After two years as backup, Bronco from Germany ready to seize crucial defensive spot
It may be only spring practice, but Boise State junior Max Stege is having “probably the best time of my life.”
The German-born defensive end has lived in America for just two years, having moved across the Atlantic Ocean from Cologne, Germany, after being recruited by Boise State. He’s been a regular part of the team’s plans since arriving, featuring in 24 of 28 possible games, including all 14 in 2024’s run to the College Football Playoff.
But after two years, he’s yet to make a single start.
“It’s hard to get on the field in front of Ahmed (Hassanein),” defensive coordinator Erik Chinander acknowledged earlier this week.
But with Hassanein, a 2024 team captain and starter at defensive end the past two years, gone as a graduate, the starting spot is wide open.
Stege isn’t guaranteed the position. As redshirt senior linebacker Marco Notarainni put it Thursday: “Your job is never safe. No job is secure.” But that doesn’t mean Stege isn’t ready to put every effort into winning the starting role.
“Having that thought of being the starter this year motivates me to wake up every single day, motivates me to get better every single day,” Stege told the Idaho Statesman in a recent interview.
But it wasn’t always easy for Stege to remain so upbeat. Moving to a new country to be a backup for two years wasn’t always easy. On the more challenging days, he’d lean on his teammates and coaches — at points, edge coach Jabril Frazier would call him every day to check in.
Notarainni has seen a couple of foreigners cycle through that defensive end position, with Greek George Tarlas holding the position before Hassanein. Notarainni said many of the European players he sees are “really raw” and “really gifted.”
“All those guys just have the same work ethic, discipline, you can tell they’ve been raised the right way, and they’ve been around cultures the right way,” Notarainni said. “And when they come into here, it’s easy for them to develop.”
Stege’s patience and development started to pay off throughout the 2024 season, culminating in his Fiesta Bowl performance on New Year’s Eve.
Hassanein picked up an injury early in Boise State’s eventual loss to Penn State, and although the Egyptian battled through the game, it meant plenty of chances to impress for the German who backed him up.
“With the game against Penn State, I actually thought in my head, ‘I’m here to make plays, and I’m not scared of screwing up,’” Stege said.
He had one of the most impressive stat lines of his career against one of Boise State’s most formidable opponents all year: three tackles, 0.5 tackle for a loss and half a sack for 5 yards.
Stege’s ability to get to the quarterback makes him believe he’ll be able to fill the hole left by Hassanein, whot totaled a team-high 22 sacks in his two years as a starter, including an impressive 12.5 in 2023.
“I feel really comfortable. I think I have very good ankle and hip mobility, which helps me on the top of the rush,” Stege said. “And I think I combine that pretty good with a powerful get-off.”
There’s a long way to go until Boise State’s season opener at the University of South Florida on Aug. 28. By then, Stege is sure he’ll have some anxiety.
But he’s also had conversations with Hassanein about the pressures of sitting on the bench as a backup for multiple years, and how Stege can take his 28 appearances for the Broncos into his junior year.
“I think there will probably be a little bit of nervousness,” Stege said. “But I always think as soon as you play the first snap, everything is gone, and you can just play free. With having already played a lot of games for BSU, I feel like I can definitely just play free and play fast.”
