‘No better men’: Here are the 8 seniors who will be back for Boise State football
The Boise State football team announced Wednesday that eight seniors will take advantage of the NCAA offer of an extra year of eligibility to return for the 2021 season.
The list of those returning is wide receivers Octavius Evans and CT Thomas, offensive linemen Jake Stetz and Uzo Osuji, linebackers Brock Miller and Riley Whimpey, nickel Kekaula Kaniho and punter/kicker Joel Velazquez.
“There’s no better men to keep in the program,” Avalos told reporters on Wednesday. “These young men exemplify what it is to be a Boise State Bronco, and how they will help us move forward will be huge.”
Avalos said the decision to return or move on with their lives was left up to the players, and those conversations began before he was hired on Jan. 5. Right tackle Nick Crabtree announced in December that he was moving on from football.
Thanks to the NCAA lifting its cap on roster limits and support from the Boise State administration, Avalos also said the Broncos will be able to go beyond the limit of 85 scholarship players and keep closer to 93 on the roster.
“They decided they had unfinished business here in terms of how they wanted to grow personally, achieve academically and excel on the football field,” Avalos said.
Noticeably absent from the list of returning seniors are cornerback Jalen Walker, STUD Sam Whitney, linebacker Benton Wickersham and safety Evan Tyler.
Walker appeared in 43 games over the past four seasons and started every game during the past two. He has 121 career tackles, and he returned his only interception for a touchdown during a win at Colorado State in 2019.
Avalos said he and Walker spoke about his decision to move on, but he opted to keep the discussion private. Walker has not publicly announced his plans for the future.
“As with him and 10 other guys, now was the time to move on in their lives in whatever facet that is and in whatever arena is next,” Avalos said.
Walker’s absence means the Broncos will have to replace both starting cornerbacks this year. Avery Williams announced on Christmas Eve that he was joining tight end John Bates in declaring for the NFL Draft.
Whitney missed all of the 2019 season and most of 2017 with injuries. He started the first four games last season before suffering yet another season-ending injury during the Broncos’ win at Hawaii. Wickersham appeared in 48 games over the past four seasons, and Tyler appeared in 31 since 2016.
The Broncos had 19 players listed as seniors, redshirt seniors or graduate students on the 2020 roster, including offensive lineman Donte Harrington, who was approved for a medical redshirt year before the NCAA offered extra eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kaniho spent time at nickel and safety last season and led the team with seven pass breakups, while finishing fifth with 32 tackles. He has appeared in 48 games since 2017 and racked up 165 tackles, five sacks, five interceptions and 26 pass breakups.
Whimpey has led the team in tackles in each of the past two seasons, posting 61 last fall and 83 in 2019. He has appeared in 42 games since 2017, and he’ll head into this season with 216 career tackles.
Thomas finished second on the team last season with 20 catches for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He was third in 2019 with 41 grabs for 522 yards and five touchdowns, and he’ll head into the season with 117 career receptions for 1,525 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Evans was active for the first two games last season and hauled in a touchdown catch at Air Force, but he spent the rest of the season on the inactive list for undisclosed reasons. The native of Center, Texas, posted career highs in receptions (19) and receiving yards (211) in 2019, and he’ll head into the season with 40 career catches for 407 yards and four touchdowns.
Miller (N.C. State) and Usoji (Rice) joined the Broncos last year as transfers. Usoji saw snaps in all seven games, splitting time with Crabtree at right tackle. Miller played in the first two games of the season, totaling four tackles in week two at Air Force, but spent the next six games on the inactive list. He was active for the Mountain West championship game against San Jose State but didn’t record a stat.
Stetz started every game at right guard last season.
Velazquez has at least had a share of the punting and kickoff responsibilities every year since 2017. He missed two games last season and averaged 40.95 yards per punt.
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 10:13 AM.
