Will Cobbs emerge as Boise State’s next go-to receiver? Will Caples have breakout year?
Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier thinks the Broncos’ next great wide receiver is already on the roster.
Redshirt freshman Latrell Caples has caught four passes in his college career, but Bachmeier said he has seen enough from the native of Lancaster, Texas, to know that his future is bright.
“I think he has the potential to be a wide receiver that plays on Sundays,” Bachmeier told reporters earlier this month. “He’s a very hard worker and a humble guy. I’m really excited about his future, and he can go as far as he wants to go.”
Caples is one of a slew of young wide receivers who will get the chance to step into the spotlight at Boise State next season. The Broncos have lost three wide receivers to the NFL Draft and transfer portal in recent days, and their best wideout is expected to declare for the draft any day, leaving spots that must be filled.
Senior wide receiver Octavius Evans declared for the NFL Draft on Thursday. He posted career highs in receptions (34) and receiving yards (409) this season. Fellow senior receiver Khalil Shakir led the Broncos with 77 catches for 1,1117 yards and seven touchdowns. He hasn’t officially declared for the draft, but Shakir said in November that he was 99.9% sure this was the final season of his college career.
Boise State also lost walk-on wide receivers Maclaine Griffin and Matt Greenwald to the transfer portal on Wednesday.
Here’s a look at the wide receivers who have a shot at filling Shakir’s and Evans’ shoes next season. (Classes reflect the players’ standing on the 2022 roster.)
Stefan Cobbs, R-Sr., 6-0, 185 — Cobbs is the favorite to fill Shakir’s role as Bachmeier’s go-to target next season. He showed off his explosiveness this fall in the Broncos’ win over UTEP, scoring on a 61-yard touchdown catch and an 81-yard punt return. The former three-star recruit from Fort Worth, Texas, also posted single-game career highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (132) against Nevada. Cobbs finished the season with 34 catches for 421 yards and five touchdowns.
Davis Koetter, 6-yr Sr., 6-2, 195 — Koetter, the son of former Boise State head coach Dirk Koetter, joined the Broncos last summer after three seasons at Portland State. He said earlier this month that he wants to return for his final season of eligibility, but Boise State hasn’t announced which super seniors it will bring back in 2022. Koetter finished this season with 14 catches for 160 yards and one touchdown.
Latrell Caples, R-So., 6-1, 190 — Caples was rated as one of the top 100 wide receivers in the country when he was coming out of Lancaster High in Texas in 2019. He led Lancaster in receiving three years in a row, and he racked up 59 catches for 1,021 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior — and also had three punt returns for touchdowns. Caples didn’t appear in any games in 2020, but he appeared in six games this season and finished with four catches for 56 yards. His most extensive playing time came in the regular-season finale at San Diego State, where he had two grabs for 30 yards, including an impressive catch near the sideline on an early scoring drive.
Billy Bowens, R-Sr., 6-1, 202 — Bowens is now one of the elder statesmen among Boise State’s receivers, having seen playing time all the way back in 2018. He appeared in 11 games this season and posted career highs in receptions (12) and receiving yards (140). He caught a career-high four passes in Boise State’s win over Wyoming and snagged a career-long 42-yard pass in the Broncos’ 37-0 rout of New Mexico.
Shea Whiting, R-Jr., 6-2, 198 — After joining the Broncos as a three-star recruit in 2019, Whiting has struggled to get on the field. He has appeared in 11 career games, including six this season, but mostly on special teams. He has yet to record his first career catch.
Austin Bolt, R-So., 6-3, 215 — Bolt is one of the most intriguing athletes on Boise State’s roster. He was a one-man wrecking crew at Borah High School, posting 36 touchdowns, 62 tackles and four interceptions as a senior, and was named Idaho’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He is still listed as a tight end on Boise State’s roster, but he had a brief stint as a defensive end this season and ended the year working out with the wide receivers in practice. He had a shot at his first career catch on a deep ball in the last game of the season but couldn’t come up with it.
Jalen Richmond, R-Fr, 6-0, 188 — Richmond joined the Broncos this year after a productive career in a highly successful high school program. He helped Chandler High win four straight state championships in Arizona, and he posted 41 catches for 725 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior. Richmond did not appear in any games this season.
Eric McAlister, R-Fr., 6-3, 193 — McAlister has the build and athleticism to win one-on-one battles and be a threat in the red zone. He finished his career at Azle High in Texas with 157 catches for 3,367 yards and 48 touchdowns, and he caught 44 touchdowns passes during the final two seasons of high school. He did not appear in any games this season.
Kaden Dudley, R-Fr., 5-11, 197 — Like Richmond, Dudley built a reputation as a playmaker on a high school team that was used to winning. He started at wide receiver and safety at Palmer Ridge, and as a senior, he helped lead the team to its third straight state championship in Colorado. Dudley was originally committed to Colorado, but he signed with Boise State last December. He did not appear in any games.
