Does Boise State football have a portal problem? These numbers help answer
Boise State football is coming off its best season in over a decade. The Broncos lost just one regular-season game, went undefeated in conference play en route to a Mountain West championship, and qualified with a bye for the College Football Playoff.
And still, the Broncos have lost four starters to the transfer portal in 2025: wide receiver Prince Strachan, defensive tackle Braxton Fely, linebacker Andrew Simpson and punter James Ferguson-Reynolds.
All four were expected to be starters in 2025. Instead, they’re set to suit up for other schools. Fely recently had an official visit with Cal and is set to visit with Miami, while Simpson is set to visit USC, the school Strachan transferred to in the winter transfer portal.
Does Boise State have a portal problem? Head coach Spencer Danielson doesn’t seem too concerned yet.
“To me, it’s are we doing everything we can as a staff to build into and develop these young men?” Danielson said Saturday after Boise State’s spring game. “If we’re doing that, that doesn’t mean you’re going to keep everybody, but you’re going to keep the right ones.”
Danielson said Ferguson-Reynolds’ decision to enter the portal last week came as a surprise. He met with returning players throughout the week to outline expectations for the coming season — a day later, Ferguson-Reynolds told Danielson he was entering the portal.
“I love JFR. I am so thankful for his time here, and wish him nothing but the best,” Danielson said. “We are going to continue to go build up the guys we have and find someone that wants to be part of our team and is bought into what we’re doing.”
Danielson had a similar message for Fely, whom he said he’d “love forever,” but also says Fely’s decision to enter the portal “was not the best decision for him.”
How does Boise State compare?
Should Boise State and its fans be concerned about players leaving for the portal? The spring transfer portal opened last week and will close Friday.
It’s tricky. When compared to the Broncos’ Mountain West peers, they shouldn’t be overly concerned. But keeping pace with CFP contenders may be a tougher challenge.
Of the top four teams in the Mountain West last fall — Boise State, UNLV, Colorado State and Fresno State — three teams lost four players who held a starting spot in 2024’s depth chart.
The odd one out is UNLV, which lost eight starters to the portal (including quarterback Matthew Sluka, who left the program midseason due to an NIL dispute). The Rebels’ losses can also be attributed to the departure of head coach Barry Odom, who left the program to join Purdue.
But the picture looks a little murkier when you look further afield. The 2024 CFP featured 12 teams for the first time, and when compared to some of the other teams that typically don’t make the playoffs, it doesn’t look good for the Broncos.
Boise State earned the No. 3 seed as a conference champion. Of comparable teams, No. 11 SMU (ACC) and No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12) have yet to lose a single starter to the portal, while No. 10 Indiana (Big Ten) has lost just one.
The difference? The level of conference, and how that directly relates to the funds available for Name, Image and Likeness, which allows student-athletes to be compensated and control their personal brand.
Following the 2024 season, former Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said Boise State’s NIL spending in 2024 was just under $2 million, and admitted other schools could offer athletes “two to 10 times” as much money in NIL deals as Boise State could afford.
The website nil-ncaa.com lists the collective funding available for Power Four conference schools. Indiana had $13.6 million in NIL funding available in 2024, while Arizona State had $5.7 million. Some of the heavy hitters in the 2024 playoffs included Texas ($22.2 million) and champion Ohio State ($20.3 million).
It’s a disparity that Danielson acknowledges. He’s been part of a program-wide push this offseason to bring more money into Boise State’s Horseshoe Collective through individual donations and local partnerships. Danielson also knows, without the financial muscle of other major programs, he needs to find players who are not just looking for a payday.
“I’m very open with these young men that you have to want to be a part of this team,” Danielson said. “I don’t want anybody here just because of transactional operations. Talent for us sets the floor.”
