Boise State has reached the end of 2026 fall camp and is turning its attention to a Week 1 trip to face No. 2 Oregon on Saturday, Sept.
- That’s the real measuring stick now, and it’s why Broncos fans should pump the brakes before drawing big conclusions from camp.
The temptation is obvious. Boise State is coming off a five-loss 2025 season, even while claiming its third straight Mountain West championship, and the program is now settling into a rebuilt Pac-12 along with four other former MWC teams.
A new era brings new questions. But two of the loudest panic buttons right now probably shouldn’t be pressed yet.
One of them is Boise State’s tackling. The Broncos were among the worst tackling teams in FBS last season, finishing with a missed tackle rate of 20 percent.
Cody Nagel of CBS Sports reported that Boise State’s 2026 defenders have a career missed rate of 17.3 percent, which ranks No. 127 of 138 Division I teams. That number will naturally set off alarms, but Spencer Danielson has spent spring practice and fall camp trying to change the story.
Danielson said the staff added new tackling drills, and he likes what he has seen so far. Still, he’s not ready to crown the defense based on practice reps alone.
“This time last year, I was confident that we’d be a good tackling team,” Danielson said during Saturday’s post-scrimmage press conference. “As a coach, you have to do everything in your power to field the best product.
We were one of the worst tackling teams in the country last year, so obviously I did not do a good job. So we made changes.
Do these changes work? How we tackle in scrimmages looks really good and when we go live … I think we’re tackling well.
We’ll see Game 1 against Oregon if it has paid off.”
The other overreaction to avoid is putting too much weight on quarterback Maddux Madsen’s struggles last season without accounting for what happened around him. Madsen took plenty of heat during Boise State’s losses, but the receivers did him few favors. The Broncos finished 2025 with a 15.6 percent drop rate and 29 total drops, both of which led the Mountain West.
Fall camp did surface some new names in the receiver group, including transfers Akeem Wright and Darren Morris, along with true freshman Rasean Jones. Danielson sounds encouraged by that room, but he’s keeping the same measured tone he used on the tackling discussion.
“It’s a younger room where there’s not a bunch of returning starters in regards to yards and catches, but I love where our receivers are heading to,” Danielson said. “They’re doing a really good job in practice, but a lot of these guys have not done it in a game yet. … I’m excited where they’re heading to, but until we do it in a game, I can’t say that I can stand on that table yet (and say I feel great about the room).”
For Boise State, the message is pretty clear: camp is over, opinions are cheap, and Sept. 5 will tell the first real story.
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The lineup is built to stir opinions almost as much as the on-field action, with offerings like hot dogs topped with Flamin Hot Cheetos, birria tacos and other new items served in souvenir stadium bowls. For a fan base that takes its stadium experience seriously, the bigger question now is not just what looks good on the menu board, but which additions actually earn a spot in the regular rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Has A 2026 Portal Threat Fans Should Watch
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Boise States Preseason Buzz Just Added Another Offensive Standout
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Wagner has been productive in his Boise State career, totaling 34 catches for 359 yards and a touchdown, and his background adds to the appeal of the honor hes chasing. A Texas native who came to the Broncos with a steady resume and has carved out a useful role, he now gives Boise State another name to watch as preseason lists continue to roll in around the program. [Read more 🡒]