Building from within: Young Boise State players see roles grow, because they ‘earn’ it
The first month of the 2024 college football season didn’t go the way Boise State sophomore wide receiver Prince Strachan envisioned.
Strachan showed promise as a big-play receiver at the end of last season, and with a receiving corps that was in flux, he was ready to try to have a breakout sophomore season.
What transpired instead was a ton of downfield blocking and just four receptions in the first four games, with two of those coming against FCS opponent Portland State.
“As a receiver, you always want the ball, no doubt,” Strachan told reporters last week. “But obviously, with a running back like Ashton (Jeanty), for me, personally, I just try to do the best I can to make a block for my team so he can do what he does.”
But the 6-foot-5 receiver from the Bahamas said he never once doubted the process. “At some point, my time was gonna come,” he said.
Against Utah State in early October, Strachan made four catches for 58 yards in the Broncos’ 62-30 victory. He had his first touchdown of the season against San Diego State in the second quarter of a game that saw him snag four receptions for 49 yards.
Heading into Saturday’s road game at San Jose State, Strachan has 187 yards on 15 receptions, good for 12.5 yards per catch.
Strachan is the example of the kind of player Boise State wants, according to head coach Spencer Danielson. The 36-year-old first-year coach often talks about the importance of developing players in-house and stresses that Boise State’s future doesn’t lie in the transfer portal.
“I’m proud of Prince,” Danielson said. “What started the season as maybe not getting the amount of catches that he wanted, or we wanted for him, now he’s getting those because he earns it, and he earns the respect of his teammates.”
Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter noticed Strachan’s commitment before the season even started. Koetter, who was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2016-18, put Strachan in touch with Super Bowl-winning receiver Chris Godwin.
The pair discussed what it’s like to get through college as a student-athlete with dreams of playing in the NFL, and what it takes to make it to the next level and play on a championship-winning team.
“I still read the notes from that phone call we had,” Strachan said. “I took a lot of things from what he said, and I applied it to my life.”
Strachan isn’t the only underclassman who’s taken on a more significant role as the season has gone along. Redshirt freshman tight end Matt Wagner also has been more involved in recent games.
Wagner recorded just one reception through the season’s first five games — not surprising, considering he backs up redshirt junior tight end Matt Lauter, who has the second-most receiving yards on the team (376).
But Wagner has catches in three of Boise State’s past four games, including a crucial fourth-quarter, 22-yard reception against UNLV, which set up the Broncos for their game-winning touchdown.
“I really appreciate the coaching staff,” Wagner said. “Coach D says it all the time: If you’re on the field, we trust you. We know you can execute the job that you’re given.”
Danielson said last week that Wagner will be a “big-time player” for Boise State and a “matchup issue for defenses for a long time.”
“His role is going to continue to grow because he earns it,” Danielson said. “He’s a really good player for us now, and his ceiling is high because of his mentality, how he trains, and who he is.”
Boise State at San Jose State
When: 5 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
Where: CEFCU Stadium (30,456, AstroTurf)
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: KBOI 670 AM and KBOI 93.1 FM/Sirius XM Ch. 162 or 201 (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 8-1, 5-0; San Jose State 6-3, 3-2
Series: Boise State leads the series 15-1
Vegas line: Boise State by 13.5 points
Weather: High of 63, low of 44, humidity 65%, mostly clear skies, 2% chance of rain
