Boise State offensive preview: Bachmeier, Holani, Shakir and major questions on O-line
The last time Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier was on a football field in a competitive setting was the Broncos’ loss to Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Bachmeier, who to that point was undefeated as the starter, hadn’t played since a win at San Jose State in early November. He never got comfortable in the pocket and threw two bad interceptions before he was benched in the third quarter.
Two months later, in Boise State’s first spring practice on Friday, he looked comfortable and loose rolling out of the pocket and showed off some impressive timing with Khalil Shakir on a deep touchdown pass early in one-on-one drills.
”It’s exciting. Football is back,” Bachmeier said. “I just want to grow as a whole, from processing information quicker to how I approach practice.”
Boise State is coming off its second Mountain West title in the past three years and its first undefeated run through the conference in program history.
The Broncos finished last fall 12-2, winning 10 games in a season for the fifth time since coach Bryan Harsin took over in 2014. They were in the running for the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six bowl bid, which went to Memphis.
Here’s a position-by-position look at the Broncos’ offense for 2020.
Quarterback
The starter: Harsin sent a clear message with his decision to start Bachmeier in the Las Vegas Bowl. Despite the success the offense saw with Jaylon Henderson taking the snaps in the final three games of the regular season and the Mountain West title game — a 31-10 rout of Hawaii — it’s clear the job is Bachmeier’s to lose this season, and the offense is his to run for at least the next couple years.
Bachmeier went 7-1 as the starter last season and completed 63 percent (137-of-219) of his passes while throwing for 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Next in line: Redshirt junior Chase Cord will miss spring ball as he continues to recover from shoulder, knee and ankle injuries, which sidelined him for the final five games of last season. But when he returns, he’ll be No. 2 on the depth chart. As he has been the past two seasons, he’ll also be part of the offensive game plan on a weekly basis if he’s healthy. In 2018, Cord appeared in four games before suffering a season-ending injury.
In two years at Boise State, Cord is completing 60 percent (63-for-105) of his passes, and he has thrown for 10 touchdowns and rushed for three.
Sleeper: Former Timberline High quarterback Andy Peters enrolled early and made his debut Friday night as the Broncos opened spring practice in front of a crowd in Albertsons Stadium. He and fellow walk-on Zach Matlock will fill out the depth chart and get plenty of snaps this spring, but the Broncos’ No. 3 quarterback may not yet be on the roster.
Texas native Cade Fennegan will be on campus this summer after he returns from an LDS mission in Argentina. Harsin reiterated Thursday that the Broncos are open to adding a transfer quarterback to the roster, and they’re likely to look to the junior college and graduate transfer markets to do it.
Running back
The starter: Sophomore George Holani got better as his freshman season went on. He ranked No. 4 in the Mountain West with 1,014 rushing yards and helped the Broncos extend their streak of seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher to 11 straight. He has put on 13 pounds since last fall, and he’ll carry an even heavier workload this season after his 192 carries ranked No. 4 in the conference.
Next in line: Redshirt senior Robert Mahone only missed one game last fall, but he was limited by injuries in the latter half of the season. He carried the ball 16 times Oct. 16 in Boise State’s regular-season win over Hawaii but didn’t carry it more than four times in a game for the rest of the season.
He looks healthy and strong this spring and showed a little shiftiness after catching a swing pass on Friday in practice. If Mahone can stay on the field and take a few carries off Holani’s plate, the Broncos’ running game will be that much more dangerous.
Sleeper: It’s tough to make the case that Andrew Van Buren is a sleeper. The junior showed flashes of what he’s capable of last season. He posted a career-high 85 yards and a 32-yard touchdown run against San Jose State, and he used his 234-pound frame to grind out physical yards against New Mexico and Utah State. If he and Holani show growth and Mahone can stay healthy, Boise State’s running game could go from good to great.
Tight end
The starter: John Bates emerged as a consistent part of the passing attack last season and posted career highs in receptions (22) and yards (273). He should see more passes this fall as the Broncos try to distribute the workload once carried by John Hightower.
After making the move to tight end early last season, former quarterback Riley Smith’s role also should increase. The redshirt sophomore’s 230-pound build doesn’t make him the ideal run blocker, but he’s athletic enough to add to the Broncos’ arsenal in the passing game.
Next in line: Redshirt sophomore Tyneil Hopper is an explosive athlete, and he may be next in line when Bates graduates. Last season, he appeared in 13 games — mostly on special teams — but didn’t record a catch, and he’s limited this spring by bone spurs. But if he can return to the form that had him ranked among the top 20 tight ends in the nation by ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals coming out of Roswell High in Georgia, he’ll push Smith and Bates for snaps.
Sleeper: Like quarterback, the surprise addition to this position may not yet be on the field. Harsin has been effusive in his praise of Borah product Austin Bolt, and he celebrated fellow incoming freshman Russell Corrigan on signing day as a talented blocker. On Thursday, Harsin also said the Broncos are still open to adding a transfer tight end to the roster before the season begins.
Wide Receiver
The starters: Junior Khalil Shakir is near the top of a talented class of wide receivers across the Mountain West. He rose to the occasion time and again when the Broncos needed a play made last season, and not only did he rank No. 2 on the team with six touchdown catches, he ran for three and threw his first career touchdown pass last fall.
On Friday, Shakir picked up right where he left off, blowing by a defender on a deep touchdown catch and somehow coming down with an acrobatic reception on the sideline. Expect him to touch the ball as much as possible this fall.
Senior slot receiver CT Thomas is quick, shifty and experienced, and he should take some attention away from Shakir. Thomas has caught more than 40 passes in each of the past two seasons, and he enters his senior year with 97 career receptions for 1,178 yards and eight touchdowns.
Next in line: After an injury-plagued 2018 season, senior Octavius Evans showed flashes of explosiveness last fall. He posted career highs in receptions (five) and yards (77) and his only touchdown catch of the season in the Broncos’ loss at BYU. He scored the first rushing touchdown of his career against New Mexico and made two clutch catches in Boise State’s only scoring drive in the Las Vegas Bowl against Washington, including a 21-yard completion on a wide receiver option pass from Thomas.
Two receivers likely to crack the rotation this season are redshirt freshman Shea Whiting and redshirt sophomore Stefan Cobbs. Whiting was the Broncos’ 2019 offensive scout team player of the year. He’s up to 201 pounds after weighing in at 184 last season, and he looked smooth and quick in his routes in Friday’s practice. Whiting and Cobbs were three-star recruits coming out of high school, and Cobbs scored a 44-yard touchdown on his first collegiate reception last season on a screen pass against Portland State.
The sleepers: Redshirt sophomore Maclaine Griffin has impressed on the scout team and special teams the past two seasons and, at 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds, he has the size to compete on the outside. He got to test his arm Friday with a wide receiver option pass, but it fell incomplete. Redshirt freshman Khyheem Waleed also looked crisp and explosive in his routes. In 2019, he was a three-star recruit and the No. 9 overall prospect in Arizona, according to 247Sports.
Offensive line
The starters: Redshirt junior John Ojukwu is the only starter back from last season, and he’ll switch from right tackle to left. Redshirt sophomore Grant Curran is among the leaders to replace him at right tackle, but redshirt freshman Ben Dooley saw considerable snaps there Friday.
Redshirt sophomore Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez seems entrenched at center, and redshirt junior Jake Stetz is likely to fill one of the guard spots after seeing a couple starts last season. The question remains who will start opposite him at the other guard spot? Redshirt senior Donte Harrington is the leading candidate right now, but Curran and redshirt sophomore Dallas Holliday spent time there Friday.
Next in line: Six-foot-7 redshirt senior Nick Crabtree spent last season as former left tackle Ezra Cleveland’s backup. Redshirt freshman Jacob Golden saw snaps at left tackle Friday with the second- and third-team units, and redshirt senior Kole Bailey stepped in at right tackle.
The sleepers: Other than quarterback, the offensive line may be the most likely landing spot for a graduate transfer this spring and summer. Harsin confirmed Thursday that Boise State is still open to adding a transfer, most likely a tackle.
Junior college transfer Riden Leong will land on campus this summer. He’s still raw after not joining the football team until late in his high school career, but at 6-5 and 320, he has the build to step in and play right away. He has spent the past two years in the weight room at Orange Coast College, so there shouldn’t be much of a physical transition for him.
