New vibe ushers in the Andy Avalos era as Boise State opens spring football practice
Boise State football players have been saying there’s a new vibe around the team since head coach Andy Avalos was hired in January, and it showed Friday during the Broncos’ first spring practice.
The team gathered at the 50-yard line in Albertsons Stadium, forming a circle around senior wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who didn’t participate in practice because he’s recovering from offseason surgery, but was the first of a trio of veterans to fire up his teammates.
He was followed by fifth-year senior linebacker Riley Whimpey, who roared like a man possessed.
“Are you ready for spring ball?” he screamed to the mob surrounding him.
Senior nickel Kekaula Kaniho wrapped the pep talk up with a few words, and the first of the Broncos’ 15 spring practices was officially underway.
The Broncos’ spring game is scheduled for April 10, and new Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey said in February that he’s hoping some fans will be allowed to see it in person.
“It’s been a minute since we’ve been able to get out on the field, but as soon as we got back out there, it felt like we’d never left,” Whimpey said. “We recognized something was different a long time ago, and we truly wanted to come out here and execute to the best of our ability because we love our coaches and we love our brothers.”
It’s far from the first spring practice for Avalos, who played and coached at Boise State and spent the past two years as the defensive coordinator at Oregon. But it’s the first time he’s opened the spring as the man in charge, and his responsibilities have changed.
He’s doing a lot less hands-on coaching and sitting in on a lot more meetings, but on Friday, he was on the blue turf in Albertsons Stadium throwing passes to players as they ran through drills.
“Needless to say, the last few months have flown by because of the amount of work we’ve been doing,” Avalos told reporters on Thursday. “I’m excited to be back out here on The Blue and see the guys, and to come out here and work to get better and to have fun doing it.”
The past couple of months have been about preparing the players physically for the season. Avalos said strength and conditioning sessions were extended by a week to ensure the team was staying on an eight-week plan that was the bedrock of the offseason conditioning program when he was at Oregon.
Then the team began what Avalos called “football school,” which is designed to lay the foundation for the schemes new offensive coordinator Tim Plough and co-defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson are in charge of implementing.
Avalos’ priority list for spring ball begins with developing an inclusive environment on and off the field. The Broncos are well ahead of the curve on that one, as evidenced by a team snowball fight after Boise was blanketed on Valentine’s Day weekend and a team paintball match, which quickly looks as if it’s becoming a tradition.
“You can’t coach the player if you don’t first build that relationship,” Avalos said. “By doing so, that’s going to build our blue-collar mentality that’s always been at the forefront of what we do.“
Next he wants to build what he called dependable depth at several key positions, including cornerback, tight end, offensive line and running back.
“Not just depth, dependable depth,” he said. “Individuals that can execute fundamentals and techniques and be reliable day in and day out.”
Boise State has to replace both starting cornerbacks after Avery Williams and Jalen Walker both elected not to return for the extra year of eligibility the NCAA offered because of COVID-19’s affects on the 2020 season.
Junior Markel Reed is the most experienced cornerback on the roster after spending the past couple seasons as the top backup to Williams and Walker. The Broncos signed Bowling Green transfer Caleb Biggers earlier this month, but he won’t be on campus until this summer.
Tight end John Bates joined Williams in declaring for the NFL Draft in December, which opens the door for redshirt juniors Riley Smith and Tyneil Hopper, and maybe even Idaho native Austin Bolt, who joined the team as part of the 2020 class.
Four starters are expected back on the offensive line, likely leaving just right tackle open after Nick Crabtree opted not to return. Rice transfer Uzo Osuji and redshirt sophomore Ben Dooley will see plenty of time there this spring, according to offensive line coach Tim Keane.
When it comes to Avalos’ final priority for his first spring as the head coach at his alma mater, he said the game is called tackle football for a reason. The Broncos were criticized late last season for poor tackling, especially in the second halves of games. The new coaching staff plans to address that right away.
“We have got to be a great tackling team, and we’ve got to have great ball security, and we’ve got to find ways to take that ball away,” Avalos said. “It’s all about the ball.”
Boise State is scheduled to open the 2021 season Sept. 4 against UCF in Orlando, Florida.
Shakir ‘hopeful’ to practice
Shakir hovered around the sidelines Friday, watching his teammates practice. It’s not a familiar place for him, but while he couldn’t offer a timeline for his return, he said he’s hopeful to get out there this spring.
“I trust my trainers and my coaching staff, and right now they’re telling me to just relax and do rehab,” Shakir told reporters after practice on Friday. “Hopefully I can get back out there and get into the flow of things.”
The Broncos’ top returning receiver was dealing with a pair of injuries at the end of last season. He left the Mountain West championship game against San Jose State last December with a hamstring injury, which he’s still rehabbing.
Shakir said Friday that he also played most of last season with a fractured foot, which he suffered in week two or three, and had surgery to repair in January. He said his foot has healed, and he’s doing his best to stay dialed in until he can get back on the field.
“All I really can do is take mental reps and watch the guys who are going right now,” he said.
The senior led the Broncos last season in receptions (53), receiving yards (719) and receiving touchdowns (six), and he heads into this season with 18 career touchdowns.
Boise State was also without versatile defensive lineman Demitri Washington on Friday. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in week two last fall at Air Force, but Avalos said Thursday that his recovery is ahead of schedule.
Notes
▪ Many of Boise State’s young defensive backs already look physically ready to play, including safety Semaj Verner (6-0, 188) and cornerbacks Jaylen (6-2, 195) and Donovan Clark (6-2, 182), all of whom joined the team in 2020, and safeties Seyi Oladipo (5-11, 195) and Isaiah Bradford (6-0, 166), who enrolled early this year. Bradford signed last year but took a grayshirt while rehabbing a knee injury.
▪ With the release of its spring roster, Boise State confirmed the addition of former Portland State wide receiver Davis Koetter, who is the son of former Boise State head coach and Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. The younger Koetter, who is a redshirt junior, caught 10 touchdown passes during his career at Portland State, and the 6-foot-2, 198-pound native of Tampa, Florida, looks big enough to take a few snaps at tight end. He may be a valuable resource in the red zone.
▪ Junior college transfer running back Taequan Tyler fully participated in practice Friday. He missed all of last season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in the preseason.
This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 8:19 PM.
