Boise State opens the 2025 season with plenty of questions and plenty of potential.
With a reshaped roster ready to prove itself, the attention turns to the players who have the opportunity to step into larger roles and emerge as key contributors this fall.
Bob Behler, longtime play-by-play voice of both Boise State football and men’s basketball, believes the key to Boise State’s sustained success lies in continuity. Most of the roster, he pointed out, is homegrown — players who have developed within the program rather than being brought in as quick fixes.
That continuity was put to the test last year when two starting offensive linemen, Mason Randolph and Roger Carreon, experienced long-term injuries early in the season. Randolph was held out due to an upper body injury while Carreon, who shortly went down after him, suffered a serious leg injury.
While many teams would have crumbled, Boise State stayed competitive.
“This roster is deep. Not just with starters you trust, but backups who can play too,” Behler said. “Even last year when two starting offensive linemen went down early, they still found ways to compete.”
Much of Boise State’s offense will run through quarterback Maddux Madsen, who enters the fall season with a stronger command of the offensive scheme and more confidence in his game.
Madsen spent the offseason fine-tuning accuracy, and upcoming games will most likely feature Madsen attacking defenses from different angles and taking more calculated risks.
“I want to be more aggressive this year by taking big shots and throwing the ball downfield,” Madsen said.
Behler views those qualities as a pivotal stage for the junior quarterback. He calls Madsen a winner; someone who knows how to orchestrate an offense and bring the right energy to the huddle.
One of the biggest questions on offense is who will emerge as Madsen’s go-to target?
Wide receiver Chris Marshall hopes to be that player. After an injury-plagued 2024, he enters the new season healthy, confident and ready to make an impact.
“Last year was frustrating because [my] injuries held me back,” Marshall said. “I’m going to have a monster year. Just watch, you’ll see a lot of me this year.”
Marshall and Madsen have spent the offseason building chemistry, something both believe will pay off in live action. If Marshall’s strong camp performance carries over, the receiving corps could be far more dangerous than it looks on paper.
The Broncos’ running game will look different without Ashton Jeanty, but the plan isn’t to find one replacement to create a major impact — it’s to spread the workload. Behler expects carries to be shared among four backs: Sire Gaines, Malik Sherrod, Dylan Riley and Jambres “Breezy” Dubar. Each back brings a different style to the run game, giving Offensive Coordinator Nate Potter flexibility in how he attacks defenses.
That flexibility has caught the attention of the fan base as well.
“I think the students are excited to see Sire Gaines this year,” said Aleia Peterson, president of The Corral, Boise State’s student section. “He has big shoes to fill with Jeanty being gone, but I really think people are going to pay attention to the running backs this year.”
That depth should also help keep everyone fresh late in games, an advantage the Broncos hope will pay off in the fourth quarter of tight matchups.
Defensively, Boise State will be looking to replace production in the pass rush while maintaining one of the conference’s top run defenses. Whoever lines up opposite standout edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan will need to be an immediate contributor.
In the secondary, defensive back A’Marion McCoy is taking on a leadership role and sees plenty of promise in the younger talent. He pointed to defensive back Jaden Mickey as a player with the intelligence and versatility to make plays all over the field.
“He’s a great ball player. He’s got high intelligence in the nickel position. He and Von [Davon Banks] will be great competitors for us this year,” McCoy said. “They can cover lots of ground whether it’s from special teams or on defense.”
Through the early parts of spring, many players entered the transfer portal in search of a better program. Fortunately, Boise State wasn’t hit hard in losses and has held onto most of its core contributors.
Behler says that stability, paired with the program’s “next man up” mentality, is what gives them an edge heading into 2025.
Boise State football’s strength isn’t tied to a single player, it comes from the depth they have built and the standard the team continues to uphold.
With Madsen growing into his role as a veteran leader and the mass of players ready to step up when the time is called, the Broncos are poised to contend for a Mountain West title once again.
