Boise State’s defense can afford some turnover in 2026. It has enough talent, enough new blood and enough upside to stay among the Pac-12’s better units. But there’s one spot that looks a lot shakier than the rest: the interior of the defensive line.
That’s the group with the biggest question mark heading into fall camp, because the Broncos are trying to replace proven production without much of it returning. Last season, Braxton Fely was the engine in the middle.
He finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks and added 24 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. After him, the numbers fell off fast.
Michael Madrie had 12 tackles and one sack, Lopes Sanusi finished with 13 tackles, and David Latu posted nine tackles with three tackles for loss. Now Fely is out of eligibility, and Boise State is left searching for answers.
The most obvious name to watch is Latu. At 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, he has the frame to handle the job and the power to be disruptive when he’s right.
Injuries cut into his season last year, but he showed enough to keep the door open for a bigger role. With Fely gone, Latu enters camp as the clearest candidate to take over at nose tackle, and he may have the highest ceiling in the room.
Madrie is another player who could be in line for more work. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, he looks more like a true defensive tackle than a nose guard, and his game leans toward penetration rather than simply eating space.
The staff had him in a bigger spot during spring practice in 2025 when it looked like Fely might be moving on, and even though Fely came back and pushed Madrie back into reserve duty, Madrie still earned his first career start against Appalachian State. Now he appears ready for a much larger piece of the rotation in 2026.
Sanusi brings size too. The Dublin, Ireland native checks in at 6-foot-3 and 307 pounds, and his presence stood out all spring.
The next step is turning that body type into steady production on Saturdays. At the very least, he looks like a rotation piece.
If fall camp goes well and he proves he can hold up at the point of attack, he could even push for a starting job.
Boise State also dipped into the transfer portal for help, and Mikaio Edwards may be the most important addition of the bunch. The former Central Washington standout flashed throughout spring camp with the quickness and explosiveness to create problems in the backfield.
He’s 6-foot-1 and 285 pounds, which points more toward a defensive tackle role than a nose guard spot. Edwards arrives with strong credentials after earning First Team All-Lone Star Conference honors and being named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2024.
Last season, he put up 41 tackles, nine tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Andrew Rheubottom brings another interesting resume. The senior transfer from De Anza College piled up 62 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks at the junior college level.
Those numbers jump off the page for an interior lineman. The question now is how quickly that production carries over to FBS football.
The transition from junior college usually takes time, and with limited eligibility left, he won’t have long to settle in. Even so, his motor and production give him a real chance to earn a role in the rotation.
There are also a couple of younger names worth keeping in the mix. Bethel Imasuen redshirted last season and didn’t see game action, but the England native remains one of the more intriguing developmental players in the group.
Ryder Swanson also preserved his redshirt last year. Neither has college experience yet, but both add needed depth to a position that will need bodies to emerge over the course of the season.
In the end, this all comes back to one basic job: stop the run. Boise State’s defense has to be stout up front, and the interior line will go a long way toward deciding how reliable that unit is.
The Broncos need replacements for Braxton Fely and Dion Washington, and the answer isn’t settled yet. Still, there’s enough size, athleticism and upside here that the group could be just fine if the right players seize the moment in fall camp and carry it into the season.
In Other News...
Boise State Has Several Crucial Jobs Still Up For Grabs
Boise States move into the Pac-12 brings a bigger stage and a sharper spotlight, and the Broncos are heading toward preseason camp with plenty still unsettled. They will open the 2026 season against Oregon, but before that matchup arrives, the staff has to sort through a roster that brings back key pieces on both sides of the ball while also asking several newcomers and younger players to push for jobs.
The most interesting battles are spread across the depth chart, from a rebuilt receiver group to cornerback and safety, plus a handful of spots along the offensive line. Jaden Mickeys shift to cornerback adds another layer to the secondary picture, while the line is still sorting out who will hold down the tackle and center spots. Boise State has enough returning talent to feel good about its foundation, but there is still real work to do before the Broncos know exactly who they are going to line up with in their new league. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Just Sent The Pac-12 A Loud Preseason Message
Boise States first season in the Pac-12 is already drawing attention in a big way, at least on paper. Athlon Sports placed the Broncos on 20 spots in its 2026 preseason all-Pac-12 teams, the most of any program listed, a strong early sign that the leagues newest arrival is expected to arrive with real depth on both sides of the ball.
The headliners are spread across the roster, with Dylan Riley, Sire Gaines and Roger Carreon earning first-team offense honors, while Jayden Virgin-Morgan, Max Stege, Boen Phelps and Jaden Mickey landed on the first-team defense. Boise State also got first-team recognition from specialists Colton Boomer and Oscar Doyle, a reminder that in a league race this crowded, the Broncos are being viewed as more than just a few standout names. [Read more 🡒]