Boise State walks into Saturday’s Week 1 matchup at Autzen Stadium with a lot of fresh faces in the mix, and the starting lineups tell the story. The Broncos are set to take on No.
2 Oregon in a non-conference game that will air live on CBS, with kickoff set for 1:40 p.m. Mountain time.
On the Boise State side, the offseason competition showed up right away in the lineup. The Broncos are starting two transfers on offense - receiver Akeem Wright and left tackle Tyler Ethridge - along with true freshman receiver Rasean Jones. They’ll also lean on a pair of untested interior linemen in Carson Rasmussen at right guard and Stewart Taufa at center.
The secondary has its own new look. Boise State is turning to Kennesaw State transfer JeRico Washington Jr. at cornerback and South Dakota transfer Roman Tillmon at nickel. And according to head coach Spencer Danielson, the Broncos aren’t locking themselves into just one cornerback rotation.
During Monday’s press conference, Danielson said Washington Jr., Sherrod Smith and Jaden Mickey will all see lots of action at cornerback.
“The cornerback competition has been at a high, high level,” Danielson said.
Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen gives the Broncos a steady presence in the middle of all that turnover. He’s making his 27th career start and enters his final college season with a 20-6 record as a starter. Madsen has thrown for 6,586 yards and 50 touchdowns against 18 interceptions, and he’s added 11 rushing scores.
Oregon will be without five-star freshman wide receiver Jalen Lott and UAB transfer receiver Iverson Hooks. Even with those absences, the Ducks are still a huge 24.5-point favorite over Boise State.
Both teams declined to release a public depth chart before Week 1.
In Other News...
Oregon Faces An Early WR Twist Fans Didn't Expect
Oregons season opener against Boise State brought an early shakeup to the receiver room, with Iverson Hooks not dressed for warmups and set to miss the game. That is a notable development for a transfer who arrived from UAB as one of the Ducks more interesting offseason additions and even landed on the Preseason Biletnikoff Award watchlist, raising expectations for what he might add to the offense right away.
Freshman Jalen Lott was also not dressed, which opens the door for other Oregon wideouts to pick up snaps and prove their place in the rotation. For a team trying to establish rhythm early in the year, the absence of two receivers changes the look of the depth chart before the first kickoff is even in the books. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Opens With An Early Jalen Lott Concern Fans Will Watch
Oregons build toward its 2026 season opener against Boise State at Autzen Stadium got a little more complicated before kickoff when freshman wide receiver Jalen Lott and transfer Iverson Hooks were not spotted in pregame warmups. Lotts absence stood out most, given the attention he brought into camp and the fact that he was reportedly dealing with injuries suffered during the preseason stretch.
Because this is a non-conference game, the Ducks do not have to put out an official injury report, so the full picture remains unclear for now. What is clear is that Oregon may need to lean on some of its younger receivers sooner than planned, which adds another layer of intrigue to a first game that was already supposed to offer an early look at the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Got A Title Nod That Raises The Pressure Fast
Before the season even gets into its full grind, Oregon has already found itself in the kind of spotlight that can make a good year feel bigger. During a CBS Sports pregame show, the studio anchor and three college football analysts all said they believe the Ducks are the team to beat for the 2026 national championship, a prediction built around Dante Moore returning at quarterback and Dan Lanning still steering the program.
For Oregon, the attention is flattering, but it also comes with the familiar weight of expectation. The Ducks have been to the national title game before, in 2010 and 2014, and the next step is the one that has eluded them. Being talked about as a future champion is one thing, but living up to a forecast like this starts long before January. [Read more 🡒]