Five thoughts as Boise State ends spring practices

BOISE — Spring is over for the Boise State football team. Focus can now start to turn to the 2024 season.

The Broncos wrapped up their 15 allowed spring practices on Saturday with the defense beating the offense 47-29 in the Spring Game, a result which will largely be forgotten about by fans by the time the team takes the field in Statesboro, Georgia, over Labor Day weekend to take on Georgia Southern.

But while nothing from Saturday will go on official record books, it gave fans a glance at what the team could look like come fall. Here are some thoughts and takeaways from the Spring Game and spring in general.

NELSON CAN MOVE THE OFFENSE

USC transfer Malachi Nelson was the most effective quarterback to play in the Spring Game, and it really wasn’t close.

Nelson had 137 yards on 9 of 16 passing and led the offense on three of its four scoring drives. He had a nicely placed 32-yard touchdown pass to Chase Penry, who was able to get to the ball despite having two defenders on him. On the next drive, he had long passes to Latrell Caples and Prince Strachan, which set up a 16-yard touchdown run by Ashton Jeanty.

“From where he’s at in the Spring Game and what we were able to see today from where he was at practice one, there’s been a lot of growth and development,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “It wasn’t perfect today, there’s a lot to clean up, but he made some big throws. He’s done a really good job of escaping the pocket using his feet, but there’s still a lot of development that needs to happen.”

Nelson will likely go into spring practice in a battle for the starting quarterback job with Maddux Madsen, who was limited in the spring while recovering from an MCL and PCL tear and did not play in the spring game.

JAKE RIPP WILL BE A BREAKOUT PLAYER

Get ready to learn the name Jake Ripp.

The Boise State linebacker saw his role increase in the spring with an injury to Marco Notarainni and used it to show why he should be included in the regular rotation on the Bronco defense this fall.

He was tied for the team lead in the spring game with four tackles, including a sack of Colt Fulton that was followed by a sack by Andrew Simpson to force a three-and-out.

Ripp, who had 12 tackles in limited playing time last season, impressed coaches all spring with his play at middle linebacker.

Simpson and Notarianni figure to be the ones leading the linebacker group this fall, but expect to see Ripp in an increased role, and don’t be surprised when he becomes an impact player on the field.

“I’m excited for him to see what he’s going to do this year,” said Simpson. “He took a lot of strides and I feel like every offseason cycle he’s getting bigger and bigger, more confident and more vocal. He’s just happy to be out there and somebody that we need to take a step.”

DON’T FORGET ABOUT GABE HUNTER

One name barely mentioned this spring and last season — if at all — was Gabe Hunter.

But on the first drive of the game, Hunter intercepted a CJ Tiller pass and returned it 33 yards.

Hunter started at edge four of Boise State’s last five games of the 2022 season and had a goal-line interception against Colorado State and another red zone pick in the fourth quarter against Utah State to help seal the win.

But injuries last season limited him to just two games, in which he didn’t record any stats.

But with his one play early in the spring game, he sent the message to fans: Remember me?

“Gabe’s always been reliable,” said Simpson. “Even at times two years ago when he did play, it wasn’t expected, he was just ready when his number was called. Now we just have so much depth at so many different positions it feels like. But Gabe’s a guy that can really do his job and we can depend on if his number’s called.”

WHERE WERE THE TIGHT ENDS?

All spring we heard from Danielson and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter how important it was to get Matt Lauter and the tight ends involved in the offense.

But take a look at that stat sheet after the game and you won’t find Lauter’s name, or any of the other tight ends.

Boise State’s offense did not complete a single pass to the tight ends in any of its 16 drives.

Perhaps, it’s a bit of gamesmanship by Koetter, though. We know Koetter isn’t afraid to use tight ends; he’s coached Tony Gonzalez and Austin Hooper in the NFL. So maybe Boise State is not trying to give too much away with what it is planning on doing with the tight ends come fall.

CFP IS THE GOAL

Boise State players have made no secret about it throughout the spring: They have their eyes on grabbing a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff.

With the CFP expanding to 12 teams and giving the five highest-ranked conference champions automatic bids, access to the field gives the Broncos a chance to do something that has never been done in program history.

With an experienced defense, a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back and some highly touted recruits, expectations at Boise State are the highest they’ve been since Kellen Moore was slinging passes for the Broncos.

“Everybody knows that we have a shot to go there,” said Simpson. “With a good season we can be there in the playoffs. But when you come to Boise, a championship is kind of expected here. I knew that I wasn’t going to walk out of Boise without a championship and that’s what we sell to every recruit that wants to come here. That’s the standard that we have set and we’re going into new territory that we haven’t seen with the 12-team playoffs. Ultimately, the highest goal for me is a national championship, if we can. But that’s just the mentality you got to have as a team.”