Mountain West football predictions are out. How did Boise State fare in voting?
Boise State will open a new era of Mountain West play as conference champion, according to league media members.
The conference voted last year to eliminate its two-division format in the hopes of protecting its top team’s position in the expanded college football playoff, which goes to 12 teams beginning in 2024. The six highest-ranked conference champions get automatic berths.
Boise State was picked to win its division or the conference for the 13th year in a row as Mountain West media days kicked off in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The Broncos went 8-0 in conference play (10-4 overall) last season but lost to Fresno State in the championship game.
Boise State earned 28 first-place votes this year. Air Force was picked to finish second, followed by Fresno State and San Diego State. The Falcons finished with two first-place votes, the Bulldogs had five and the Aztecs got one.
San Jose State was picked to finish fifth, followed by Wyoming, Colorado State, Utah State and UNLV, which also received one first-place vote. Hawaii was picked to finish 10th, followed by Nevada and New Mexico.
All-conference team
Three Boise State players made the preseason All-Mountain West team, which was released Wednesday morning.
Running back George Holani, offensive lineman Cade Beresford and linebacker DJ Schramm were selected. Voting was done by conference media members.
Holani, a redshirt senior, is coming off the second 1,000-yard season of his career. He posted 1,157 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground last year and earned second-team all-conference honors. He racked up 1,014 rushing yards as a freshman in 2019.
Beresford, who joined the Broncos in 2022 after transferring from Washington State, started 13 games at right tackle last season and also earned second-team all-conference honors.
Schramm, a sixth-year senior, led the team with 107 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss last season, earning himself second-team all-conference honors.
Boise State returns an impressive list of starters on offense this year, including quarterback Taylen Green. He was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year after racking up 2,042 yards and 14 touchdowns through the air and another 586 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground last season.
The Broncos return four starters on the offensive line, including guards Ben Dooley, Garrett Curran and Mason Randolph, who started 10 games while Dooley was injured last year.
Five of the team’s top six wide receivers are back, including Latrell Caples, who led the team with 51 catches for 549 yards. Top tight end Riley Smith is also back for his sixth season after he set career highs in receptions (24) and receiving yards (214).
Holani will be joined in the backfield again by Ashton Jeanty, who posted 821 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground last year as a freshman.
Boise State has to replace six starters on defense, including safety JL Skinner and defensive tackle Scott Matlock, both of whom were picked in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
Safety Rodney Robinson and cornerback Markel Reed are expected to lead the secondary. Schramm is joined in the front seven by sixth-year senior edge Demitri Washington.
Preseason All-Mountain West team
Offensive Player of the Year: Chevan Cordeiro, Sr., QB, San José State
Defensive Player of the Year: Easton Gibbs, Jr., LB, Wyoming
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jack Browning, Sr., K/P, San Diego State
Offense
QB Chevan Cordeiro, Sr. - San José State
WR Tory Horton, Sr. - Colorado State
WR Justin Lockhart, Jr. - San José State
RB John Lee Eldridge III, Sr. - Air Force
RB George Holani, Sr. - Boise State
OL Thor Paglialong, Sr. - Air Force
OL Cade Beresford, Sr. - Boise State
OL Mose Vavao, Sr. - Fresno State
OL Cade Bennett, Jr. - San Diego State
OL Frank Crum, Sr. - Wyoming
TE Mark Redman, Sr. - San Diego State
Defense
DL Payton Zdroik, Jr. - Air Force
DL Mohamed Kamara, Sr. - Colorado State
DL Devo Bridges, Sr. - Fresno State
DL Jordan Bertagnole, Jr. - Wyoming
DL DeVonne Harris, Jr. - Wyoming
LB DJ Schramm, Sr. - Boise State
LB Cody Moon, Jr. - San Diego State
LB Easton Gibbs, Jr. - Wyoming
DB Trey Taylor, Sr. - Air Force
DB Jack Howell, Jr. - Colorado State
DB Cam Stone, Sr. - Hawai’i
DB Ike Larsen, So. - Utah State
Special teams
P Jack Browning, Sr. - San Diego State
K John Hoyland, Jr. - Wyoming
PR Tory Horton, Sr. - Colorado State
KR Christian Washington, So. - New Mexico
This story was originally published July 19, 2023 at 10:55 AM.
