Boise State football coach Avalos isn’t afraid to ‘shoot his shot’ on recruiting trail
The Boise State football team finds itself in unfamiliar territory as it puts the finishing touches on the 2021 recruiting class Wednesday on national signing day.
The Broncos have owned the top-ranked class in the Mountain West every year since 2014, according to 247Sports, but they’re at No. 2 this year behind San Diego State.
The Aztecs signed 20 recruits in December and have since added four verbal commits — including four-star offensive lineman Josh Simmons — and two transfers from Mississippi State: quarterback Jaylen Mayden and wide receiver Tyrell Shavers.
UNLV’s class is ranked No. 3 in the conference with 19 signed recruits, highlighted by three-star defensive end Nick Dimitris.
Boise State signed 15 recruits on early signing day in December, including Taylen Green — a three-star, dual-threat quarterback from Texas.
The Broncos aren’t expected to be too busy on Wednesday, according to 247Sports national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman, who said former Boise State coach Bryan Harsin left the cupboard well stocked for Andy Avalos, who was hired Jan. 9.
“A lot of times when there’s a coaching change, guys have to come in right away and recruit for need,” Huffman said. “But there aren’t many needs because Boise State has recruited so well for so long, so Andy has the luxury to go out and shop a little.”
Huffman sat down with the Statesman this week to break down what Boise State already has in its 2021 class and what the Broncos still need to add.
How do you think Avalos and his staff will fare on the recruiting trail?
“What I love about Andy is he shoots his shot. (Defensive end) J.T. Tuimoloau at Eastside Catholic is the top recruit in the country and his top five is Ohio State, Alabama, Washington, Oregon and USC. Andy and (assistant Jeron Johnson) reached out and said, “I know this is a long shot, but we’re going to take our shot anyway.” J.T.’s dad told me he was impressed by that.
“Andy knew it was next to impossible, but he tried, and I think you’re going to see that with his staff. They’ve proved so much throughout their careers, why stop now?
“(Defensive coordinator) Spencer Danielson is a rising star in the recruiting world and one of the most trustworthy guys you’re going to find in an industry where there are a lot of coaches where you don’t know what you’re getting. Matt Miller is a really strong recruiter with strong ties in the Northwest, and Stacy Collins was one of the more aggressive recruiters in the Mountain West the past few years at Utah State, and his hit rate is going to be better at Boise State.”
2. At first glance, what stands out about the Broncos’ 2021 class?
“I really like what they did on the defensive side of the ball, and what’s interesting about that is Harsin was an offensive guy, but these recruits signed with his staff. Andy, as a defensive guy, is stepping into a really good situation with seven or eight really good defensive recruits who could all be difference-makers in a few years.
“Jai Jones is probably the best overall defensive player in the class, Rehjan Tatum is a classic, old-school linebacker, who has the physical ability to play inside or out and is new-school enough to be a three-down linebacker, and Seyi Olapdipo seems like another one of those really good DBs that Boise State has produced over the last few years.”
Quarterback Taylen Green passes the eyeball test. Will he see the field early?
“He’s going to have some packages for him early on where they’re going to utilize his size, especially in the red zone. His offer sheet wasn’t boiling over, but (Lewisville High in Texas) is a school coaches go to every spring to see players work out, and they couldn’t because of the pandemic. Boise State got on him early and benefited from the pandemic. I think he has more options in a traditional recruiting cycle.
“He’s 6-foot-5 and 200-plus pounds and he flies. He runs a a legit 4.6-second 40-yard dash, jumps 40 inches, and his shuttle time is 4.2 seconds. Maybe we’ll see Boise State run some zone read and (run-pass option) stuff with him.
“It’s going to be fascinating to watch how he’s utilized. I’m not saying he’s Lamar Jackson, but I’m saying this is a guy who if Boise State has to get him out in the field to make some runs, I’m feeling a lot more comfortable with the 6-5 guy who can run a 4.6 than I am with Hank Bachmeier or Jack Sears running those plays.”
How explosive are the wide receivers in the Broncos’ class?
“Kaden Dudley is a super-twitchy athlete. You can see there’s natural speed there. They can flex him outside, but he’s more of a true slot receiver because of his quick initial burst.
“Eric McAlister is a bigger, rangy pass catcher. He’s going to draw the bigger cornerback matchup, and he’s going to be a big-time red-zone target as well.
“Jalen Richmond isn’t the sexy name, but give me a guy from a program like Chandler any day. He knows how to win and what it takes, and he’s going to come in with a chip on his shoulder.”
Tight end Matthew Lauter got a big ratings bump from 247Sports recently. What stands out about him?
“He’s 6-4 and around 220 pounds, but he runs really well. I think he has the ability to be that true all-around tight end. He can line up next to a tackle and block and drive a defensive end back but also has size and athleticism where he’s going to be a matchup problem if a linebacker is lined up on him or if a safety is trying to body him.”
What is still missing from the class?
“If they can get Jason White to sign, they’ll have a really good group of offensive linemen as kind of the cherry on top of a really good class. He’s a better prospect at this stage than his brother, Torian, who played at UCLA before transferring, and Cord Kringlen is really interesting. I talked to a lot of Pac-12 programs this spring that really liked him, but they weren’t sure how big he was going to get.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see them hit the transfer portal for a running back or two. You absolutely need depth, and a lot of teams are hitting the portal hard instead of going with a guy who may be an uncertainty, especially those who didn’t play this year because of the pandemic.”
Would former Oregon running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio, who is in the transfer portal, fill a need?
“Not really because he’s not an every-down back. He’s more of a goal-line niche back. If he was more of a 15-or-20-carry-a-game guy, I could see it, but he’s not going to alleviate a lot of concerns for Boise State because he’s more of an H-back (a role already filled by Andrew Van Buren).”
2021 RECRUITING CLASS
Signed
LB Jai Jones, 5-11, 230, South Oak Cliff High (Dallas, Texas)
WR Jalen Richmond, 6-0, 175, Chandler (Arizona) High
QB Taylen Green, 6-5, 215, Lewisville (Texas) High
WR Kaden Dudley, 5-11, 190, Palmer Ridge High (Monument, Colorado)
TE Matthew Lauter, 6-4, 222, Torrey Pines High (Encinitas, California)
LB Rejhan Tatum, 6-2, 224, Del City High (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
OT Cord Kringlen, 6-5, 275, Holy Family High (Broomfield, Colorado)
LB Marco Notarainni, 6-3, 195, Torrey Pines High (Encinitas, California)
LB James Wilborn Jr., 6-3, 235, Avon Old Farms (Avon, Connecticut)
WR Eric McAllister, 6-3, 180, Azle (Texas) High
OL Joseph Amos, 6-3, 325, Lancaster (Texas) High
OL Mason Randolph, 6-4, 280, Yorba Linda (California) High
S Seyi Oladipo, 5-11, 175, Eaglecrest High (Centennial, Colorado)
S Zion Washington, 6-2, 200, Frisco (Texas) High
DL Ahmed Hassanein, 6-2, 270, Loara High (Anaheim, California)
Verbally committed
OL Jason White, 6-4, 260, Orange Lutheran (Orange, California)
