After two weeks of fall camp, here’s how Boise State’s offense is shaping up
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Quarterback Maddux Madsen retains starting role with strong preseason backing.
- Running back group features Malik Sherrod and Sire Gaines as lead performers.
- Offensive line returns veteran core; right tackle remains key competition.
After two weeks of fall camp and with less than three weeks until the opening game of the season, Boise State football’s 2025 roster is slowly coming into focus.
The Broncos emerged from the spring transfer portal relatively unscathed, losing just three expected starters, while picking up several transfers who’ll be competing for snaps in 2025. The larger concern for the Boise State coaching staff is backfilling for graduating seniors.
With just one week of fall camp remaining, and the Broncos’ trip to South Florida on Aug. 28 quickly approaching, here’s where each position group on the offense stands:
Quarterback
Redshirt junior Maddux Madsen entered camp as the presumptive starting QB, and nothing has changed in that regard. Madsen is set to lead the Broncos in his second year as a starter — expectations are high, too, with him being named the Mountain West Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Redshirt freshman Kaleb Annett and redshirt sophomore Max Cutforth are battling to be Madsen’s backup. Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said on Thursday, following the Broncos’ first fall scrimmage, that Cutforth played better during the scrimmage, but the competition will remain open through the end of fall camp.
Both quarterbacks saw action in Boise State’s spring game in April. Cutforth went 2-for-5 for 19 yards in the spring game, while Annett was 6-for-10 for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Running back
Boise State may have lost Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty to the NFL, but the running back stable is still ready to explode in 2025. Four running backs will realistically be taking snaps this year: Redshirt freshman Sire Gaines, sophomore Dylan Riley, junior Jambres Dubar and sixth-year Malik Sherrod.
Of those four, Sherrod and Gaines appear to be running ahead. Sherrod, a transfer from Fresno State, has quickly impressed the coaching staff with his speed and shiftiness, scoring touchdowns both in the spring game and the recent scrimmage.
Gaines is fighting back from injuries that kept him out for most of last season and spring 2025, but the 18-year-old already has plans of emulating Jeanty’s heroics and will likely see a lot of snaps this fall.
Dubar will also be in the mix, but he also missed much of 2024 through injury. He also missed the start of fall camp with a soft-tissue injury, Danielson said, but was participating in individual workouts Thursday and should be back by next week.
Riley had some big runs during the scrimmage in Dubar’s absence, Danielson said, but he also mentioned in April that Riley will be an “impact player” on special teams this year.
Tight end
There’s not much competition at the tight end position, with redshirt senior Matt Lauter entering his third year as the starter. The 6-foot-3 Lauter has a goal, backed by the coaching staff, of being one of the best tight ends in the nation this year.
Redshirt sophomore Matt Wagner is likely to be Lauter’s backup again in 2025. Offensive coordinator Nate Potter said last week that Wagner has a “different style of play” than Lauter, but the two complement each other and can be used in a variety of situations.
Offensive line
The Broncos’ offensive line is arguably the team’s best returning unit in 2025. Four positions are likely settled with experienced players: Redshirt seniors Mason Randolph (center), Roger Carreon (right guard) and Tyler Keinath (left guard), and redshirt junior Kage Casey (left tackle), who’s a potential 2026 NFL Draft first-round pick.
The biggest competition for a starting spot is at right tackle. Danielson said ahead of fall camp that redshirt junior Hall Schmidt, who started 12 games at right tackle in 2024 but spent the offseason recovering from surgery, is still in contention for the spot, but redshirt junior Daylon Metoyer is making a case for himself.
Metoyer, who redshirted last season, has been mentioned as impressing several times throughout fall camp by Danielson and offensive line coach Tim Keane.
Additionally, while Keinath appears as the favorite to start at left guard, Danielson said that redshirt sophomore Jason Steele is also in contention for the spot, with Keinath being “limited” in July. The duo is competing to replace Ben Dooley, who started there the last two seasons.
Wide receivers
There were concerns about the Broncos’ receiving corps heading into summer, but the revival of redshirt junior Chris Marshall has quickly quelled those fears.
Marshall spent most of 2024 on the sidelines struggling to find full fitness, but looks primed to go this fall. Every Bronco player who’s been asked to highlight a player on offense has mentioned Marshall, with Madsen calling him “one of the best I’ve ever been around.” The 6-foot-3 receiver looks set to be named WR1 if he can remain healthy.
Sixth-year senior Latrell Caples will also remain a constant threat for the Broncos, with Danielson saying he’s had a “big-time camp.”
Beyond those two, it gets more competitive. Danielson said Thursday that redshirt senior Ben Ford can “infiltrate into our team” and that he had some good catches late in the fall scrimmage. Sophomore Cam Bates, who featured primarily on special teams last year, is also in the mix — the coaching staff has been impressed with his speed, while Bates set himself a target of 500 receiving yards and six to eight touchdowns in 2025.
