‘Playing fearless’: This Boise State safety is racking up tackles, ‘ooh’ moments
Safety JL Skinner was the first player on the field for warmups before Boise State’s home opener against UTEP on Sept. 10, and he greeted the fans trickling into Albertsons Stadium with a roar.
His head coach, Andy Avalos, had a feeling Skinner was going to have a big day.
“I could tell by the look in his eye before the game,” Avalos said. “He was like, ‘We’re going to get after it.’ And he was flying around. He was around the ball all day.”
Skinner did have a big day against the Miners. He posted nine tackles and two forced fumbles in the Broncos’ 54-13 win, but that was just one in a series of big days for the junior from San Diego. He has racked up a career-high 13 tackles twice in games this fall: in the season opener at UCF and again in the Broncos’ Mountain West opener at Utah State, where he was solo on 11 of those stops.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound boundary safety has posted double-digit tackles in three of Boise State’s four games. Skinner heads into the Broncos’ home game against Nevada on Saturday (1:30 p.m., FS1) ranked No. 1 in the country in solo tackles (35), No. 2 in tackles per game (11.25) and tied for No. 5 in total tackles (45).
“I think he’s really developed from last year in terms of his ability to transition and change direction for a bigger guy,” Avalos said. “If he stays on this track, he will continue to grow over the course of the year and he’ll end up having a tremendous season.”
There was never a question as to whether Skinner had the physical tools. He joined the team in 2019 as a three-star recruit and immediately saw playing time as a true freshman. But Boise State co-defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson said he has enjoyed watching the mental side of Skinner’s game catch up with his athleticism.
“He’s grown so much, and he’s keeping other’s confidence up as well as his own,” Danielson said. “It’s cool to see him respond after a bad play or bad decision and have him come back with some big ones.”
Skinner had a couple of missed tackles early in Boise State’s season opener at UCF, one of which led to the Knights’ first touchdown. He responded late in the game with a big hit on quarterback Dillon Gabriel that kept him out of the end zone and left him getting up slowly.
Last season, those missed tackles might have haunted Skinner well after the final whistle. But he said he now understands how to leave the past in the past.
“The coaches have really been pushing us to have a neutral mindset,” Skinner said. “Don’t get too high. Don’t get too low. Just move on to the next play.”
The ‘ooh’ effect
Skinner appeared in every game in 2019 and eventually moved into a full-time starting role last fall, but he admitted that his confidence was shaken after Boise State’s 2020 season ended with a loss in the Mountain West championship game and a vote by the players to skip a bowl game.
He focused on rebuilding that confidence this offseason.
“I did a lot of reflecting on myself,” Skinner said. “I started to realize I’m able to play this position at a high level, and I have to keep working, and rely on my teammates and coaches, and the plan they have for me.”
Skinner said he’s playing as confidently as ever this fall. That has not only translated into a lot of tackles, but some bone-jarring hits, which are usually followed by an “ooh” from the crowd. That’s music to a defensive back’s ears, said Boise State cornerbacks coach Jeron Johnson, who was a safety for the Broncos from 2007 to 2009.
“As a player, when you hear that ‘ooh’ after a hit, it does something for you,” Johnson said. “I was one of the ‘oohers’ now with the crowd.”
Johnson was known as a big hitter during his playing days, and he knows how important it is for a safety to show he’s willing to deliver a blow.
“When you’re doing things like that and you’re hitting guys, they for sure see it on tape,” Johnson said. “Some guys want to see if you can do it again. Some guys don’t want to find out if you’ll do it again.”
For Skinner, it’s just part of the job.
“It’s going out there and playing fearless and running to the ball,” Skinner said. “It really comes with the position, and you have to have your mind ready for it every game.”
The Boise State hit felt nationwide
Skinner delivered a hit that got attention from coast to coast during the Broncos’ loss to Oklahoma State. Wide receiver Brennan Presley caught a short pass and turned to get up field, but Skinner delivered a pulverizing tackle that had Presley moving gingerly for the next couple of plays.
Skinner said he had to turn off his phone off after the game because so many people were reaching out to congratulate him, saying they saw him on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
“Every second, someone was blowing my phone up,” Skinner said. “But it was really cool to make that hit. It got me excited.”
Even though Johnson coaches a different position, he and Skinner have become close, and spent a lot of time together on and off the field.
“He’s built me up and helped me build my confidence and trust my technique,” Skinner said. “He’s always in my ear telling me things I can do better. Having a person like that in your corner, you’re never satisfied. You know you can always do things way better than you have.”
Skinner will be eligible for the NFL Draft after this season, though he’s made no mention of leaving Boise State. He could be on his way if he stays focused on the little things, according to Johnson, who spent six years in the NFL, including two stints with the Seattle Seahawks.
“It’s the same thing: disciplined football, great technique and eye control, and just compete,” Johnson said. “It’s always the little things. You have to perfect the little things so the big things don’t creep in.”
Skinner has plenty of time to make a decision about the NFL. For now, he said he’s focused on stringing together some wins and a few more “ooh” moments.
NEVADA AT BOISE STATE
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium
TV: FS1 (Alex Faust, Petros Papadakis). That’s channel 146 on Sparklight, 219 on DirecTV and 150 on Dish Network.
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 2-2; Nevada 2-1
Series: Boise State is 30-13 all-time against Nevada, and the Broncos have won six in a row against the Wolf Pack.
Vegas line: Boise State by 5
Weather: High of 76 degrees, 2% chance of rain, 6 mph winds
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 4:01 PM.
