senior defensive linemen Chase Hatada, Sonatane Lui and David Moa, and Weaver announced Dec. 28 that he’ll skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.
Boise State went the junior college route to find a couple of replacements in defensive tackle Divine Obichere and end Shane Irwin, who were teammates at Long Beach City College.
Irwin enrolled early and is already on campus, Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said on signing day. Obichere is expected to arrive this summer, and there will be no easing either of them in. Schmedding said he expects them to compete for playing time right away.
“We want guys who can come in right now and compete,” Schmedding said. “We did a nice job in this recruiting cycle of getting guys who can compete and help right now and guys who are going to be around a while and help us in the future.”
Obichere — a 6-foot-4, 295-pound Long Beach, California, native — and junior Scale Igiehon (6-2, 306) have the ability to eat up plenty of space on the interior of the line. Schmedding didn’t rule out putting them on the field together this fall, and he said there’s more to Obichere than meets the eye.
“You see the size and you think he’s stopping the run, which is critical, but he’s got enough twitch to get on the edge and get home on the quarterback,” Schmedding said.
Irwin (6-4, 252) eventually may develop into a contender to replace Weaver at STUD, but he’ll begin his Boise State career filling Hatada’s shoes as more of a traditional defensive end, Schmedding said.
Boise State hit the transfer market hard in its 2020 class. Irwin and Obichere are joined by fellow junior college transfers Jonathan Earl — a 6-3, 190-pound cornerback — and Riden Leong, a 6-5, 320-pound offensive lineman. The Broncos also added former North Carolina State linebacker Brock Miller as a graduate transfer.
Leong joins the Broncos at a time when they’re trying to replace four starters on the offensive line, including left tackle Ezra Cleveland, who left a year early for the NFL Draft. Boise State has established players returning in the secondary, but Earl’s size may give him the ability to play corner or safety.
“The way you get better is through competition, so we needed guys who could enhance that right away,” Schmedding said.
Gums has ‘intriguing’ athleticism
The Broncos also hit the high school market to build a foundation for future defensive lines, adding end Robert Cooper and 284-pound tackle Herbert Gums, who 247Sports recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks said has surprising athleticism.
“Gums is really intriguing because his sophomore year he was playing a lot of running back at about 240 pounds. Fast forward two years, and he’s a 280- to 285-pound defensive lineman with some pretty encouraging athleticism relative to the position,” Brooks said Friday. “This is a kid who ran a 4.84 verified (40-yard dash) in the spring of his sophomore year at about 240 pounds. That’s pretty impressive. … He could possibly provide some role versatility given his strength and athleticism.”
When he verbally committed Dec. 12, Gums was the highest-rated player in the Broncos’ class. That honor now belongs to Texas-based wide receiver LaTrell Caples, who 247Sports ranks No. 646 nationally.
As a senior at Diboll High in Texas, Gums was named the District 11 3A Most Valuable Player of the Year and first-team all-state. Brooks said it’s not common that college programs are able to lure East Texas kids out of state, but Gums is the second Boise State has landed in the last few years.
Senior wide receiver Octavius Evans, who came in with the 2017 class, is from Center, Texas, which is about 65 miles southwest of Diboll.
Rausa makes XFL history
Former Boise State kicker Tyler Rausa made his XFL debut Saturday, and he made history.
The Washington D.C. Defenders faced the Seattle Dragons in the first televised game of the league’s relaunch, and Rausa ended a drive in the first quarter with a 34-yard field goal to record the XFL’s first points. WWE owner Vince McMahon originally launched the league in 2001, and it lasted just one season.
Rausa missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter, but he ended the first half with a career-long 54-yarder, which sent the Defenders into halftime trailing 13-12. Washington went on to win 31-19.
The Defenders announced Rausa’s signing on Jan. 21.
After transferring to Boise State in 2013 from Riverdale Community College, Rausa was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2015 after he set the program’s single-season record with 25 field goals. He was on the watch list again the following year as a senior and went 9-for-13 on field goals and 58-for-58 on extra points.
▪ QB SIGNS: Quarterback Cade Fennegan has signed his national letter of intent, Boise State announced Monday. Fennegan only had signed a financial aid agreement by National Signing Day because he’s on a mission in Argentina.
Men’s basketball: Broncos have quick turnaround
Mental recuperation will be every bit as important as physical recovery after Boise State’s tough loss at Utah State on Saturday night.
The Broncos had Sunday off — although much of the team voluntarily came in to shoot — and just Monday’s practice to prepare for their second meeting with Air Force in the last month. The Mountain West matchup tips off at 7 p.m. Tuesday at ExtraMile Arena, and the game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet.
“It’s always mental, and there’s always mental things you can do to get better and respond,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “I tell these guys over and over and over again, it’s my theme to them, the great players aren’t absent of mistakes. They’re not absent of bad games. … What they’re perfect at is their response.”
Air Force (9-15, 3-9 MW) enters on a six-game losing streak. Consequently, the Falcons’ last victory came against Boise State (16-9, 8-5) on Jan. 15. Rice watched the second half of that 85-78 loss on television after drawing his first career ejection shortly before halftime.
“I regret that. I’m mad about that,” Rice said. “I didn’t do a good enough job last time we played them, and I want to stick around for the whole fight this time.”
Rice said the mental aspect of the Broncos’ game is vitally important to their success, especially with the regular season quickly coming to an end. The Broncos use meditation and visualization to help them overcome obstacles in their game.
“One day we were coming off a tough road trip — lots of travel, lots of work — and I didn’t want them spending more time in the gym,” Rice said. “So I sent them home to shoot 50 mental free throws.”
With five league games remaining, the Broncos sit in a tie for third with Utah State and Nevada. The top five teams receive a bye in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament, which runs March 4-7 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
“They’ve played through heartaches and they’ve played through highs and lows,” Rice said. “They just show up with their lunch pails and their hard hats and say: ‘Let’s go to work. Let’s get it done.’ ”
Boise State junior forward Abu Kigab, who has missed back-to-back games with a hip pointer, participated in Monday’s practice and could play against the Falcons.
“He needs to get some reps today, and if he can do that, then we’ll see how he feels tomorrow and evaluate it there,” Rice said. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because he brings a lot to this team, and he’s a missing piece.”
▪ MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERS APPRECIATION: Current and retired military, along with first responders, will receive free admission to Tuesday’s game with valid identification. Additional tickets can be purchased for family and friends at a discounted $7 per ticket.
▪ BSU WOMEN: The Broncos (16-9, 8-5 MW) face Air Force (5-18, 3-9) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Clune Arena in USAFA, Colorado. Boise State has won 13 in a row against the Falcons, with their last loss coming in 2013. The Broncos lead the all-time series 18-1. Wednesday’s game will be streamed online by the Mountain West Network, which is available at BroncoSports.com/mwn.
