Boise State’s cornerback picture is suddenly wide open, and the Broncos are trying to fill it with a mix of proven production, fresh opportunity and a few players who flashed just enough to make this a real camp battle.
The biggest void comes from A'Marion McCoy and Jeremiah Earby, who both wrapped up their Boise State careers in strong fashion. McCoy finished as a First Team All-Mountain West selection after becoming one of the league’s top corners, while Earby earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors after the best season of his career. Together, they leave behind 27 games of starting experience that Boise State has to replace in the secondary.
Sherrod Smith looks like the safest bet to be part of the answer. When McCoy and Earby missed time during the 2025 season, Smith stepped in and made the most of it.
In a four-game stretch as a starter, he was targeted 18 times and allowed only five catches for 60 yards, while adding four pass breakups and giving up a passer rating of just 41.0. That wasn’t a one-off, either.
Over the full season, the former College of San Mateo standout allowed the fewest yards per coverage snap in the Mountain West and posted the conference’s lowest catch rate allowed at 33%, all while playing more than 250 defensive snaps. After that kind of debut, the junior heads into fall camp widely viewed as one of Boise State’s two starting corners.
The more interesting question is who grabs the other job. Jaden Mickey may be the favorite, but his path is not as straightforward.
He spent most of last season at nickel and was excellent there, finishing with 38 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack and five pass breakups while allowing only one touchdown in coverage. Pro Football Focus gave him a 65.8 overall defensive grade and a 73.5 coverage grade.
Still, Mickey played outside corner at Notre Dame before transferring to Boise State, and a move back outside is very much on the table. He spent a lot of spring practice working there and drew praise for his coverage ability.
That versatility gives Boise State options, but it also makes the decision trickier. If another outside corner emerges, the Broncos could leave Mickey at nickel, where he was one of the defense’s most valuable pieces a year ago.
JeRico Washington is another name that should be in the mix fast. The Kennesaw State transfer arrives with real credentials, having earned All-Conference USA honors twice.
In 2025, he posted 52 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 12 pass breakups, which put him among the national leaders. He enrolled early and went through spring camp, and he looked like a veteran from the jump.
His physicality and experience stood out immediately. Washington should have a role in this defense, but the real question is how much pressure he can put on new defensive backs coach Terrence Brown to keep him on the field.
If his spring carries into fall, he could make the cornerback race even tighter.
There are more candidates lurking behind that top group. Demetrius Freeney is at the front of that next wave after making two starts because of injuries last season and taking advantage of the chances he got.
He forced a fumble against Nevada and held quarterbacks to a 33% completion rate when they threw his way. Franklyn Johnson brings experience too, appearing in 13 games last season, though most of his work came on special teams and he still hasn’t fully turned his defensive opportunities into a bigger role.
Trey Tolmaire is also worth watching. The redshirt sophomore played in just three games a year ago, but he picked off a pass late in the win over Eastern Washington and kept showing up around the ball during spring camp.
If that carries over into fall, he has a real shot to work his way into the rotation.
All of that leaves Terrence Brown with a complicated job in his first offseason in charge of the defensive backs. Boise State is replacing almost every starter in the secondary, and the one returning starter, Mickey, may not even stay at the same spot.
The Broncos brought the cornerbacks and safeties coach roles together to create more continuity, improve communication and give the secondary more flexibility. That means some of these players could move around, whether that’s sliding inside to nickel or even back to safety.
Brown’s mission isn’t just to find the best corners or the best safeties. It’s to find the best five defensive backs and get them on the field together.
If Boise State can do that, replacing McCoy and Earby becomes a lot less daunting.
In Other News...
Maddux Madsen Faces One Final Boise State Question In 2026
Maddux Madsen is heading into his third season as Boise States full-time starter with the kind of job security most quarterbacks would envy. He has already helped deliver Mountain West championships and a College Football Playoff appearance, and there is no real battle waiting for him this fall. The bigger question is whether his game can keep expanding with the Broncos, especially after years of scrutiny over whether he can consistently threaten defenses beyond the short and intermediate areas.
Boise State is trying to answer that with a different kind of supporting cast and a more vertical offensive mindset under Spencer Danielson. The Broncos have added fresh pieces at receiver, including Ben Ford back from an ACL tear, Cam Bates, freshmen Rasean Jones and Terrious Favors, and transfers Akeem Wright and Darren Morris, all while emphasizing a downfield approach that starts up front and flows through the run game and play-action. Madsen has the opportunity to show he can take advantage of it, and whether he can truly open up the field may end up defining the next step of his Boise State career. [Read more 🡒]