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Wednesday Weekly: April 29, 2026.
Boise State got what it needed to out of the 2026 Spring Game last Saturday—starting with hope in the wide receivers room. Spring football ended the way it started, with former Rocky Mountain true freshman wideout Rasean Jones drawing more buzz than any other Bronco. Jones had three catches for 36 yards, an innocent enough stat line. But he made an impression with them. Jones’ first reception went for 14 yards as he pulled defenders with him to get a first down. And his last one was the icing, an amazing one-handed grab against tight coverage just over the goal line.
Jones wasn’t at the autograph tables after the game, but he was sure busy signing by himself on the field as fans sought out No. 19. With Cam Bates (short-term) and Ben Ford (long-term) absent from the Spring Game, there wasn’t much else to glean among the wideouts. But Boise State’s other highly-touted true freshman, Terrious Favors from Atlanta, had a nice day with four grabs for 32 yards.
CUTFORTH REMAINS NO. 2
Despite Maddux Madsen’s entrenchment as starting quarterback at Boise State, we hoped that the Broncos would give true freshmen quarterbacks Jackson Taylor and Cash Herrera a chance to compete during spring football. They did get a shot, but it’s clear that last year’s backup, Max Cutforth, is a cut above in the race for the backup spot due to his experience. Taylor and Herrera got some time in the second half of the Spring Game—and no conclusions can be drawn. Taylor was 6-of-11 for 64 yards but threw a pick-six. Herrera didn’t have an official pass attempt in the game, but he did complete a nice 16-yard throw to A.J. Maes that was negated by one of those phantom “touch-sacks” that they call in the spring. The takeaway? Either Taylor or Herrera or both could be in the redshirt conversation this year.
A BRONCOS STAPLE RESURFACES
It may have been a Spencer Danielson thing or a Nate Potter thing, or even a Zak Hill thing. But nothing pleased the crowd more last Saturday than the three successful trick plays executed by the offense. Danielson said such things are going to be part of the Broncos playbook. Madsen’s biggest play of the day was a 62-yard touchdown on a flea-flicker to Qumonte Williams. Then came two on the same drive—a double-reverse pass from Cutforth to Matt Wagner that gained 32 yards and an 11-yard TD on a tackle-eligible swing pass from Cutforth to Tyler Ethridge. Trickeration has been on hiatus at Boise State, but it’s part of the program’s DNA. The Broncos will surely need a couple things in their back pocket at Oregon in September.
CASEY’S DESTINATION
Kage Casey overachieved some draft projections last Saturday when he was taken in the fourth round with the 111th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Dane Brugler of The Athletic, one of the top draft gurus, had the former Boise State left tackle going at the end of the fifth round. But Casey remains a Bronco, as he is set to provide depth on Denver’s offensive line. He’s the first tackle taken by Denver since the 2017 draft, but many think probably ticketed as a guard in the NFL. Sporting News isn’t so sure, as it gave the Broncos a “B” grade on Casey’s pick and said “he has the ability to be a perfect rotational tackle for a great deal of (playing) time at the professional level.” Boise State has now had players drafted into the NFL in 16 of the past 17 years.
BOISE STATE’S LONGER SHOTS
With Braxton Fely’s Denver tryout set, Boise State’s list of NFL free agent signings is complete. It especially ain’t over yet for tight end Matt Lauter and safety Zion Washington. Lauter has an undrafted free agent contract with the Raiders and Washington has one with the Browns, and both are slated for training camp. They can take inspiration from George Holani making the Seahawks roster two years ago. Four ex-Broncos in addition to Fely have rookie minicamp tryouts: Mason Randolph, A’Marion McCoy, Jeremiah Earby and Malakai Williams. Randolph has two invites: from the Chiefs and the Saints. Plus, defensive tackle Herbert Gums from the 2024 team has resurfaced. He’ll try out with Seattle.
THE ‘TIGHT END STATE’
It came to pass last Thursday night. For the second straight year, a tight end from the Gem State was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq was at his home in Ammon, next to Idaho Falls, when he heard his name called by the New York Jets with the No. 16 overall pick. A watch party at his alma mater, Skyline High, simultaneously went wild. Sadiq had 51 catches and eight touchdowns last season for the Ducks. Chicago chose Gooding’s Colston Loveland out of Michigan a year ago, and that worked out swimmingly for both parties.
THE ARKANSAS QUARTERBACK
Bronco Nation no doubt noticed that former Boise State quarterback Taylen Green was drafted in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns. Officially, of course, Green’s an Arkansas QB. This was in The Athletic, and it perfectly describes the Green dilemma: “Dane Brugler’s capsule on him includes the phrases ‘one of the most physically gifted players in the draft,’ ‘playmaker outside the pocket with both his arms and legs’ and ‘highlight package full of wow throws.’ Unfortunately, the words ‘37 turnovers in the last two seasons’ also appear.” Would Boise State’s trajectory have been different had Green remained a Bronco? He’s the guy who holds the school record with a 91-yard touchdown run in 2022. But there would have been some inexplicable turnovers as well. We will never know.
DICKEY RUMORS SWIRL
The rumors of Jeramiah Dickey being a candidate for the athletic director’s job at Kentucky had a little cloud hanging over Boise State’s Spring Game. On the one hand, Dickey seems to be as committed to the Broncos as he’s ever been. On the other hand, this has to be an extremely frustrating time to be an AD in the Group of 6, even at a place like Boise State, as so much has changed in even the past few months as it pertains to keeping pace with the Power 4. It’s a runaway train. You can say this for Dickey, though: he hasn’t gone radio silent on social media. He’s been all over X on a daily basis, posting about victories in various Boise State sports and other successes. Dickey hasn’t gone from blue turf to bluegrass yet. Bronco Nation can only hope.
CROSS-COUNTRY PAC-12 THOUGHTS?
How would you feel about UConn being a football-only member of the Pac-12? John Canzano of the “Bald-Faced Truth” doesn’t necessarily say there’s fire for a move like that, but he does say there’s some smoke. UConn has been an independent in football since leaving the American Conference in 2019 and prioritizing its men’s and women’s basketball programs in the Big East. As Canzano points out, “I don’t see UConn as a full-blown member because of the travel logistics for other sports, but wouldn’t be surprised if the Pac-12 eventually did something with the Huskies.” He says “the sides definitely had some conversations about 12 months ago.” UConn became respectable again in football when Jim Mora was hired as coach in 2022. Ironically, Mora is a newbie in the Pac-12 now with Colorado State.
AC BOISE PLAYS UP AND WINS
Athletic Club Boise is ridin’ high after playing up a level on the road and taking down the Las Vegas Lights of USL Championship 2-1 in a penalty shootout last Saturday. They went to penalty kicks because it was the opener of the USL Cup tournament—AC Boise earned two points in the group stage. ACB trailed 1-0 until Meridian’s Keegan Oyler scored the equalizer—his first professional goal—in the 64th minute. Then in the shootout, coach Nate Miller went with his gut and inserted goalie Javier Garcia, and his two saves decided it. The victory doesn’t count in the USL1 regular season standings, so AC Boise remains 2-1-2 ahead of its return to the home pitch this Saturday against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC.
THE GAME – AND THE SEASON – GOT AWAY
The Idaho Steelheads were on the ropes but had some hope Tuesday night when they took a 3-2 lead on a goal from Ty Pelton-Byce with seven minutes left in the second period. But the Allen Americans sucked the air out of Idaho Central Arena when they scored with just seven seconds remaining in the frame and took the momentum into the locker room at the intermission. Allen tallied three more times in the third to run away with a 6-3 victory—and a four games-to-one series triumph in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The last 2½ months of the season were a struggle for the Steelheads, who played most of it without leading scorer Brendan Hoffmann. He returned in time to score twice in the Steelies’ lone win in the series, but the hole was too big.
This Day In Sports…brought to you by POOL SCOUTS…perfect pools, scout’s honor!
April 29, 2006, 20 years ago today: Daryn Colledge becomes Boise State’s highest NFL Draft choice in 20 years when he’s taken in the second round, and 47th overall, by the Green Bay Packers. The All-WAC offensive tackle from North Pole, Alaska, who started all 52 games in his Boise State career, would move to guard and start there for the Pack. Colledge thus protected Green Bay great Brett Favre in his final two seasons with the Packers—and Aaron Rodgers when the Green Bay won Super Bowl XLV. Colledge played nine seasons in the NFL.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
