Boise State adds just 2 recruits on national signing day, but Broncos may not be done
The Boise State football team signed two players Wednesday, giving the Broncos 17 recruits in the 2021 class, but coach Andy Avalos said they might not be done adding pieces.
Avalos said Wednesday that the team is open to adding transfers at several positions, including in the secondary and on the offensive and defensive lines.
“There are some opportunities for us to continue to build this class,” Avalos told reporters, adding that the transfer portal has become a huge part of recruiting. “That’s where the game is changing, and you’ve got to adjust and stay out in front of things. One thing we will continue to do is be very diligent about the people we bring into this program.”
The Broncos added two defensive lineman from the junior college ranks last season in tackle Divine Obichere and end Shane Irwin, who led the Broncos with six sacks.
The position where the Broncos are most likely to add a transfer is cornerback, where they have to replace both starters. Avery Williams declared for the NFL Draft in December and Jalen Walker decided not to return this season, Avalos said Wednesday.
Boise State signed the bulk of its 2021 class (15 players) in December. That didn’t leave Avalos and staff much work to do, which was a luxury considering that he has been on the job for less than a month and many of his assistants were hired in the past couple of weeks.
“That is a huge advantage in that we didn’t have to rush, and we don’t have to rush going forward,” Avalos said. “We will always be very diligent moving forward, looking for those blue-collar traits, looking for the mindset.”
One of Wednesday’s signees was former Oregon running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio, who spent the past four years with the Ducks and announced Jan. 23 that he was transferring.
Habibi-Likio joined the Ducks as a four-star prospect in 2017. On Tuesday, he announced that his top three choices for where to spend his final two years of eligibility were Boise State, Wisconsin and California.
Boise State was also a finalist to land Habibi-Likio in 2017.
“The way he carries himself on and off the field, he fits the brotherhood we have here,” said Avalos, who spent the past two years as Oregon’s defensive coordinator. “He’s going to have an instant impact.”
The Broncos struggled to run the ball last season after starting running back George Holani was lost to an injury in week two at Air Force. Boise State also lost senior running back Robert Mahone after he was suspended following an arrest for domestic violence and junior college transfer Taequan Tyler, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the preseason.
Andrew Van Buren carried the load in the backfield last season and led the Mountain West with eight rushing touchdowns, but the Broncos ranked last in the conference at 107.1 rushing yards a game.
Habibi-Likio (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) has been used primarily in short yardage and goal line situations during his career. He was No. 3 on the Ducks’ depth chart last season and finished the year with 19 carries for 36 yards and four touchdowns. He left Oregon with 21 career rushing touchdowns.
“He is a bigger back, he is physical, and he can get it between the tackles and he’ll get it on the perimeter,” Avalos said. “One thing he does very well and prides himself on is protecting the quarterback. In the pass game, he has very good hands, and we will be able to get the ball to him in different ways beside just handing it off to him.”
The only other recruit the Broncos signed Wednesday is from Idaho: former Eagle High quarterback Ben Ford.
Ford was named 5A All-Idaho Player of the Year in 2020 after racking up 2,033 total yards and 26 touchdowns in eight games, but he didn’t get an offer from the Broncos until Avalos took over for former Boise State coach Bryan Harsin, who left Dec. 22 for Auburn.
Ford, who was once committed to Washington’s baseball team, possesses elite speed (4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash), but fans will have to wait at least a year to see him on the field. He told the Statesman on Tuesday that he will grayshirt this year to help alleviate some of the roster concerns caused by the NCAA’s offer of an extra year of eligibility, which was extended because of how COVID-19 affected the 2020 season.
“The young men who come from this state have always done really, really well in this program,” Avalos said. “You can see his natural abilities at the wide receiver position in his ability to separate with or without the ball, his ability to catch the ball in traffic, and the mentality he brings to our program of how he plays the game.”
NOTES
▪ Five freshmen enrolled early and are currently on campus: WR Kaden Dudley, QB Taylen Green, LB James Wilborn Jr., Seyi Oladipo and safety Isaiah Bradford, who took a grayshirt season last year.
▪ Verbally committed offensive lineman Jason White did not sign on Wednesday. The three-star offensive tackle from Orange Lutheran in California officially reopened his recruitment on Wednesday, according to 247Sports, which is projecting him to sign with Oregon State. White’s brother, Torian, played at UCLA.
▪ Avalos said Wednesday that the plan is to begin spring ball on March 12, and the program has contingency plans if the schedule is once again affected by COVID-19.
▪ This is the third straight year that Boise State signed fewer than 20 recruits. The Broncos inked 25 players in 2018, 17 in 2019 and 18 in 2020.
2021 RECRUITING CLASS
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)
WR Ben Ford, 5-11, 190, Eagle High
RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio, 6-1, 215, Oregon (Palo Alto, California)
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 1:04 PM.
