Boise State-bound Bolt set 10 Borah football records. Now, he’s writing basketball history
Boise State offered Borah High product Austin Bolt a scholarship later than many college football programs, including Mountain West rival Utah State, because Broncos coach Bryan Harsin said coaches weren’t sure what position he would play.
At a camp hosted by Boise State the summer before his senior year, Bolt worked out at tight end, wide receiver and safety with mixed reviews. But whenever he was on the field in an 11-on-11 situation, there was no questioning his ability to make plays.
“Every time a play needed to be made in that camp, he made it,” Harsin said. “To me, he’s the best player in the state, and those are the guys that you want to get, and we can’t wait to get him here because he’s going to add a lot to what we do offensively.”
Bolt’s clutch gene was on full display in a game his senior season against Boise High. With Boise State coaches on the sideline, he’d already returned one kickoff for a touchdown. In the game’s final minutes, he got one last chance to set Borah’s single-game record with a second and, sure enough, he weaved through a host of tacklers for another touchdown.
That was one of 10 Borah records Bolt set during his high school career. The list ranges from total yards in a career (4,915) to most rushing attempts (45) and rushing touchdowns (six) in a game against Capital. He signed with the Broncos on Dec. 18.
His record-setting spree isn’t limited to football. Borah’s boys basketball team will face Lake City in the first round of the 5A state tournament at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Idaho Center and, according to Lions coach Jeremy Dennis, Bolt already has set the program’s record for rebounds in a career.
Dennis said Borah’s records are unofficial, but Bolt has averaged a double-double the past three seasons for a program that hasn’t produced many All-Idaho post players. Bolt has earned the honor twice.
“If he was a couple inches taller, he would be a Division I basketball player,” Dennis said. “He’s strong, he has great hands and he has a knack for timing when to jump for the ball.”
Last season, Bolt led the Lions to a 5A state championship. This winter, he leads Borah with 19.7 points and 12.7 rebounds a game despite being the only returning starter from last year’s team.
“He leads by example and he’s done a great job of leading the guys on the court,” Dennis said. “When he gets the ball, he knows he’s going to face a double team, but he’s done a great job of finding open teammates.”
Fighting through those double teams will help prepare Bolt for life on the football field.
Bolt will begin his Boise State career as a tight end, but don’t expect him to just line up next to offensive tackles and run check-down routes all day. 247Sports National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman sees him spending as much time in the slot, giving smaller cornerbacks and slower and smaller safeties fits.
“He has the athleticism to do it,” Huffman said. “I think he’s a guy who is going to physically grow into the position, but he’s a guy who can come in right now and run routes well enough to be a factor in the passing game.”
Harsin said Bolt reminds him of a pair of former Broncos: Matt Miller, who was hired as Boise State’s wide receivers coach on Jan. 16, and tight end Jake Roh (2013-2017), who was a two-time All-Mountain West pick and was regularly involved whenever the Broncos pulled out a trick play.
The Broncos did the same last season with tight end Garrett Collingham, who caught three touchdown passes and ended up rushing for one in the regular-season finale at Colorado State on a play where, after receiving a handoff, his first option was to pass.
Like Collingham, Bolt spent time at quarterback in high school. While running Borah’s offense as a senior, he earned Gatorade State Player of the Year honors with 2,771 yards of offense and 36 touchdowns (26 rushing, 10 passing). He also started at safety and finished the year with 62 tackles.
“That is a guy who we spent a lot of time on, one we really got to know, and I think we have a great plan for him moving forward,” Harsin said. “This guy is smart, hungry and humble, and he can do a lot for us because he has run an offense.”
Miller played wide receiver at Boise State from 2010 to 2014. He left as the program’s all-time leader in receptions (244) and was second in receiving yards (3,049) and third in touchdown receptions (29). Harsin said Miller was never scared to go over the middle to chase down a pass and there was never a drill in practice that he didn’t go all out to win, and he sees the same mentality in Bolt.
“Matt was a tough player. He was kind of your Swiss Army knife in terms of plays and what you could do with him,” Harsin said. “There are a lot of competitive similarities that way.”
Bolt won’t be on the field in Albertsons Stadium when Boise State opens spring practice at 7 p.m. Friday. He and the majority of the 2020 class will join the team in July.
Spring practice
Boise State will open spring practice Friday with a session in Albertsons Stadium from 7 to 9 p.m., which is open to the public. Access to seating will be available through Gates A and D, and parking in the west stadium lot will be free.
Fans will also have access to the field after practice for a meet-and-greet with players and coaches.
Boise State’s Pro Day is scheduled for April 2, and the Broncos’ 2020 Spring Game will be held April 11.
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
