Every position battle that will define Boise State’s first Pac-12 season

Broncos enter fall camp with questions at wide receiver, defensive line, cornerback

Boise State Broncos wide receiver Ben Ford. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boise State will have several new starters on both sides of the ball during Year 1 of the new Pac-12. 

The rebuilt eight-team football conference will feature holdovers Oregon State and Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State of the Mountain West and Texas State of the Sun Belt. 

With fall camp approaching, here are the three position battles that will define Boise State’s first season in the new Pac-12. 

Wide receiver

The Broncos must find replacements for their three most productive receivers from last year’s team. 

Leading receiver Latrell Caples (51 catches, 617 yards, three touchdowns) and possession receiver Chase Penry (30 catches, 394 yards, one TD) exhausted their eligibility in 2025 while big-play threat Chris Marshall (30 catches, 574 yards, two TDs) transferred to Arkansas for his final college season. 

The most exciting receiver on the roster is true freshman Rasean Jones, who starred from Day 1 of spring practice. Jones amassed 974 yards of offense and scored 14 total touchdowns with five interceptions on defense during his senior season for Idaho power Rocky Mountain High School.

Jones is considered a strong candidate to start at X receiver alongside returnees Cam Bates (17 catches, 302 yards, one TD) at Z receiver and Ben Ford (21 catches, 325 yards, five TDs) in the slot. Ford is coming off a torn ACL but is expected to be ready for opening week. 

Transfers Darren Morris (Southern University) and Akeem Wright (De Anza College) will also be vying for starting roles. Returnees Quinton Brown and Qumonte Williams Jr. could also emerge as important targets for senior quarterback Maddux Madsen. 

Interior defensive line

The Broncos should be strong on the edges in 2026 with Jayden Virgin-Morgan, Max Stege, Roman Caywood and others holding down the fort, but Boise State’s interior defensive line has some questions to answer. 

David Latu appeared in 12 games with six starts a season ago and notched nine total tackles (three for loss). Fellow returnees Michael Madrie (12 total tackles) and Lopez Sanusi (13 total tackles) were also in the rotation last year. 

Boise State is expecting big things from transfer Mikaio Edward, who recorded 41 total tackles (nine for loss) with seven sacks during his sophomore season at Central Washington. 

The Broncos need Edward, Latu, Madrie and Sanusi to remain healthy. The depth behind those four is arguably the team’s biggest question mark entering fall camp. 

Cornerback

After losing all-MWC performers Jeremiah Earby and A’Marion McCoy to graduation, Boise State has some reshuffling to do in the secondary. 

Jaden Mickey started 11 games at nickelback last season and is expected to slide over to corner. Mickey is a coverage specialist who tallied 38 total tackles as a junior. 

There will be a wide-open competition for the other starting spot at corner between Kennesaw State transfer JeRico Washington Jr. and returnees Sherrod Smith, Demetrius Freeney Jr. and Franklyn Johnson Jr.

Washington Jr. picked off five passes in three seasons at Kennesaw State and has received praise from first-year defensive backs coach Terrence Brown. Smith made two starts last year and mostly excelled in coverage.