Shakir has become one of Boise State’s all-time greats — and he says there’s more in store
It is supposed to reach the low 70s this week in Murrieta, Calif., Khalil Shakir’s hometown.
Boise State’s standout junior wide receiver had never played in anything like Saturday’s 17-9 win at Wyoming — snow consistently falling, 25 mph winds making it feel close to below-zero temperatures.
And yet, with every hit feeling twice as hard, each pass like catching a smoothed brick, Shakir once again proved that no matter the circumstance, he will go down as one of the best to play the position for the Broncos.
Shakir has at least 90 yards receiving in all but one game after his eight-catch, 105-yard showing in Laramie. He added 34 yards rushing on five carries. Seven of the 13 times he touched the ball, he earned a first down.
When the Cowboys started to make the game interesting, cutting a 10-3 lead to 10-6 in the third quarter, the Broncos went to Shakir. He had three catches, including a 33-yarder, on an 11-play, 75-yard drive that put the game out of reach for Wyoming’s plodding offense.
“I take that as a big responsibility, I love when guys are depending on me to do those things … I just try to do what I can to make my brothers happy,” Shakir said.
Considering the multitude of ways he helps the team, Shakir absolutely makes his teammates happy.
But for those of us watching from afar, there is so much joy to be taken from watching him play.
Sure, anyone that makes big plays can bring a smile to football fans’ faces, but in Shakir, there is something a little more than that — comfort.
You know when Shakir gets that ball, on a screen, a deep shot, out of the Wildcat, on an end-around, something good is probably going to happen.
Coming into Saturday’s game, he was one of just 25 players in the country averaging 125 yards or more per game from scrimmage. Seven were wide receivers, and none had more yards rushing than Shakir.
And everyone knows the ball is going to him — his 46 catches are close to triple anyone else’s on the team (CT Thomas has 17). He’s also the team’s No. 2 rusher with 152 yards (at a nice 9.5-yards-per-carry clip, too).
In that way, Shakir is so perfectly Boise State — just a guy who can do so many things and will do absolutely whatever it takes to win.
But Shakir is not your classic “Boise State guy.” He was a four-star recruit out of high school, turning down a gaggle of Power 5 offers. He didn’t need time to acclimate, playing immediately as a true freshman.
What Shakir is, he’s your ideal modern Boise State recruit.
Do you not think the staff is going to show a hotshot, do-everything, four-star kid all of the things that Shakir does for them? Of course it will.
But that on-field specialness doesn’t tell the whole story. Coach Bryan Harsin said “there’s never been an issue with effort, ever,” after Shakir’s first year on campus. This fall, Shakir is a team captain. That joy he brings to everyone else? He wears it — no player may smile more in a postgame interview than him.
And as much as you enjoy it, there could be even more on the way.
I asked Shakir point blank Saturday night if he plans to return next season.
Boise State has had an early entrant selected in seven straight NFL Drafts. Shakir, though not the biggest or fastest prospect, sure does check a lot of boxes.
“I plan on being back next season, I love it here, I love these guys, I’m ready to rock out with them again,” Shakir said.
Now, that is a pretty straightforward answer, but who knows what the future holds. I once had a player tell me he was staying another year because he promised his mom he would graduate. Three weeks later, he put his name into the draft.
Shakir seems different, and that’s because he is. He truly enjoys being part of the Boise State program — and anyone that watches reciprocates it right back.
Dave Southorn is a former Boise State football beat writer for the Idaho Statesman who provides occasional commentary on the Broncos.
