Boise State’s first season in the Pac-12 is still months away, but the roster questions are already taking shape.
The Broncos, who officially left the Mountain West last week after 15 seasons and seven titles - including three straight from 2023 to 2025 - will open the 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Oregon. They bring back six starters on offense and five on defense, which means preseason camp next month will be less about finding answers everywhere and more about settling a handful of key battles.
One of the biggest is at wide receiver, where Boise State has to replace a lot of production around returning quarterback Maddux Madsen. Latrell Caples, who led the team with 51 catches for 617 yards and three touchdowns, is gone after exhausting his eligibility, and Chase Penry also moved on after posting 30 receptions for 394 yards and one score. Chris Marshall, who had 30 catches for 574 yards and two touchdowns, transferred to Arkansas.
That leaves a room with plenty of options and no shortage of intrigue. Ben Ford, who caught 21 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns, is coming back from a torn ACL and could be limited early in camp.
If he’s healthy, he’s expected to be in the mix for a starting job. Cam Bates, Quinton Brown and Qumonte Williams Jr. are also back and should push for snaps, while transfers Darren Morris from Southern University and Akeem Wright from De Anza College add experience.
Boise State also has two freshmen with real buzz in Rasean Jones and Terrious Favors. The setup gives the Broncos a chance to turn a rebuilt group into one of their strengths.
Cornerback is another spot with a clear opening after Boise State lost Jeremiah Earby and A’Marion McCoy, the starting tandem from last season. First-year defensive backs coach Terrence Brown has some pieces to sort through, starting with Jaden Mickey. He’s expected to move from nickelback to cornerback after starting 11 games last year and finishing with 38 total tackles.
The other side of that competition appears to be between Kennesaw State transfer JeRico Washington Jr. and returning junior Sherrod Smith, with Demetrius Freeney Jr. and Franklyn Johnson Jr. also in the mix. That battle should be one of the more closely watched on the defense once camp opens.
Up front, the Broncos have a little more certainty, but not complete stability. Jason Steele at left guard, Roger Carreon at right guard and Daylon Metoyer at right tackle are all expected to hold starting jobs. The questions come at left tackle and center, where Boise State has openings to fill.
Colorado State-Pueblo transfer Tyler Ethridge came out of spring practice as the leading candidate at left tackle. Kyle Cox, a returning junior who started in place of Kage Casey during the LA Bowl and has played in 21 career games, is right there too. At center, the top two names are redshirt freshman Stewart Taufa and Oregon State transfer Zander Esty.
Safety is another area where Boise State has to replace both starters from last season, but Brown and head coach Spencer Danielson sound confident in the depth there. Derek Ganter Jr., who played in all 14 games and made two starts a year ago, is expected to become a full-time starter in 2026.
Travis Anderson also stood out in spring practice and could earn a starting role. Transfers Kyle Hall from the College of San Mateo and Roman Tillmon from South Dakota are additional names to keep on the radar.
Quarterback is the one spot where the Broncos don’t have a true open competition at the top. Madsen is set as the starter. The real fight is for the backup job, and spring practice featured a tight race between Max Cutforth and Cash Herrera.
Cutforth made three starts last season when Madsen was injured and completed 95 of 167 passes, a 57 percent clip, for 1,059 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. Herrera, a true freshman ranked by 247Sports as the No. 39 quarterback nationally and the No. 54 overall prospect in California for the class of 2026, kept improving through spring and could pass Cutforth in fall camp.
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