For the second time in three years, Boise State has the nation’s rushing leader - and this time, it’s Dylan Riley carrying the load.
Through six games, the junior tailback has piled up 835 rushing yards, the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He’s doing it in a Boise State offense that has rattled off five straight wins since opening the year with a seven-point loss to then-No. 2 Oregon, and the Broncos now sit at No. 23 in the latest AP Poll.
Riley’s production has been the engine behind that surge. He’s averaging 6.6 yards per carry, has 127 carries, and has found the end zone six times on the ground.
Boise State tight end Matt Wagner made it clear what Riley means to the group after the Broncos’ lopsided win over Western Michigan on Sept. 26.
“I think he’s the best back in the country,” Wagner said. “He’s phenomenal in every way… He’s a huge explosive piece for us and teams have to respect him no matter what situation we’re in, and seeing him make the plays he does is huge for our offense.”
The comparisons to Ashton Jeanty are impossible to avoid. A year ago, Jeanty led the nation in rushing with 2,601 yards, falling 27 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ single-season FBS record before finishing second in Heisman voting and going sixth overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Riley has stepped into that spotlight and then some. At 5-foot-10, 203 pounds, he arrived on campus in 2024 and made an immediate imprint behind Jeanty, rushing for 135 yards and four total touchdowns while also adding a kickoff-return score. He tacked on another 237 yards on kickoff returns that season.
His role expanded in 2025, and so did the numbers. Riley broke 1,000 yards and finished with 1,125 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns, sharing carries with fellow Inland Empire, California native Sire Gaines. This offseason, he added 11 pounds of muscle in preparation for another heavy workload in 2026.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson says the production only tells part of Riley’s story.
“He shows up and just goes to work… It’s not just the flash plays, he makes the hard block in protection, he runs down on kickoff, he’s our kickoff-returner, he’s doing all the team things too,” Danielson said.
That work ethic has been part of Riley’s profile for a while. He played at Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, California, where he was a three-star recruit in the 2024 class. As a senior, he rushed for 2,059 yards and 29 touchdowns, earned All-CIF honors in 2021 and 2022, and even flashed his speed on the track, taking seventh in the 100 meters at the 2023 CIF Southern Section D-II track and field finals.
Gaines was carving out his own name nearby at Orange Vista High School in Perris, just five miles down the road. The two eventually became college teammates after Riley committed to Boise State in October 2023 and Gaines followed in December.
Their connection goes back even further than recruiting. Before college, Riley and Gaines played together on the Moval Falcons youth team, and that shared history is part of why Boise State’s backfield has become such a dangerous pairing.
Against Fresno State on Saturday, the relationship and the production both jumped off the page. Riley and Gaines combined for 334 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 44 total touches, with Riley scoring twice and Gaines once. Afterward, Riley was asked what the Milk Can rivalry win meant to him and the team, and his answer said plenty about the bond inside the locker room.
“We really came out here playing for each other, not because we hate another team, but we play for each other,” Riley said. “That really shows the difference between hate and love.”
That brotherhood has long been part of Boise State’s identity, and it’s again driving the Broncos in 2026. At 5-1 and ranked No. 23, they’re right in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot as the Group of Six representative.
With Riley leading the offense, Boise State has a real shot to keep pushing. After a bye week, the Broncos head to Pullman on Oct. 24 to face Washington State.
In Other News...
Boise States Biggest Defensive Concern Could Finally Get Exposed After The Bye
Boise States defense has spent the season looking better in the broad numbers than it sometimes feels in real time. The Broncos have held up well in overall Pac-12 statistical rankings, and their ball-control offense has done plenty of heavy lifting by keeping the defense on the sideline and the game on Boise States terms. That formula has helped cover for a unit that has otherwise shown a clear weakness when opponents do break free.
The concern now is whether the bye only delays the reckoning. Colorado State, Oregon State and Texas State are all waiting on the other side, and those are the kinds of matchups that can stress a defense in ways a slower pace usually masks. Oregon State stands out as the most daunting of the bunch, with an offense that can force the Broncos out of their comfort zone and make those hidden cracks much harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Has A New Milk Can Controversy Fans Will Hate
Boise States rivalry keeps finding new ways to get under fans skin, and this one is a doozy. After Fresno States 2023 win, the Bulldogs had a new Milk Can made, replacing the original trophy that had tracked the history of football victories between the two schools for years. The old version, complete with all of the previous plaques, stayed in Fresno, while the updated one is the trophy Boise State now gets back.
What makes the switch sting for Broncos fans is simple: the new Milk Can does not tell the full story anymore. Boise State and Fresno State have both confirmed the change, and Boise State is aware that some of the older plaques are missing from the version in circulation now. For a rivalry that already carries plenty of pride, even the trophy itself has become part of the argument. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Has A Real Pac-12 Edge Fans Need To See
Boise State has spent the early part of the season looking like more than just another name in the rebuilt Pac-12 picture. At 5-1, the Broncos sit well in the mix alongside Oregon State, with both programs showing up near the top of the league in the numbers that tend to matter most. Boise State holds the edge in ESPNs FPI and SP+ rankings, while Oregon State has made its case with the conferences best scoring offense and total defense.
The race should only sharpen over the next stretch, starting with Oregon State hosting Washington State and Fresno State heading to San Diego State. For Boise State, the path gets even more interesting soon enough, and the matchup that may tell the most about where this league is headed is still waiting down the road. [Read more 🡒]