‘I’m the same guy.’ Boise State’s standout pass rusher stays true to humble beginnings
Boise State defensive end Ahmed Hassanein is out to prove last season wasn’t a fluke.
Hassanein earned first-team All-Mountain West honors after posting a career-high 12.5 sacks. He was the first Boise State player to finish a season with more than 10 since Curtis Weaver racked up 13.5 in 2019.
That success earned Hassanein preseason Co-Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors in July. He is also on multiple preseason All-American teams and made the watch list for the Bronco Nagurski Award, which goes to the nation’s top defensive player.
But he’s not about to let all of the accolades go to his head.
Hassanein said that for the final season of his college career, he’s using the same approach he had to the game after moving back to the United States as a 16-year-old — who had never played football.
“I’m the same guy that came form Egypt and didn’t know anything, but wanted to prove himself,” Hassanein told the Idaho Statesman. “I want to do that again. I have the same mentality and the same drive, but with more experience and knowledge.”
Hassanein showed up at Boise State in 2021 as a promising but raw defensive lineman. He heads into his senior season as one of the most accomplished pass rushers in the country. His sack total ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 2 in the Mountain West last season, behind former Colorado State pass rusher Mohamed Kamara, who finished with 13 and was picked by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Hassanein has 14.5 career sacks, which ranks No. 18 at Boise State.
“It’s night and day from when he first showed up here,” Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said. “He always had the work ethic to be great. Now he has the experience and the technique to be a nightmare for any tackle he lines up against.”
If there’s a downside to Hassanein’s success, it’s that every team Boise State plays is going to focus on neutralizing him. He’s going to face a lot more double teams and get a lot more attention from blocking tight ends, but he said that’s OK. It will just open things up for his teammates to get to the quarterback.
“If I have to sacrifice for the team, I’ll do that any day of the week,” said Hassanein, adding that he’s been focused on understanding tight end alignments and getting off chip blocks this year. “I’ll take the double teams any time of the day and just work through it.”
The good news for Hassanein is that he’ll have more help chasing down quarterbacks. The Broncos’ second-leading pass rusher last season was linebacker Andrew Simpson, who finished with 6.5 sacks and is back this year. No other player on the team had more than three.
Hassanein said edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan is poised to have a big year. He didn’t record a sack last season but was close to having several.
“He’s explosive and athletic, and I need him,” Hassanein said. “I push him every day and he pushes me. We say, ‘I’ll meet you at the quarterback.’”
The Broncos also brought in a veteran pass rusher in Tavion Woodard, who posted 11.5 sacks in five seasons at Ball State. He’ll open the season backing up Hassanein at strong-side defensive end, but his presence will allow the coaches to move Hassanein in certain packages.
Hassanein said he could see snaps at defensive tackle, nose tackle or edge this season.
“(Woodard) has the drive it takes to be great, and he wants to prove he can be the guy,” Hassanein said.
Expectations are also high for young pass rusher Roman Caywood, a freshman who enrolled early and joined the team in January. He put on 15 pounds over the summer and now weighs 245. Hassanein said he’s been learning new techniques from the youngster.
“The way he bends the corner, I’m learning that from him,” Hassanein said. “He’s going to play for us.”
NOTE
▪ Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was named to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award on Tuesday. It goes to the nation’s top running back. Jeanty is also on the watch lists for the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards. He posted 1,347 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns last season, and was named preseason Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in July.
