Which Boise State players are up for national honors in 2026?

Eight Broncos and head coach Spencer Danielson are on preseason watch lists

Boise State's Jayden Virgin-Morgan | Boise State Athletics

Coming off three straight Mountain West championships, Boise State is the preseason favorite to win a fourth straight title in Year 1 of the new Pac-12. 

The talented roster includes eight players who have already been selected to national award watch lists for the 2026 season. 

Fifth-year senior quarterback Maddux Madsen headlines the group with nominations for the Maxwell Award (national player of the year) and the Wuerffel Trophy (college football player who best combines community service and leadership on and off the field). Madsen is also on watch lists for the East-West Bowl 1000 and the AFCA Good Works Team (players who make an extraordinary impact in community service, academics, and leadership). 

The 5-foot-10, 207-pound Madsen has made 26 career starts for the Broncos and holds a 20-6 record as a starter. For his career, Madsen is 507 of 834 passing (61 percent) for 6,586 yards with 50 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He has also run for 423 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

Junior running back Dylan Riley is also a Maxwell Award nominee. 

The 5-foot-10, 203-pound Riley had 195 carries for 1,125 yards and 10 touchdowns last season en route to second-team all-MWC honors. He also caught 15 passes for 149 yards and two more TDs. 

Fifth-year senior offensive guard Roger Carreon is up for the Outland Trophy, which goes to the nation’s top interior lineman.

Carreon dealt with injuries all of last season but still made 13 starts at right guard. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Carreon ranked third among Boise State offensive players with 855 snaps logged and earned all-MWC honorable mention. 

Edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan, another fifth-year senior, received nominations for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player of the year) and Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman or linebacker). 

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Virgin-Morgan enters his final season in a Boise State uniform with 120 total tackles (31 for loss), 16 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three pass breakups. He was a two-time all-MWC selection. 

Fifth-year senior defensive back Jaden Mickey is up for the Jim Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back). 

Mickey made 11 starts at nickelback a season ago and tallied 38 total tackles (seven for loss) with five pass breakups. The 6-foot, 185-pound Mickey is expected to slide over to cornerback this fall. 

Fifth-year seniors Matt Wagner (tight end), Daylon Metoyer (offensive tackle), JeRico Washington Jr. (cornerback), Carreon, Virgin-Morgan and Mickey all joined Madsen on the East-West Bowl 1000 watch list. 

For the second straight year, head coach Spencer Danielson is on the preseason watch list for the Dodd Trophy, which is given to the coach who succeeds on the field while also emphasizing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity. 

Boise State will open the 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Oregon at Autzen Stadium.