Preseason football plan in final stages; 17 Broncos make All-MW team; NBA Draft dates set
The NCAA’s Division I Football Oversight Committee finalized its recommendations for a plan for summer workouts and preseason practices Thursday, opening the door for Boise State players to begin workouts as early as July 13.
The Division I Council will vote on the recommendations Wednesday.
The model depends on each team’s first scheduled game. Most programs open the season Sept. 5 and will begin the first tier of workouts on July 13. Teams that open Aug. 29 have the option to begin workouts July 6.
During July 13-23, athletes may be required to participate in up to eight hours of weight training, conditioning and film review, with a two-hour max on film review.
From July 24 to Aug. 6, athletes may take part in up to 20 hours of athletic-related activities, which are not to exceed four hours per day. During this period, athletes are required to have at least two days off. Approved activities include:
▪ Up to eight hours per week of weight training and conditioning.
▪ Up to six hours per week for walk-throughs, which may include the use of a football.
▪ Up to six hours per week for meetings, which may include film review, team meetings, position meetings and one-on-one meetings.
Preseason practice would begin Aug. 7 with a five-day acclimatization and the opportunity for 25 on-field practices.
“Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, we believe this model provides institutions and their student-athletes flexibility to prepare for the upcoming season,” football oversight committee chairman Shane Lyons said Thursday in a press release.
Boise State is scheduled to open the season Sept. 5 at home against Georgia Southern.
On June 6, football and women’s soccer players returned to Boise State to begin voluntary workouts. On June 8, the school reported that several athletes tested positive for COVID-19.
17 Broncos named all-conference
Boise State led the Mountain West on Wednesday with eight first-team picks and 17 total players on Athlon Sports’ preseason all-conference team.
First-team selections: quarterback Hank Bachmeier, wide receiver Khalil Shakir and offensive lineman John Ojukwu on offense; defensive lineman Scale Igiehon, linebacker Riley Whimpey, cornerback Jalen Walker and nickel Kekaula Kaniho from the defense; and punt return specialist Avery Williams.
Bachmeier went 7-1 as the starter last fall as a true freshman and completed 62.5% of his passes. Shakir led the Broncos with 63 catches, and he was second on the team with 872 receiving yards and six touchdowns through the air. He also ran for three touchdowns and threw one.
Ojukwu is expected to open the season as Ezra Cleveland’s replacement at left tackle, and Igiehon is expected to anchor the defensive line. Whimpey led the defense last season with 83 tackles and was second with seven pass breakups. Walker led the way with nine breakups, and Kaniho was fourth on the team with 61 tackles and third with 11 tackles for loss.
Williams returned two punts for touchdowns last fall and was named the 2019 Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year. On Wednesday, he was also named second team on defense as a cornerback and was joined by STUD Demitri Washington, who is 2019 sack leader Curtis Weaver’s likely replacement.
After earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors last season with 1,014 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, running back George Holani was the only Bronco named second-team offense.
Tight end John Bates earned a third-team spot, along with punter Joel Velazquez. Fourth-team picks: wide receiver CT Thomas, offensive lineman Jake Stetz, defensive lineman Jackson Cravens and linebacker Ezekiel Noa, who was the team’s leading tackler last fall when an injury in week four against Air Force cost him the rest of the season.
NBA Draft withdrawal deadline set
With a date now set for the NBA Draft, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee has set its deadline for players to withdraw their names and maintain college eligibility.
On June 4, the NBA announced the Draft Lottery will be held Aug. 25, and the draft is set for Oct. 15. Players wishing to withdraw will have until Aug. 3 or 10 days after the NBA Scouting Combine, whichever comes first. A date for the combine has yet to be announced.
Boise State’s Derrick Alston Jr. announced March 30 that he was entering the draft but would keep open the possibility of returning to school. He is one of two players from Boise State ranked in ESPN’s top 100 draft prospects, joining guard Justinian Jessup.
During a conference call with reporters on May 22, Boise State men’s basketball coach Leon Rice said Alston recently returned to Boise but he did not have an update on his draft status.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 8:14 AM.
