Keep an eye on these four things in Boise State football’s spring game
Boise State football fans will flood back into Albertsons Stadium on Saturday for the first time since storming The Blue following the Broncos’ Mountain West championship victory over UNLV in December.
The Broncos will host their annual spring game Saturday, featuring Boise State’s offense against the defense. The game is free to attend. Warm-ups start at 1:30 p.m., and the scrimmage begins at approximately 2:05 p.m.
The scrimmage brings an end to Boise State’s six-week spring practice schedule, which has allowed the coaching staff to begin piecing together what the 2025 team will look like.
From figuring out how to replace running back Ashton Jeanty to allowing a defensive starter to play two ways, here are four things to look out for in Saturday’s spring scrimmage.
Who’s set to replace Jeanty?
Junior running back Jambres Dubar acknowledged earlier this month that “we’re not Ashton Jeanty,” but ultimately, the Broncos will want to make up some of Jeanty’s 2,601 rushing yards from last season.
Dubar is one of the names in the mix to start at running back. Injury limited him to seven games last year, but he participated in Boise State’s scrimmage last weekend, scoring one touchdown. Redshirt sophomore Sire Gaines is another returning player expected to vie for the position next season, but a persistent leg injury means he won’t participate in the scrimmage.
The third primary candidate is sixth-year Malik Sherrod, a transfer from Fresno State. Sherrod has impressed both in the running game and returning kicks, with head coach Spencer Danielson calling him “lightning in a bottle.”
Multiple players have also said that Sherrod is a joker and loves to talk trash, so keep an eye out for some fun antics on Saturday.
Will Ty Benefield play two ways?
Junior safety Ty Benefield is expected to be one of the leaders on defense in 2025, but he’s also spent the last couple of weeks practicing at wide receiver.
Between a mixture of players moving on, injuries and lack of experience, the wide receiver room is looking thin heading into 2025. Just one returning receiver — sixth-year Latrell Caples (473) — had over 400 receiving yards last year.
Benefield played two ways in high school and said he’d “really like” to try it in college, while Danielson said spring was the perfect time to “put guys in those situations.”
Whether Benefield plays at receiver on Saturday — and if he plays well — will be an indicator of what we could see come August.
What will the defense look like?
If there’s one central area of concern for Boise State, it’s the defense. All three levels lost a starter to either graduation or the transfer portal, and there isn’t much experience to replace them.
Redshirt junior edge Jayden Virgin-Morgan will return, while junior defensive end Max Stege is expected to replace Ahmed Hassanein. Stege saw action in all 14 games last season and is one of the more seasoned replacements.
However, the interior is less clear after Braxton Fely entered the transfer portal and Herbert Gums graduated. Redshirt freshman Lopez Sanusi and redshirt sophomore Michael Madrie have impressed this spring, while more experienced transfers such as redshirt junior David Latu (BYU) and redshirt senior Dion Washington could also make a case.
There’s also an open linebacker spot, alongside Marco Notarraini, after Andrew Simpson entered the transfer portal. Redshirt junior Jake Ripp made the move last season from linebacker to edge and could end up in his original position this season. The coaching staff has also been impressed by sophomore Clay Martineau and junior Chase Martin.
The secondary is Boise State’s strongest returning unit, but the spring game will give fans a chance to see some transfers who will be fighting for playing time. Redshirt junior cornerback Demetrius Freeney (Arizona) and junior cornerback Jaylen Webb (Kilgore Junior College) could challenge for starting spots in 2025.
Check out progress in the north end zone
Almost immediately after the season ended, Boise State went to work on tearing down the stands on the north end of the stadium. Construction has quickly moved along as Boise State builds a new north end zone stand that’ll add approximately 1,600 seats to Albertsons Stadium.
All of the demolition and earthwork is complete, and the structure of the new stand is already being put into place. The new north end zone stand won’t be finished for the 2025 football season, but the entire structure, including almost all the concrete work and any underground work, is expected to be completed by the start of the new season.
Because of construction, fans won’t be able to enter the stadium in the northeast or northwest corners for the spring game.
