Bronco Breakdown: The Mountain West’s top returning pass rusher leads Boise State on edge
Editor’s note: This is the seventh installment in a series breaking down Boise State’s likely starters and the top players in the Mountain West at each position.
Defensive end and edge rusher have basically become synonymous in the college football lexicon.
There are subtle differences between the two positions, based on scheme, body type and athleticism, but whatever they’re called, the players that man these positions have one primary objective: get after the quarterback.
No returning starter in the Mountain West did that better last year than Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein. He led the Broncos and ranked No. 2 in the conference with 12.5 sacks, trailing only Colorado State’s Mohamed Kamara, who had 13 and was picked by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in April.
Hassanein was named first-team All-Mountain West last year after he became the first Boise State player to notch more than 10 sacks in a season since Curtis Weaver finished with 13.5 in 2019. Expectations are high again this year for the 6-foot-3, 272-pound senior, who spent much of his childhood in Egypt and didn’t play football until he moved back to the United States when he was 16.
Hassanein was named preseason Mountain West co-Defensive Player of the Year earlier this month, sharing the title with UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard.
“The sky is the limit for Ahmed,” Boise State football coach Spencer Danielson said. “He works his tail off, he’s eager to learn and he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. He’s a big-time player for us, and I’m excited to see what he does this season and in the future.”
Hassanein is listed as a defensive end on Boise State’s roster, and he will spend plenty of time chasing quarterbacks from a three-point stance. He’ll also see plenty of snaps standing up as an edge rusher, where he’ll still target the passer but may also find himself covering a tight end on a passing route.
Boise State brought in a veteran pass rusher to pair with Hassanein. Tavion Woodard joined the Broncos this year after four seasons at Ball State, where he posted 10.5 sacks in 20 starts. He may not start as many games as Hassanein, but Woodard will see snaps as a defensive end and an edge, depending on the opponent and situation.
Sophomore Max Stege is a young defensive end to keep an eye on. The 6-4, 275-pound native of Germany played in 10 games last season and was disruptive during the Broncos’ spring game in April.
In terms of a true edge rusher, which can be thought of as an outside linebacker who rushes the passer, defends against the run and has coverage responsibilities, redshirt sophomore Jayden Virgin-Morgan has a chance to take a huge leap this year.
The 6-3, 245-pound San Diego native didn’t record a sack last season, but he was a fraction of a second away from several of them. With another year in the weight room and a full offseason of honing his techniques under his belt, he could be the perfect complement to Hassanein this year.
The Broncos also have redshirt senior Gabe Hunter back after he appeared in just two games last season because of injuries, and they added junior college transfer Joseph Marsh, who posted seven sacks at College of the Canyons last year.
Projected depth chart
Starters: DE Ahmed Hassanein, Sr., 6-3, 272, Loara (California) High, Cairo, Egypt; Edge Jayden Virgin-Morgan, R-So., 6-3, 245, Mt. Carmel High, San Diego.
Backups: DE Tavion Woodard, 5-yr., 6-4, 260; West Lafayette (Indiana) High; Edge Gabe Hunter, 5-yr., 6-2, 245, Hendrickson High, Pflugerville, Texas.
Sleepers: DE Max Stege, So., 6-4, 275, Cologne, Germany; Edge Roman Caywood, Fr., 6-3, 227, Corner Canyon High, Holladay, Utah.
Mountain West DEs/Edges to watch
DeVonne Harris, Wyoming — The 6-4, 240-pound sixth-year senior has started 26 games and posted 12 sacks the past two seasons. In 2022, he led the Cowboys with eight sacks and ranked No. 2 on the team with 13 tackles for loss. He finished last season with 35 tackles, four sacks, four pass deflections, a forced fumble and two blocked kicks. He’ll play opposite Braden Siders, who has started 18 games and posted 11 sacks the past two seasons.
Blaine Spires, Utah State — Spires played in 12 games and started three last season, posting five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. The 6-3, 235-pound fifth-year senior will be in the spotlight this year, especially after the Aggies’ sack leader, Paul Fitzgerald, transferred to Utah. Spires transferred to Utah State last year after four seasons at Bowling Green. He finished the season with three fumble recoveries and a team-high 10 quarterback hurries.
Devo Bridges, Fresno State — The 6-2, 255-pound sixth-year senior was named second-team All-Mountain West last season as a defensive end after he led the Bulldogs’ defensive linemen with a career-best 51 tackles. He also added eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception and eight quarterback hurries. Bridges has played in 40 games and started 27 since 2021. He’ll play opposite former five-star recruit Korey Foreman, who transferred to Fresno State this year after three seasons at USC.
Marlem Louis, San Diego State — The 6-3, 255-pound sixth-year senior joined the Aztecs this year after five seasons at Richmond, an FCS program in Virginia. He was a two-time All-Colonial Athletic Association pick, earning first-team honors in 2022 and a third-team nod last season. He came to San Diego State with 110 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and seven forced fumbles in his career. Louis led Richmond last season with 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
Antonio Doyle, Jr., UNLV — Doyle joined the Rebels in January after two seasons at Jackson State and two at Texas A&M. The 6-3, 255-pound fifth-year senior was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, and he’s played in 31 games since 2020. Last season, he ranked No. 5 at Jackson State with 44 tackles and added four sacks. He’ll play opposite Jalen Dixon, who posted 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks for the Rebels last season.
