Will Boise State’s defensive front, pass rush rebound in 2026?

Boise State Broncos On SI handed out grades to each position group on offense.

Here are the unit grades for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and the offensive line.

We will now move on to the defensive side of the ball with a look at Boise State’s defensive line.

Defensive line

Outside of NFL-bound defensive tackle Braxton Fely, the Broncos return most of their impact players up front.

The defensive line will once again be led by edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan, a two-time all-Mountain West performer. Virgin-Morgan notched 56 total tackles (13 for loss), six sacks and two forced fumbles in 2025. He also had a team-best 10 sacks as a sophomore the previous season.

Boise State’s pass rush dipped from a nation-leading 55 sacks in 2024 to 27 last year. Virgin-Morgan wants to see the Broncos apply more pressure to opposing quarterbacks in 2026.

“I think one big thing, especially for my position group, is just being able to really get off the ball and use whatever moves we’re taught,” Virgin-Morgan said of the team’s pass rush during spring practice. “I think being able to win your one-on-ones, especially across the defense, is going to be super important for us.”

Virgin-Morgan will get some support on the edge from Roman Caywood, a redshirt sophomore who appeared in 13 games last year. Caywood has received praise from the coaching staff since the end of last season.

“He just wants to grow,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said of Caywood during the spring. “He’s got his own group chat prior to spring ball that he had his own mobility and stretch sessions at like 5 a.m. for anyone who wants to be here. … He just wants to help the team and he’s going to do it because he’s on a mission to be an elite football player, and he’s going to bring people with him.”

Senior Max Stege started all 14 games last year at defensive end and tallied 27 total tackles (seven for loss). Stege is listed as an edge rusher on the 2026 roster.

In the interior, senior David Latu, junior Michael Madrie and sophomore Lopez Sanusi all played significant snaps a season ago. The Broncos also brought in Central Washington transfer Mikaio Edward, who notched 41 total tackles and seven sacks last year at the Division II level.

Final unit grade: B

Closing analysis: With two returning full-time starters up front and several rotation players back in the fold, Boise State’s defensive line should be a solid unit in 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google