Now ‘oldest QB in the room,’ Boise State’s Green focused on leading at spring practice
It wasn’t that long ago that Boise State quarterback Taylen Green was a wide-eyed freshman, trying to balance class and football in what should have been his last semester in high school.
“I was an early enrollee, and I was like, ‘Whoa, this is not high school,’” Green told reporters after the Broncos’ first spring practice on Thursday. “Everything is faster, and the quarterback play is a little different from high school.”
Green burst onto the scene last season as a redshirt freshman. He took over as the starter after Hank Bachmeier decided to transfer four games into the season.
The moment wasn’t too big for Green. He went 8-2 as the starter, and racked up 119 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in the Broncos’ 35-32 win over North Texas in the Frisco Bowl.
Things are a little different for him this March. He’s gone from wide-eyed freshman to wily veteran.
Green has appeared in only 13 games during his college career, but he is still the most experienced quarterback on the Broncos’ roster.
Redshirt sophomore Colt Fulton, a walk-on, redshirt freshman Maddux Madsen and freshman CJ Tiller are competing to be No. 2 on the depth chart. They’ve combined to appear in three games.
Skyview quarterback Max Cuthrow will join the team as a walk-on this summer.
“I’m the oldest in the QB room now,” Green said. “They look to me and ask questions.”
The Broncos still could bring in a more experienced transfer quarterback to back up Green, but Boise State coach Andy Avalos was noncommittal on Thursday, saying only that recruiting never stops.
For now, the Broncos are riding with a young group, which puts a lot of pressure on Green not only to perform on the field, but also be a leader off it.
Avalos said that comes with being a quarterback. He also said being a leader is one area where Green already excels.
“He grew a lot through the course of last year because of his humility and his ability to keep things simple and focus on the right things,” Avalos said. “It’s about time management for quarterbacks, because what they’ve got to put in to grow and prepare looks a lot different than what the other players have to.”
Green showed what he can do on the field last year. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound native of Allen, Texas, was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year after he racked up 2,042 yards and 14 touchdowns through the air and another 586 yards and 10 TDs on the ground.
Since ending last season as the offensive MVP of the Frisco Bowl, he’s been putting in the work to have an even better redshirt sophomore campaign, wide receiver Latrell Caples said.
“He’s here later than some of the (graduate assistants) and coaches,” Caples told reporters on Thursday. “He’s just grinding and ready to step into that role, and I’m excited to see it.”
Green is working with a new offensive coordinator this year: former Boise State quarterback Bush Hamdan. Green said the Broncos’ new scheme takes some of the presnap responsibilities off the shoulders of the quarterback and relies heavily on the center to make a lot of calls.
He also said Hamdan adds a nice mix of energy and accountability to practice.
“He’s bouncing around in practice and probably running faster than me sometimes,” Green said. “He’s tough on me, but I know the message he’s trying to get across. I’m trying to take my game to the next level, and I believe he can help me do that.”
Notes
▪ Running back Elelyon Noa is no longer on the roster. It’s unclear whether he is still enrolled at Boise State, but he isn’t in the transfer portal, according to a spokesperson for the team.
Noa, the younger brother of former Boise State linebacker Ezekiel Noa, joined the Broncos last fall after he spent two years at Utah State. He appeared in 12 games last season, posting 133 yards on 33 carries.
▪ Offensive lineman Tyson Molio’o is also no longer on the roster. He joined the Broncos last year as a three-star recruit from St. John Bosco in California. He didn’t appear in any games.
▪ Boise State’s annual spring game is scheduled for April 8 at Albertsons Stadium.
▪ Boise State’s Pro Day is scheduled for March 27.
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 4:00 AM.
