One Boise State football position battle that has already taken an interesting turn

Several position battles are ongoing at Boise State fall camp, which began last week.

The Broncos return 11 starters (six offense, five defense) from last year’s team that captured a third straight Mountain West title and finished 9-5 overall. Boise State will go for a fourth consecutive conference championship this fall in Year 1 of the reborn Pac-12.

One of the biggest competitions is at wide receiver where the Broncos lost Latrell Caples (51 catches, 617 yards, three touchdowns), Chris Marshall (30 catches, 574 yards, two TDs) and Chase Penry (30 catches, 394 yards, one TD). Caples and Penry both exhausted their eligibility while Marshall transferred to Arkansas.

Despite the lack of returning production, head coach Spencer Danielson has spoken optimistically about the receiver room since spring practice. Danielson offered more praise for the group during his pre-camp press conference.

“I like our receiver room,” the coach said last week. “I’m really excited about who they can be.”

Coming off a middling sophomore season, Cam Bates is emerging as a potential leader among the receivers. Bates has made several highlight catches in practice and is one of the fastest players on the team.

“He’s a football guy,” Danielson previously said of Bates. “Cam Bates has had games where he doesn’t get the ball and I’ve yet to see him have a bad attitude. … He’s so focused on the team, so focused on getting better.

“He is a no-bad-days, anything-for-the-team guy. And he has stepped up in his leadership with the receiver group, and it’s been so cool to see.”

A three-star prospect coming out of Texas’ Mansfield Timberview High School, Bates signed with the Broncos in December 2023 over reported offers from Sam Houston, Texas Tech and Toledo. He was rated the No. 168 wide receiver recruit nationally and the No. 186 overall player in Texas in the 247Sports class of 2024 composite rankings.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Bates caught nine passes for 67 yards with a rushing touchdown as a true freshman and finished last year with 17 catches for 302 yards and one TD. He added six carries for 78 yards and two TDs on the ground.

Bates is on track to lock up a starting spot, and sixth-year senior Ben Ford could snag another.

Ford, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury last October, returned to the practice field in a limited capacity on Monday. His status for Week 1 against Oregon remains up in the air.

In seven games last season, Ford caught 21 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns.

Danielson has also highlighted returnees Quinton Brown and Qumonte Williams Jr., transfers Darren Morris and Akeem Wright and true freshman Rasean Jones as early standouts.

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