Boise State boots player off team for not meeting ‘standards.’ What are those?
Boise State football coach Spencer Danielson announced Thursday morning that senior nickel Davon Banks is no longer part of the program.
Banks began the season among Boise State’s starters but lost his job after a rough start in the season-opening 34-7 loss at South Florida, and he’s barely seen the field since the Broncos’ 28-7 loss at Notre Dame in early October.
“We have high standards to be here, and how players interact with each other and coaches matters,” Danielson said. “And wish him nothing but the best, love him, but he’s no longer part of the team.”
Banks became the second Boise State player to receive disciplinary action this season, though his was more severe. Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Marshall was suspended and away from the team for a week in late October.
Danielson said at the time that Marshall was suspended for not meeting expected standards of “how you interact with coaches and players.”
He also said Thursday that the locker room is still united and that he gained a deeper understanding of the team’s “culture” after the Broncos fell to 6-3 with a 30-7 upset loss at home to Fresno State earlier this month.
“We’ve had some things that, as a coach, I’ve got to step in and fix,” Danielson said. “And obviously, there are maybe some things that I’ve obviously allowed that have caught us up, and that’s on me.
“And we’re working every day to make sure we set very clear expectations for our players. How they live their life off the field, the standards they live by when they’re here. And if those aren’t met, there’s got to be repercussions.”
Danielson said that the standards and subsequent repercussions are “black and white,” and that the coaching staff isn’t making “reactionary” or “emotional” decisions.
Danielson would not delve in-depth on either incident, but both seem to stem from how the players were treating those around them and perhaps not embracing a team-first mentality. When asked what “standard” Danielson was referring to, he said there is a “respect level” that must be met.
“Love is a core value of this football program for a reason,” Danielson said. “ ... You look at all the bad teams, what is missing? Connection. What is missing? Unity. What is missing? Belief in each other.
“But that’s just words on a page if you don’t set those standards and create that for your team.”
Boise State at San Diego State
- When: 8:30 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
- Where: Snapdragon Stadium (35,000, grass), San Diego
- TV: CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Robert Turbin)
- Radio: KBOI 670 AM / 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
- Records: Boise State 6-3, 4-1; San Diego State 7-2, 4-1
- Series: Boise State leads the series 6-4
- Betting line: San Diego State by 2.5
- Weather: 59 degrees, rain, 70% chance of rain
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 4:03 PM.
