Boise State finds replacement for QB Houser in 2022 class; Broncos receive historic gift
The Boise State football team has a quarterback in its 2022 recruiting class once again after Utah gunslinger Maddux Madsen announced his verbal commitment Tuesday afternoon on Twitter.
The Broncos have been in the market for a quarterback since Katin Houser flipped to Michigan State last week. He verbally committed to Boise State in April, becoming the first recruit to join the 2022 class, but he couldn’t resist the allure of the Big Ten.
Madsen said he first spoke with Boise State offensive coordinator Tim Plough in January, and they stayed in touch even after Houser committed.
Madsen is a three-star dual-threat quarterback, who threw more than 80 touchdown passes the past two seasons at American Fork High in Utah. He feels like he’s a perfect fit for the aggressive aerial attack most believe Plough plans to debut this fall, in part because it’s similar to what he ran in high school.
American Fork runs a pass-heavy, run-pass option (RPO) offense, with four wide receivers regularly on the field, and the Cavemen averaged 42 points a game last season.
“We move the ball with a fast tempo, and our offense has been really effective for the last four or five years,” Madsen told the Idaho Statesman on Tuesday, adding that his ability to make plays with his feet and deliver the ball quickly make him an ideal quarterback in an RPO scheme. “I can extend plays, and I think that’s going to make a big impact, but it really comes down to whether or not you can throw the ball.”
Madsen can throw the ball.
Unlike like many high school football teams around the country, which saw the 2020 season postponed or canceled because of COVID-19, American Fork took the field last fall and Madsen posted 4,044 passing yards and 48 touchdowns through the air, plus three more touchdowns on the ground, according to Maxpreps.com.
As a sophomore, the 6-foot, 185-pound righty threw for 3,693 yards and 42 touchdowns. He led the Cavemen to the state championship game that year, but they came up short against nationally ranked Corner Canyon in a game he called a learning experience.
“I think I’m a more dominant leader and better at controlling the game and being mature when it comes down to competition time,” said Madsen, who will begin his third season as the starter at American Fork in August.
Madsen comes from an athletic family. His father, Eric, spent 13 seasons as the head baseball coach at Utah Valley University, where he amassed more than 300 wins and led the Wolverines to an NCAA Regional appearance in 2016. He stepped down in April.
Madsen said growing up with a father who was a coach gives him an edge when it comes to accepting that tough love is just part of the game sometimes.
“Him being a coach is what made me who I am,” said Madsen, whose older brother, Mick, will be a junior this year on the Utah Valley baseball team. “Being able to get coached hard and knowing it’s coming from my dad and is out of love has made me able to be coached hard by other coaches, knowing it’s also out of love.”
Madsen visited Boise State on June 13, and the Broncos offered him a scholarship on Tuesday. He accepted on the spot, and among the reasons why was the program’s history of developing players into NFL prospects — notably former quarterbacks Kellen Moore and Brett Rypien.
“During my first conversation with coach Plough, I could tell his main goal was developing guys for the next level as much as winning games now,” said Madsen, who also had an offer from New Mexico. “(Boise State is) a great program with a great history, and it stands out a lot that they’ve sent a lot of guys to the NFL. That’s the goal.”
Broncos get $1 million gift
The Boise State athletic department announced Tuesday that it has received a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor through the Lyle Smith Society — a philanthropic option for donors, which the university launched last December.
A portion of the money will go toward a new state-of-the-art turf training surface inside the Caven-Williams Sports Complex, which is the Broncos’ indoor practice facility. The remaining funds will go toward scholarships, operational needs and capital projects, according to the university.
“This gift is going to have an incredible, immediate impact on the student-athlete experience for the young men in our program, and for all our student-athletes here at Boise State,” Boise State football coach Andy Avalos said Tuesday in a news release. “We believe in the direction of our new leadership, and it is amazing to see those outside of our program want to invest in that vision as well. I offer my sincerest appreciation to the donor for not only the impact this gift will have on the future of Boise State athletics, but the legacy this support will leave.”
Commitments to the Lyle Smith Society have now reached $8 million, and it has grown to 65 members. It’s named after longtime Boise State football coach and administrator Lyle Smith, who died in 2017. Membership begins with a minimum pledge of $25,000 over a five-year period or donating an annual cash gift of $25,000 or more.
“I said it when I arrived, if we don’t have what we need, we will go out and get it,” Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey said in Tuesday’s release. “It will take all of Bronco Nation for us to provide the transformational experience we are capable of. We are just getting started and I am excited for what the future holds.”
Boise State 2022 recruiting class
CB Dionte Thornton, 6-3, 185, Lawndale (California) High
OT Kage Casey, 6-6, 250, Clackamas (Oregon) High
TE Austin Terry, 6-5, 230, Tumwater High (Olympia, Washington)
LB Kaeo Akana, 6-3, 205, Theodore Roosevelt High (Honolulu, Hawaii)
WR Keenan McCaddy, 6-4, 180, Moanalua High (Honolulu, Hawaii)
OT Roger Carreon, 6-5, 295, Jal (New Mexico) High
DL JJ Talo, 6-3, 250, Kearns High (Salt Lake City, Utah)
LB Jayden Virgin, 6-3, 220, Mt. Carmel High (San Diego, California)
OT Hall Schmidt, 6-7, 300, Peninsula (Washington) High
WR Zamondre Merriweather, 6-2, 200, Valencia (California) High
QB Maddux Madsen, 6-0, 185, American Fork (Utah) High
This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 2:24 PM.
