QB room must ‘grow’ and ‘improve,’ but there’s no panic at Boise State
Boise State football coach Spencer Danielson doubled down on his support of quarterback Maddux Madsen on Wednesday afternoon, describing the redshirt junior as a “winner” and saying the team would “win a lot of games with him.”
And it already has — the Broncos are 19-6 the past two seasons with Madsen as the starting QB.
Danielson said he was “unwavering” in his belief in Madsen and redshirt sophomore backup quarterback Max Cutforth in the immediate aftermath of the 38-10 loss to Washington in the LA Bowl last weekend. Madsen started the game but reinjured his right foot/ankle, and Cutforth played the second half.
The quarterbacks combined for 253 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions. In Madsen’s two quarters of action, he managed just seven completions for 51 yards, and threw a pair of ugly picks.
Danielson has built a reputation during his two full seasons as head coach of valuing personal relationships alongside the football, running what he calls a “team first, people always” mentality.
And although he described Madsen as someone he “loves and adores” during an end-of-season press conference Wednesday, Danielson said every decision he makes is for the betterment of the team.
“A week and a half ago, (Madsen) was wearing a crown on his head because (he won) the offensive player of the game in a Mountain West championship game on a field that just got stormed,” Danielson said. “Let’s not forget some of those things.”
In his first game back after a month spent on the sidelines, Madsen threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns against UNLV in a 38-21 victory. He also scrambled for a 10-yard TD run as Boise State won its third straight conference title.
It’s unlikely that the Broncos will search for a QB in the transfer portal, which opens on Jan. 2. Danielson seemingly rejected that notion after the LA Bowl, saying that the “easy answer” is to go fishing in the portal. He said he trusts his current group.
As things stand, Boise State is set to have six quarterbacks on its roster in 2026: Madsen and Cutforth; current freshman Zeke Martinez; redshirt freshman Kaleb Annett; and incoming freshmen Jackson Taylor and Cash Herrera.
Danielson acknowledged that the entire quarterback room, including Madsen, still has room to grow. Madsen completed 58.28% of his passes in 2025 for 2,334 yards and 18 touchdowns, but he also threw nine interceptions, and he struggled against the better teams on the Broncos’ schedule.
“I’m by no means sitting here saying it’s perfect. We threw five interceptions in our bowl game. Can’t happen,” Danielson said. “You can’t beat Meridian High School if you throw five interceptions in a game. (We) have to improve, have to grow. I am very, very aware of that.”
Danielson said the biggest priority with Madsen in the offseason will be keeping him healthy.
Madsen missed the end of the 2023 season after he injured his knee and had to have surgery. He wasn’t fully recovered for spring practice in 2024, but won the starting job in fall camp, and had a relatively healthy sophomore season.
This year, Madsen injured his left ankle in the third game of the season against Air Force, but he missed just one series, and continued to play throughout the season while wearing a protective boot during the week.
Against Fresno State on Nov. 1, Madsen was sacked from behind and injured his right ankle in the first quarter. He then missed the next three games before returning for the win over UNLV, and he started the bowl game before either aggravating that ankle injury or suffering a new one in the same ankle and foot.
“When Maddux is healthy and plays, he hasn’t played a full game and lost to a conference opponent in his time,” Danielson said. “... Got to stay healthy. So we’ve got to make sure his body, his strength, his explosiveness, that’s gonna be a part of it.”
Danielson also acknowledged that the questions at quarterback after the bowl loss extend beyond the position itself. The Broncos were missing three of their starting offensive linemen against Washington, either through injury or, in redshirt junior left tackle Kage Casey’s case, opting out.
The coach also said Boise State didn’t execute properly all over the field, and that’s something the coaching staff will examine in the coming months.
“It is not loyalty for loyalty’s sake. ... It’s team first here,” Danielson said. “I have a job to do here, to make sure that the product we put on that field and how we grow and develop these kids is continuing to be on the rise. I understand that.
“I absolutely believe in our players and the guys that we put out there in 2026 are going to be ready.”
