Boise State RB Holani on Oregon backfield transfer: ‘No one is going to stop him’
The newest member of Boise State’s backfield — Oregon transfer Cyrus Habibi-Likio — is about a week into his first fall camp as a Bronco, but he’s no stranger to the star of the team’s stable of running backs.
Redshirt sophomore George Holani was a junior in high school when he met Habibi-Likio. He was on an unofficial visit to Oregon, and Habibi-Liko — who spent four years with the Ducks before signing with Boise State in February — was his tour guide.
They have stayed in touch ever since, and when Habibi-Likio put his name in the transfer portal in January, Holani played a role in bringing him to Boise State. The 6-1, 210-pound redshirt senior joined the Broncos for voluntary workouts in June.
“He’s a great player, and he’s definitely looking good out there,” Holani said. “He’s going to be able to teach me things, he’s been doing a great job, and I think he’s going to play a pretty big role in this offense.”
The Broncos were looking to improve their depth in the backfield after injuries and an offseason arrest left the team with few options. Boise State finished last in the Mountain West with 107.1 rushing yards per game.
Holani played just one full game last year — the season opener against Utah State — and finished with 100 yards and a touchdown on the ground, as well as a receiving touchdown. He suffered a knee injury the following week at Air Force and missed the rest of the season, except for a short-lived return in the regular season finale at Wyoming.
Holani never looked healthy in that final game, touching the ball just four times (3 carries, 1 catch) before exiting in the third quarter.
The Broncos were already without veteran running back Robert Mahone, who was suspended last August after an arrest on domestic battery charges and ultimately left the team. They were also without junior college transfer Taequan Tyler, who missed the season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury before fall camp.
Adding transfer to Broncos’ backfield provides needed depth
This year, the Broncos essentially needed to find another Holani — a running back strong enough to pick up tough yards, elusive enough to break off big runs and versatile enough to be on the field in passing situations.
Habibi-Likio fits that mold, according to new Boise State head coach Andy Avalos, who spent two years as the defensive coordinator at Oregon before returning to his alma mater.
“He’s a tremendous competitor, No. 1,” Avalos told reporters on signing day. “The way he carries himself on and off field, he fits here, and he’s going to make an instant impact.”
Habibi-Likio was used primarily on short-yardage situations at Oregon, and he left the Ducks with 21 career rushing touchdowns. Holani said his new stablemate is much more than just a bruiser, though.
“He’s an all-around kind of back,” Holani said. “He’s able to go out and catch the ball out of the backfield, he’s able to block, he’s able to run downhill. ... He’s tough, and he has a mentality where no one is going to stop him.”
That mentality is one Holani and Habibi-Likio share, and it’s partly because of their Polynesian heritage, Holani said. They are part of a large group of Polynesian players who are expected to fill major roles for the Broncos this season, including top wide receiver Khalil Shakir, nickel Kekaula Kaniho and linebacker Ezekiel Noa.
Holani said he and Habibi-Likio regularly speak Tongan when they’re together, and they laugh at inside jokes. More than anything, though, they share a drive to fight for every yard.
“He’s confident in everything he does. He doesn’t move out of nobody’s way. He just kind of runs through,” Holani said of his new teammate.
Having a veteran like Habibi-Likio vying for their job isn’t something a lot of entrenched starters would embrace, but Holani has embraced the competition and said it’s only going to make the whole backfield better.
“Rent’s due every day,” Holani said. “We have to work for everything we have, so we just come out there and compete in everything we do and focus on the little details. ... I just kind of work on myself because if you can’t compete with yourself, you can’t compete with others.”
‘Exciting year’ in new offense for Boise State running backs
Holani is going to be tough to unseat as the starter and the team’s workhorse, but Habibi-Likio won’t be limited in his role with the Broncos, Boise State running backs coach Winston Venable said.
“He has a bigger build, but he moves really well,” Venable said. “He’s not just a big, bruising running back. He’s very agile, and he’s a versatile player who can catch the ball out of the backfield.”
Catching the ball out of the backfield is going to be important in new offensive coordinator Tim Plough’s scheme, Holani said. Plough brought an up-tempo, pass-heavy attack with him from UC Davis, but Holani said the running backs are going to play a big role.
“For the running backs, we’re going to be out in routes a lot this year. We’ve been moving out there a lot and we’ve been running the ball a lot,” Holani said. “It’ll be an exciting year, for sure. We expect some bigger things than last year, especially with the depth that we have.”
Habibi-Likio isn’t the only reinforcement this season. Venable said Tyler is back from his Achilles injury, and 240-pound senior Andrew Van Buren is back after leading the team last fall with 382 rushing yards. He led the conference with eight rushing touchdowns.
In all, the Broncos expect to have six running backs ready to go this year, Venable said, including backups Tyler Crowe and Danny Smith, who also missed most of last season with an injury.
Spreading the wealth when it comes to the punishment he endures during the season will be a welcome change for Holani, who hopes to get back to the form he showed as a freshman, when he racked up 1,014 yards rushing and helped the Broncos extend their streak of 11 straight seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher. That streak was snapped in 2020, when the season was shortened to seven games because of COVID-19.
Holani said the running backs are ready to start a new streak.
“I take every rep like it’s my last rep,” Holani said. “I’m just thankful and grateful for the opportunities that are given to me.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
