Bronco Breakdown: Boise State is in search of its fourth starting QB in three seasons
Editor’s note: This is the first installment in a series breaking down Boise State’s likely starters and the top players in the Mountain West at each position. Up next: running backs.
Boise State has been dealing with a revolving door at quarterback the past few years.
Four-year starter Hank Bachmeier decided to transfer four games into the 2022 season, and Taylen Green stepped in to help save the season. The Broncos were 2-2 when Bachmeier left, but they finished 10-4 and had a win over North Texas in the Frisco Bowl.
The bloom came off the rose for Green last year. He opened the season as the starter but struggled in the passing game, and ended up splitting snaps with Maddux Madsen, eventually losing his starting job to Madsen before the Broncos hosted New Mexico in November.
Madsen’s tenure didn’t even last one half before he suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the second quarter against the Lobos. Green returned to the starting role and ended the season on a high note, racking up 316 yards of offense and four touchdowns to earn Offensive MVP honors in the Mountain West championship game.
That wasn’t enough to keep Green in Boise, though. He announced he was transferring before the team’s bowl game last December and landed at Arkansas, where he’s the favorite to open this season as the Razorbacks’ starter.
Boise State is left searching for a new starting quarterback. That will be decided in a fall camp battle between USC transfer Malachi Nelson and Madsen, who was limited in spring practice as he continued to recover from surgery to repair a torn MCL and PCL in his right knee.
Nelson has the pedigree to win the job. He was a five-star recruit coming out of Los Alamitos High School in California in 2023 and the No. 1 recruit in the country, according to ESPN.
Nelson posted 7,984 passing yards and 110 total touchdowns (105 passing) in four seasons at Los Alamitos and was named Gatorade California Player of the Year in 2021 and ‘22. He has four years of eligibility remaining after appearing in just one game at USC last season.
Despite his impressive high school resume, Boise State coach Spencer Danielson stressed in May that Nelson will not be handed the job.
“Nothing will be given,” Danielson said. “Everything will be earned.”
Madsen has more experience after appearing in 10 games the past two years. He finished last season with 1,192 passing yards and 11 total touchdowns (9 passing).
Madsen also has a more established relationship with offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who ran the offense on an interim basis after Tim Plough was fired four games into the 2022 season. That coincided with Bachmeier’s departure. Koetter, who wasn’t around last season, was hired on a full-time basis in February after 2023 offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan left for Kentucky.
“That’s a guy who has proved he can play at this level,” Koetter said of Madsen. “He’s the only one in the quarterback room that has won a game at the college level.”
Projected depth chart
Starter: Malachi Nelson, R-Fr., 6-3, 190, Los Alamitos (California) High
Backup: Maddux Madsen, R-So., 5-10, 203, American Fork (Utah) High
Sleeper: The third option would have been CJ Tiller, but he transferred to Utah State. Walk-on Colt Fulton is the quarterback most likely to hit the field if Nelson and Madsen can’t. The only other quarterbacks on the roster are freshman Kaleb Annett and redshirt freshman walk-on Max Cutforth.
Mountain West QBs to watch
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State — The redshirt sophomore is entering his second season as the Rams’ starter after finishing No. 2 in the Mountain West last year with 3,460 passing yards and No. 3 in the conference with 22 touchdown passes — while throwing 16 interceptions, tied for second-most in FBS. He completed 62.1% of his passes and will be working with a talented group of receivers, led by fifth-year senior Tory Horton.
Mikey Keene, Fresno State — The redshirt junior transferred to Fresno State last year after two seasons at UCF. He earned honorable mention All-Mountain West honors after posting 2,976 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air in 11 starts. His 283 completions ranked No. 6 in Fresno State single-season history, but he also threw 10 interceptions.
Brayden Schager, Hawaii — The senior led the Mountain West and ranked No. 14 nationally last season with 3,542 passing yards. He also led the conference and ranked No. 15 nationally with 26 passing touchdowns, and earned honorable mention All-Mountain West honors. He threw for at least 300 yards in six games last fall. His biggest problem was interceptions, tossing 14.
AJ Duffy, San Diego State — The native of California returned to his home state, transferring after two seasons at Florida State. He posted 5,552 passing yards and 66 touchdowns in two seasons at Rancho Verde High in California before spending the final year of his high school career at IMG Academy in Florida.
Matthew Sluka, UNLV — The fifth-year senior transferred to UNLV after four seasons at Holy Cross, where he amassed 5,916 yards and 59 touchdowns through the air, and 3,583 yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground. He was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award — the FCS equivalent of the Heisman — in each of the past two seasons. He was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year last season after posting 1,728 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air and 1,247 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
