Boise State QB Bachmeier is on lengthy list of injured players as spring football begins
Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier will be on the field when the Broncos have the first of their 15 spring practices on Friday, but he’ll take part in a limited capacity, Boise State coach Andy Avalos said Thursday.
Bachmeier is still recovering from offseason knee surgery, but he’s ahead of schedule, according to the second-year coach.
Bachmeier — who beat out USC transfer Jack Sears to win the starting job last fall — said in December that he played through a damaged meniscus in his right knee last season. He had surgery to repair it on Dec. 29.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound native of Murrieta, California, posted career highs in completions (252), passing yards (3,079) and passing touchdowns (20) last season. He is already ranked in the top 10 all-time at Boise State in some categories, including career passing yards (6,108, No. 7) and career TD passes (35, No. 10).
Bachmeier will get the same amount of mental reps he normally would, Avalos said, but he’s taking part only in noncontact drills, which could open the door for redshirt freshman Taylen Green and Oregon State transfer Sam Vidlak to get more snaps with the starters.
“If Hank is modified, it’s a great opportunity for Taylen and the rest of the quarterbacks — Sam or whoever it may be — to jump in there and bump up the ladder and operate with the first or second team,” Avalos told reporters on Thursday.
Green, a 6-foot-6, 215-pounder, enrolled early and joined the program in January 2021. The former three-star recruit appeared in two games last fall but didn’t attempt a pass.
Vidlak, also a redshirt freshman, joined the Broncos in January after he spent his true freshman season at Oregon State. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound native of Applegate, Oregon, was named Offensive State Player of the Year as a junior at Hidden Valley High in 2019. He appeared in one game for the Beavers last season, completing two passes during mop-up duty in a lopsided win over Idaho.
Redshirt freshmen Colt Fulton and Colton Fitzgerald — both of whom joined the team just before the Broncos began fall camp last year — and former Timberline quarterback Andy Peters are also on the roster.
Players on the injury list
Bachmeier isn’t the only Boise State player battling injuries as spring practice begins.
Avalos announced a lengthy list of Broncos who will miss spring practice entirely because of undisclosed injuries: linebacker Jai Jones; nickel Roman Kafentzis; offensive linemen John Ojukwu and Ben Dooley; defensive linemen Michael Callahan, Jackson Cravens and Shane Irwin; cornerbacks Markel Reed and Kaonohi Kaniho; safety Alexander Teubner; and tight end Riley Smith.
Smith is dealing with an arm or shoulder injury.
Ojukwu is preparing for his fifth season as a starter and third at left tackle. Dooley started all 12 games last season — playing tackle and guard. Cravens, Irwin and Reed are also returning starters.
Bachmeier is joined on the Broncos’ noncontact list by cornerback Isaiah Bradford, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, and tight end Tyneil Hopper, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, Avalos said.
Several other players will miss the start of spring practice but are on track to return for the final two weeks. That list includes safety JL Skinner and edge rusher Isaiah Bagnah, both of whom are dealing with “soft tissue injuries,” according to Avalos. Offensive linemen Garrett Curran and Dallas Holliday, and defensive lineman Andy Nwaoko also are part of that group.
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 10:41 AM.
