Boise State’s Spencer Danielson: ‘I believe we develop people better than anywhere else in the country’

Homegrown Broncos eye third straight Mountain West title

Boise State Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson and running back Ashton Jeanty. | Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

Boise State placed 10 players on the preseason all-Mountain West team. 

Of the 10 selections, nine began their college careers at Boise State. The one who didn’t — senior cornerback A’Marion McCoy — was a junior college transfer who is entering his third season with the Broncos. 

“I believe we develop people better than anywhere else in the country,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said during Mountain West football media days. “That’s our one thing. There’s maybe something else that someone else is better at than us, absolutely. But that’s the thing that we believe in, and Ashton (Jeanty) believed in it. He believed ‘I can be developed here and achieve everything I want from this game right here at Boise State.’ And you can see the rest of our team start to feel that same way. 

“There’s a lot of guys on our team this year — Kage Casey, Jayden Virgin-Morgan — that could’ve left for whatever. But they believe in how they’re developed here. And a big part is they know they’re loved and cared for way more than just as Boise State football players. That’s a legacy that Ashton Jeanty left.”

Jeanty turned down massive NIL money last offseason to stay at Boise State. He ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting as the Broncos made the College Football Playoff.

Jeanty was selected sixth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

“There’s a legacy there from Ashton Jeanty, and others, that show you can have it all at Boise State,” Danielson said. “You don’t need to transfer and maybe chase what the outside is telling you to do because of money or fill in the blank. You can do it here.”

Boise State was picked to win the MWC in the preseason media poll. 

Here is the full 2025 preseason all-MWC team:

Offense

QB: Maddux Madsen, Jr., Boise State

WR: Latrell Caples, Gr., Boise State

WR: Pofele Ashlock, Jr., Hawaii

WR: Nick Cenacle, Sr., Hawaii

RB: Scottre Humphrey, Jr., New Mexico

RB: Jai’Den Thomas, Jr., UNLV

OL: Kage Casey, Jr., Boise State

OL: Mason Randolph, Sr., Boise State

OL: Peseti Lapuaho, Sr., San Jose State

OL: Caden Barnett, Sr., Wyoming

OL: Jack Walsh, Sr., Wyoming

TE: Matt Lauter, Sr., Boise State

Defense 

DL: Braxton Fely, Sr., Boise State

DL: Jayden Virgin-Morgan, Jr., Boise State

DL: Trey White, Jr., San Diego State

DL: Gafa Faga, Sr., San Jose State

LB: Marco Notarainni, Sr., Boise State

LB: Tano Letuli, Jr., San Diego State

LB: Jordan Pollard, Sr., San Jose State

LB: Marsel McDuffie, Sr., UNLV

DB: Ty Benefield, Jr., Boise State

DB: A’Marion McCoy, Gr., Boise State

DB: Al’zillion Hamilton, Sr., Fresno State

DB: Ike Larsen, Sr., Utah State

Specialists 

P: Luke Freer, Sr., Air Force

PK: Gabe Plascencia, Sr., San Diego State

PR: Marcus Bellon, Sr., Nevada

KR: Abraham Williams, Sr., New Mexico