A pivotal offseason for Boise State
Boise State finished the 2025 campaign with a 9‑5 record, a season that included three straight Mountain West titles but also exposed vulnerabilities that could define the program’s next chapter. The Broncos averaged just 7.6 points scored and allowed 29.4 points in their five losses, underscoring the need for improvement on both sides of the ball.
Offensive coordinator Nate Potter, who took over after Dirk Koetter shifted to an analyst role, has pledged to build on the yardage gains of last year while ironing out red‑zone inefficiencies, turnover spikes and penalty patterns that plagued the Broncos in their defeats. The return of quarterback Maddux Madsen, along with running backs Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, is expected to bring greater consistency and resilience to the offense.
The receiving corps, which led the Mountain West in dropped passes a year ago, has been overhauled with the addition of transfers Darren Morris, Akeem Wright and Rasean Jones, joining holdovers Cam Bates and Ben Ford in hopes of restoring reliability and expanding the passing game.
Defensively, the Broncos’ pass rush, which topped the nation with 55 sacks in 2024, fell to 27 last season and recorded no sacks in three of the losses; this year the unit hopes to rebound with experienced rushers like Jayden Virgin‑Morgan, Roman Caywood, Bol Bol and emerging talent Jaden Williams, while defensive end Max Stege aims to add pressure.
What to watch
Fans will be watching how quickly the new pieces click, especially as the schedule tests Boise State against familiar Mountain West foes and non‑conference opponents that could gauge the team’s progress toward another title run.