Rocky Mountain High graduate Rasean Jones is set to launch his college career in a big way.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said Monday that the true freshman will start at wide receiver when the Broncos open the season Saturday at Oregon, the No. 2 team in the country.
Danielson made it clear Jones has earned the opportunity, while also stressing that the staff is keeping perspective on just how young he is.
“I’m very, very proud of Rasean Jones,” Danielson said. “But I’m also very, very calculated when I talk about him because he’s also a true freshman.
That was me meeting with him last week because you’d be hard pressed to find a better young man than Rasean Jones, how he treats his teammates, how he works, he loves the Lord, great in the classroom, great in the community. He’s a 10 out of 10 young man, but he’s also a true freshman.
That was my message to him last week: I don’t need you to be anybody but the best Rasean Jones.”
Jones has been turning heads since spring practices, and the staff saw enough from him to put him ahead of Eagle High graduate Ben Ford on the opening depth chart at receiver. Ford is working back from a season-ending ACL injury suffered in the middle of last season, and Danielson said that even after missing the start of fall camp, Ford will still play Saturday.
Even so, Jones won the job.
Boise State offensive coordinator Nate Potter pointed to Jones’ approach as the biggest separator.
“Where he separates himself is his mentality and his maturity for a young freshman,” Potter said. “Since he’s walked in these doors, he hasn’t handled himself like a freshman, he’s always felt like a vet in a lot of ways.
Now, he’s had a lot of learning moments, there’s still growth there. But just his mentality and the way he approaches every day is beyond his years.
And I think that’s going to allow him to go out and play his game.”
The Broncos also had a wrinkle in how they handled their preseason roster information. Boise State had planned to release its initial full two-deep depth chart Monday, as it typically does before the first game, but changed course after Oregon decided not to publish one.
Danielson still offered a few key pieces of the puzzle. Senior Jason Steele will open the season as the backup center behind Stewart Taufa. Steele had been in the mix at center and left guard, but Taufa and Carson Rasmussen were named the starters at those spots.
Danielson called Steele the Broncos’ sixth offensive lineman, suggesting he’ll be the first reserve up front against the Ducks. At the same time, he didn’t rule out a bigger role down the line.
“Jason did a great job through fall camp, Stewart just did a little better than him,” Danielson said. “This is going to be an ongoing competition.
Game one, we’re going to evaluate every position on our entire roster after it to see, is there someone who needs to jump and play more? Jason, I had a great meeting with him and he’s a phenomenal kid who loves his team.
And those are the hard things, when you put your all into something. But it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen, it’s just not going to happen yet for Jason.”
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