Logan Brantley didn’t need much time in Boise to understand what he had stepped into.
At first, the setup in Boise State’s weight room looked familiar enough to the former Kansas linebacker. The same grind was there: linemen putting up 500-pound squats, receivers working through box jumps, linebackers grinding on the bench.
But one detail jumped out fast. Head coach Spencer Danielson wasn’t just watching from the sideline - he was in the lift with everybody else.
And when Brantley finished and headed to an ice bath, Danielson was there too, fully submerged in the cold water.
“Honestly, that means the world to me,” Brantley told reporters on Saturday afternoon.
“I just want to be with a coach that really values his players, and you can really see that with Coach D,” Brantley continued. “He’s very close with everybody on the team, and he doesn’t just say it with his words; he shows it with action.”
That connection helped sell Brantley on Boise State, but the senior linebacker also came with a clear football reason for the move: he wanted a chance to play.
Brantley is one of several transfer additions on Boise State’s 2026 roster, and he’s one of two players who arrived from Kansas last January, joining junior running back Harry Stewart III. He’s already in position to be part of the Broncos’ starting lineup when they open the season at Oregon on Sept. 5.
Danielson said last week, ahead of fall camp, that Brantley had a “really good” summer and that the 235-pound linebacker has “got what it takes.”
For Brantley, the appeal was straightforward. He spent three seasons at Kansas, appeared in 18 games, and never started. Last season he played in 12 games, finishing with eight total tackles and half a sack.
“I was just looking for a new home, just a new opportunity to go and just see the field a little bit more,” Brantley said. “Kansas had a lot of guys coming in, you know, a lot of guys leaving, and I just wanted to take a new chance.”
He didn’t need a long search to land on Boise State, either. Brantley took only one official visit while in the transfer portal, and that trip was enough. He met Danielson at Topgolf in Meridian and came away impressed by the 37-year-old coach’s honesty and style.
“He’s not a man that’s gonna lie to you. And I felt that as soon as I met him,” Brantley said.
“I prayed to God about it, and there just really wasn’t any second option. When I met Coach D, I wanted just to go play for him.”
There’s still a battle to sort out at linebacker in camp. Senior Boen Phelps looks like the only player locked into a starting spot, and Brantley seems to have the edge to line up next to him. But fifth-year Jake Ripp and sophomore Syncere Brackett-Lambey are still pushing for time.
If Brantley does win that job, Boise State says the Broncos should expect exactly what he says he brings.
“Relentless effort to the ball. I just love being around the football,” Brantley said. “I’m violent and a violent player, and I just like to command the defense.”