‘It’s a process’: Promising Boise State receiver gets tips from a Super Bowl champion
Boise State wide receiver Prince Strachan doesn’t have to look far to get pointers from an NFL player, considering his brother, Michael, is a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers.
But Strachan isn’t going to pass up an opportunity to pick the brain of any NFL player willing to give him a few minutes. He got that chance during a recent phone call with Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin.
Godwin has 6,690 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns on his resume since the Buccaneers picked him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2019 season, and he helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV in 2021.
“We had a long conversation and I asked him a lot of questions,” Strachan told reporters this week. “The advice he gave me was priceless.”
Strachan, a sophomore from the Bahamas, said the best piece of advice Godwin gave him was not to get caught up in trying to perfect every aspect of playing receiver right away.
“He told me not to try to work on everything one day,” Strachan said. “It’s a process. He said stick with your process and plan, and you’ll be fine.”
Help from a former NFL coach
Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter set up Strachan’s chat with Godwin. Koetter was the Buccaneers’ head coach when they drafted the former Penn State receiver.
“Prince is hungry to learn, and this guy wants to get better,” Koetter told reporters in early March. “If guys want more than what we’re giving them, we should give them more.”
Koetter said he’s excited about the group of receivers he has to work with this year, in part because of Strachan’s physical prowess.
“That’s what they’re supposed to look like,” he said.
Strachan looked much bigger than last season when the Broncos took the field for their first spring practice of the year on Monday. He was listed at 6-foot-5 and 203 pounds on Boise State’s roster last year. This year, he checked in at 212 pounds.
“That was a big emphasis this year, getting bigger and stronger,” said Strachan, who added that he stayed on campus and trained during the offseason. “It’s a credit to (strength) coach (Ben) Hilgard for getting us right and putting together a meal plan.”
Strachan showed last season that he can be a deep threat. A week after leading receiver Eric McAlister left the team, Strachan and fellow receiver Austin Bolt combined for 185 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a win over New Mexico. Strachan finished the game with three catches for 128 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown.
Strachan finished last season with 12 catches for 274 yards and two touchdowns. He said he wants to prove he’s more than a deep threat this season.
“I want to get more into the details on different routes and read coverages better,” he said. “I want to be a better all-around receiver. I’m trying to be the best, so I’m going to do whatever it takes.”
Boise State receivers
Strachan should have plenty of help this year. He and Bolt are both back on the field, and the Broncos also have redshirt senior Latrell Caples back. He missed all of last season with a knee injury after leading the team with 51 catches for 549 yards in 2022.
Boise State also added a couple of receivers who could make an impact right away. The Broncos signed former Kilgore College receiver Chris Marshall, who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and the No. 1 junior college transfer in the country this year, according to 247Sports.
Boise State receivers coach Matt Miller said he’s been impressed with Marshall, who caught 21 passes for 449 yards and five touchdowns at Kilgore last season.
“He’s doing a really good job assimilating himself into this locker room, being a low-ego guy and seeing how the flow of our organization works,” Miller said. “He’s got all the potential in the world. He knows it, but he also knows he’s got a lot of work to do to hit that potential.”
The Broncos also signed former Indiana wide receiver Cam Camper, who caught 63 passes for 854 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons with the Hoosiers. He’s out this spring as he continues to recover from knee surgery he underwent in November 2023.
Another receiver to keep an eye on is Colorado transfer Chase Penry. He joined the Broncos last year but was slowed by injuries. He looks healthy this spring, and his crisp route running and sure hands could make him an asset in the slot, Miller said.
With so much depth at receiver and former USC quarterback Malachi Nelson joining the team, the Broncos expect to improve on last season’s 221.3 passing yards a game, which ranked No. 6 in the Mountain West.
“We all got together and threw it around some in the offseason and we’re all working hard,” Strachan said. “It’s going to be an exciting year.”
