Braxton Fely returns to Boise State. Here’s why that decision was made
Less than a month after Boise State senior defensive tackle Braxton Fely entered the transfer portal, he announced on Monday a reversal of that decision and plans to return to Boise State for his final year of eligibility.
“After many conversations with those closest to me, I have come to the conclusion that Boise State University is the place to be, and I will be withdrawing my name from the transfer portal,” Fely wrote in a social media post.
“I would like to express to you all that the culture and values at Boise State are second to none and I now realize more than ever how special this place is.”
Fely has spent all three years of his college career at Boise State and has appeared in all 42 games available to him. He’s also started all 28 games the past two seasons and was named to the All-Mountain West second team in 2024.
Shortly after Fely entered the portal, Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said he thought it was not “the best decision” for Fely.
And in an unusual move, Danielson posted a video to social media Monday explaining why Fely is returning to Boise State.
In the video, Danielson said it was “tough” when Fely left, and the pair hadn’t spoken since then until last week, when Fely and his wife called Danielson.
He wanted to return to Boise State.
“They opened their heart to me about, ‘Coach, we want to come home, and we see the value in Boise State,’” Danielson said about the conversation.
He went on to say that Fely’s decision had nothing to do with money and that they wanted to return to Boise State because it’s the best place for them to “build and develop.”
“I believe the best thing is to bring Brax home, he’s like a son to me,” Danielson said. “I know there’s going to be a lot of things he’s going to have to do to earn the trust back with his teammates and coaches. But knowing Braxton, he’s going to do every bit of that and then some.”
Boise State still has two starters from 2024 in the transfer portal who have not committed to a new school: punter James Ferguson-Reynolds and linebacker Andrew Simpson.
