Boise State DL confirms he tested positive for COVID-19; Broncos add DB to 2021 class
Boise State defensive lineman Jackson Cravens said Tuesday that he missed two games earlier this season after testing positive for COVID-19, but he also said he’s healthy and ready to play Saturday at Wyoming (4 p.m., CBSSN).
He is the fourth Boise State player to have confirmed a positive test, following STUD Sam Whitney, running back Andrew Van Buren and quarterback Hank Bachmeier.
Cravens said he didn’t have any symptoms, but he missed the Broncos’ home game against Colorado State and road game at Hawaii after testing positive for the virus.
The transfer from Utah was set to make his return Nov. 28 at home against San Jose State, but that game was canceled less than 5 hours before kickoff. Cravens’ return was delayed again last week when the Broncos’ game at UNLV was called off on the advice of medical personnel, according to the Mountain West.
The Provo, Utah, native said Tuesday that he’s been practicing for about two weeks now, and he can’t wait to take the field Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming, against an offensive front that he said likes to get physical.
“I feel like it’s going to be a war up front,” Cravens told reporters Tuesday. “It’s who can get off the ball and get their hands and feet on the ground and be more physical.”
Wyoming ranks No. 2 in the Mountain West with 247 rushing yards a game. Junior Xazavian Valladay, who won the conference’s rushing title last season, missed last week’s game at New Mexico, but Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said Monday that he’s expected to play this weekend.
Backup Trey Smith — a transfer from Louisville — stepped in last weekend and posted 154 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ loss to New Mexico.
“In any year, going against Wyoming starts with the run game,” Boise State defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding told reporters Tuesday. “Once they get things rolling, they can put it on you pretty good.”
Cravens was a late addition to the Broncos’ 2019 recruiting class, and he sat out that season because of NCAA transfer rules. He also had to overcome a shoulder injury suffered late last season to get back on the field for spring ball, which only lasted a couple of practices before it was shut down because of COVID-19.
He’s part of a defensive front that has been ravaged this fall by injuries and the virus — one that only dressed five interior defensive linemen and moved offensive lineman Ben Dooley to the other side of the ball against Colorado State.
Defensive linemen Demitri Washington, Keeghan Freeborn, Herbert Gums and Andu Nwaoko and STUD Sam Whitney have been lost for the season to injuries. Nose tackle Scale Igiehon suffered an ankle injury in the season opener, missed the Colorado State game and was limited against BYU and Hawaii.
Idaho native Scott Matlock and junior college transfers Shane Irwin and Divine Obichere have taken the majority of the snaps on the defensive line in the past two games.
Cravens admitted Tuesday that the Broncos have had to “mix it up a little” just to have enough bodies on the defensive line in practice, but he said the unit, as a whole, is better off after having to overcome adversity.
“We’ve all come together and found our roles even with everybody coming in and out,” Cravens said.
Broncos add DB to 2021 class
After losing a defensive back in its 2021 recruiting class last week, Boise State added one to the class Tuesday.
Safety Zion Washington from Frisco, Texas, announced his verbal commitment on Twitter.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete, who also played wide receiver at Reedy High in Texas, doesn’t have a 247Sports rating yet, but he does have offers from Georgia Tech, Army, Air Force, Sam Houston State, Lamar and Incarnate Word.
Cornerback Oye Adeyi announced Nov. 23 that he was re-opening his recruitment, which left safety Seyi Oladipo as the only defensive back in the class.
Boise State isn’t likely to be hurting for defensive backs any time soon, though. That’s in part because the NCAA offered all fall athletes an extra year of eligibility, meaning the Broncos’ veteran-laden secondary could return intact. It’s also because they signed seven defensive backs in their 2020 class.
College football’s early signing period begins on Dec. 16.
Kaniho named Lott IMPACT semifinalist
Boise State senior nickel Kekaula Kaniho was named one of 24 semifinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy on Tuesday.
Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott, the Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded to college football’s defensive IMPACT player of the year, taking into account integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community involvement and tenacity.
Six finalists for the award will be announced Jan. 8, and the winner will be announced Feb. 21. The university of the winner will receive $25,000 for its general scholarship fund.
Earlier this season, Kaniho was named one of 12 members of the National Football Foundation 2020 Scholar-Athlete Class, and a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which earned him a postgraduate scholarship worth $18,000. He has also been named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.
On the field, the Hawaii native has started all five of the Broncos’ games this season. He has 23 tackles (17 solo), two tackles for loss, and a team-high four pass breakups. He also returned a blocked field-goal attempt 91 yards for a touchdown against Colorado State on Nov. 12.
