NFL playoffs: Five former Boise State stars in action this weekend

Wild Card weekend begins Saturday

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Five former Boise State standouts are expected to be active when the NFL playoffs begin Saturday. 

Fullback Scott Matlock (Los Angeles Chargers), wide receiver Khalil Shakir (Buffalo Bills), safety JL Skinner (Denver Broncos) and tight end John Bates and running back Jeremy McNichols of the Washington Commanders all helped lead their teams to the playoffs. 

Here is a rundown of what each player has accomplished this NFL season. 

1. John Bates, tight end, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders tight end John Bates (87). / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Bates is primarily used as a blocking tight end in a Commanders offense that features star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. 

Bates, who is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a shoulder injury, has eight catches for 84 yards this season. 

A three-star prospect coming out of Oregon’s Lebanon High School in 2016, Bates originally committed to Oregon State before flipping to Boise State. He was a two-time all-Mountain West honorable mention selection for the Broncos and was taken by Washington in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

2. Scott Matlock, fullback, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers fullback Scott Matlock. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh’s favorite players, Matlock starts at fullback for the Chargers while getting snaps on the defensive line. Matlock has four receptions for 28 yards and 15 total tackles this season. 

“He’s just all about his business, all about the work, all about the team,” Harbaugh said of the unique two-way player. “A lot of what he does, like a lot of leaders, it’s not about what they say, it’s about what they do.”

A Boise native, Matlock starred for nearby Homedale High School before joining the Broncos in 2018. Matlock received all-MWC recognition on the defensive line following each of his final three seasons in Boise and was a sixth-round selection by the Chargers in 2023. 

The Chargers will face the Houston Texans on Saturday in the NFL playoffs opener. 

3. Jeremy McNichols, running back, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols. / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Washington’s No. 3 running back behind Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, McNichols regularly shares the field with Bates. 

McNichols, a seventh-year NFL veteran who was drafted in the fifth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017, has a career-high 55 carries for 261 yards and four touchdowns this season. 

McNichols signed with Boise State as a three-star wide receiver prospect in 2014 out of Southern California’s Santa Margarita High School. He was a two-time second-team all-MWC selection.

4. Khalil Shakir, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Shakir is having a third-year breakout season as Josh Allen’s No. 1 option. In 15 regular-season games, Shakir caught 76 passes for 821 yards and four touchdowns.

“You watch anything that he does when he doesn’t even have the ball, he’s flying to the ball, he’s making an extra block, he’s following it just in case someone fumbles,” Allen said of Shakir. “He does things the right way, and he’s so fun to throw to.”

Shakir signed with Boise State in 2018 as a four-star prospect coming out of Southern California’s Vista Murrieta High School. Shakir earned first-team all-MWC honors his final two seasons in Boise and was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 draft by the Bills. 

Buffalo hosts the Denver Broncos and JL Skinner on Sunday.

5. JL Skinner, safety, Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos safety JL Skinner. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Skinner is a backup safety for the Broncos, who rank third in the NFL at 18.3 points allowed per game. 

Skinner appeared in two games during his rookie season and has notched nine total tackles and a fumble recovery this year. 

Rated a four-star prospect from San Diego’s Point Loma High School, Skinner was a four-year standout for the Broncos who garnered first-team all-MWC honors as a senior. The Broncos drafted Skinner in the sixth round in 2023.

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