Through Aug. 22, Sports Illustrated will count down its preseason college football Top 25 with overviews of each team. Here are the full rankings so far.
When the College Football Playoff was first implemented, it felt fitting that one of the original BCS busters, Boise State, earned the first Group of 5 bid to the New Year’s Six. Once the CFP expanded ahead of last season, there was no shortage of contenders to actually make it to the tournament from outside the Power 4, but it seemed only natural the Broncos would earn their way into the field.
That 2024 season will be remembered for every long Ashton Jeanty run and how the team earned a top-three playoff seed. The Fiesta Bowl didn’t transpire the way Boise State hoped, but the Broncos were firmly back to being one of the best teams in the Group of 5. Now, they look set to stay there for a while.
The problem with setting such a high bar is you have to raise it. As they embark upon their final season in the Mountain West Conference they’ve long lorded over, the Broncos are openly embracing being in that position.
They have an NFL-caliber left tackle, a rising junior quarterback capable of making even more plays and a ton of chess pieces from a defense that can allow them to compete with just about everyone on the schedule. In an age where teams are largely unknown from one August to the next, it speaks volumes that we have a good idea of what to expect out of the Broncos.
The standard is the standard in Boise, Idaho, and it seems like there will be a team in blue capable of reaching it once again.
Fast Facts
2024 record: 12–2, 7–0 MWC
Offense: 37.3 ppg (fifth in FBS), 6.73 yards per play (seventh)
Defense: 22.6 ppg (37th in FBS), 5.63 yards per play (72nd)
On the Headset
Spencer Danielson, entering Year 3, 15–3 overall
It’s somewhat wild to think Danielson has been a head coach for only 18 games and has largely done wonders with the same core of players that got his predecessor fired midseason. All three of his career losses while in charge were to current Big Ten programs and two came to fellow CFP opponents.
This season will represent his biggest challenge. It was almost a cheat code to rely on a Heisman Trophy runner-up in the backfield and it will take all of Danielson’s motivational tactics and acumen to get the Broncos back to the playoff with an aim to do something that no Group of 5 team has done so far: win a game.
The 36-year-old is off to a good start. The talent level has risen under his watch, the consistency that was long a hallmark of those on the blue turf has returned and there’s a fresh energy around the team that far more than the fan base has bought into.
Key Returning Starter
QB Maddux Madsen, Jr.
When Madsen was named the Broncos starting quarterback last season, there was a bit of concern by those outside the program given that he was a lightly recruited three-star out of Utah who had just one start to his name. He was mostly expected to make way for USC transfer Malachi Nelson going into fall camp but there never seemed to be quite the preseason QB battle that was expected given how much the then-redshirt sophomore seized the reins of the gig and parlayed it into an excellent season under center (3,018 yards, 23 TD, 6 INT).
Things are a bit different this time around as Madsen is now expected to be the central hub of the offense with Jeanty off to the NFL. He’s capable of doing just that based on what we saw last season when it was required. He’s surprisingly light on his feet as a signal-caller and has a knack for making the right play at the right time, qualities that should serve him well on an offense that has plenty of weapons and one of the best offensive lines in the Group of 5.
Key Transfer
CB Jaden Mickey, from Notre Dame
The stats and playing time Mickey brings don’t jump off the page, but it’s notable Boise State landed a transfer from the likes of the Irish, fended off other power programs for his signature and, most importantly, has someone who can likely help out a secondary that gave up far too many big plays last season. The Broncos allowed 24 passing touchdowns despite making a playoff run (110th in FBS) and saw far too many lapses during conference play that turned some games that should have been over by halftime into four-quarter affairs. Four starters return (Boise State’s base defense plays with five defensive backs) on the back end but the hope is someone like Mickey can come in right away and help tighten things up on the outside while pushing a few of the holdovers.
Key Departure
RB Ashton Jeanty, sixth overall NFL draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders
Jeanty finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, had the second-best all-time rushing season behind Barry Sanders and might be the second-most beloved Boise State player outside of Kellen Moore. To call that kind of program-defining player a loss might be an understatement.
The good news for the Broncos is Sire Gaines is a heck of a tailback to turn things over to. The redshirt freshman is bigger than Jeanty, might be a touch faster and showed a ton of flashes last year before getting hurt and missing most of the season. He’ll need to stay healthy but with Gaines getting most of the carries that Jeanty once did, Boise State should be O.K. given it has to replace so much production out of the backfield.
Circle the Dates
- Aug. 28, at USF
- Oct. 4, at Notre Dame
- Nov. 15, at San Diego State
- Nov. 22, vs. Colorado State
Bottom Line
The schedule isn’t dramatically different from last season with a marquee trip to South Bend to face a likely CFP team in Notre Dame and a handful of question marks on offense. Still, until proven otherwise, this remains the team to beat in the Group of 5 and a dangerous matchup in the first round if all of its players live up to expectations with another season under their belts.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s College Football Preseason Top 25: No. 21 Boise State.