Boise State 2012 Recruiting

2011 Boise State Broncos ... Head Coach: Chris Petersen

Boise State Broncos

2011 Record: 12-1

Sep. 3 Georgia (in Atl.) W 35-21
Sep. 10 OPEN DATE
Sep. 17 at Toledo W 40-15
Sep. 24 Tulsa W 41-21
Oct. 1 Nevada W 30-10
Oct. 8 at Fresno State W 57-7
Oct. 15 at Colorado St W 63-13
Oct. 22 Air Force W 37-26
Oct. 29 OPEN DATE
Nov. 5 at UNLV
Nov. 12 TCU L 36-35
Nov. 19 at San Diego St W 52-35
Nov. 26 Wyoming W 36-14
Dec. 3 New Mexico W 45-0
MAACO LAS VEGAS BOWL
Dec. 22 Arizona State W 56-24

2010 CFN Prediction: 11-1
2010 Record: 12-1

Sept. 6 at Virginia Tech W 33-30
Sept. 11 OPEN DATE
Sept. 18 at Wyoming W 51-6
Sept. 25 Oregon State W 37-24
Oct. 2 at NMSU W 59-0
Oct. 9 Toledo W 57-14
Oct. 16 at San Jose St W 48-0
Oct. 26 Louisiana Tech W 49-20
Nov. 6 Hawaii W 42-7
Nov. 12 at Idaho W 52-14
Nov. 19 Fresno State W 51-0
Nov. 27 at Nevada L 34-31 OT
Dec. 4 Utah State W 50-14
LAS VEGAS BOWL
Dec. 23 Utah 26-3
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Boise State Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. LB Ben Weaver
6-1, 225, Scout.com 25th ranked, and three-star middle linebacker.

2. QB Nick Patti
5-11, 185, Scout.com 39th ranked, three-star quarterbacks.

3. LB Christopher Santini
6-1, 208, Scout.com 42nd ranked, three –star outside linebacker.

4. RB Jack Fields
5-10, 200, Scout.com 54th ranked, three-star running back.

5. OG Travis Averill
6-4, 280, Scout.com 35th ranked, three-star guard.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... The Broncos could use a few defensive linemen, or else next year will have to focus mostly on the front four. Quarterback has been addressed over the last few classes, and receivers are in place for the future. Linebacker might turn out to be the strength with a little bit of time, while the stars of the class will be for the secondary.

Team Concerns For 2012: Defensive line. Considering all four starters are gone and a few good backups are also bolting, there might be some push at the last second to see if some warm bodies can come in to provide a little bit of help. Of course, all eyes will be on Joe Southwick and Grant Hedrick to see if either one can come close to being another Kellen Moore. RB D.J. Harper is getting another year, and he has to prove he can handle Doug Martin’s workload.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: Is it time to doubt Boise State now that Kellen Moore is finally gone? The Broncos aren’t off to the Big East until next year, and they’ll need the year to rebuild and reload with Joe Southwick and Grant Hedrick battling to take over for Moore. The running game also takes a hit with Doug Martin and D.J. Harper done, while star tackle Nate Potter and two other starters up front are gone. Only one starter – corner Lee Hightower – is back on defense.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Defensive front seven. How much impact has Boise State’s move to the Mountain West had on recruiting? Yawwwwwwn. Down the road, the move up might matter a little bit, but it didn’t do much this year with a good class, but not an elite one. However, JUCO transfer safety Dextrell Simmons is a special prospect and corner Eric Agbaroji is a nice pickup for the secondary. The strength is on the defensive front, including linebacker Blake Renaud for the middle, with tackle Jeff Worthy and ends Sam Ukwachu and Robert Ash all expected to be rocks over the next several years.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 94. That Class Was Heavy On ... Quality over quantity. There simply weren't any spots to fill, and it showed with a light class. However, the players brought in were good ones highlighted by big receiver Matt Miller, QB Grant Hedrick, who won't be in the mix until at least 2013, and corner Bryan Douglas, the next great Bronco shut-down defender. This year's defensive line didn't need a whole bunch of work, but it got a little boost from JUCO transfer Tyrone Crawford, a speed rusher for the outside.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 62. That Class Was Heavy On ... Linebacker. While the Broncos were able to come up with a little something for several spots, the stars are at linebacker where John Michael Davis and Allen Mooney were two tremendous gets, while Gabe Linehan should be excellent with a little time in the weight room. This is the Boise State 2013 starting linebacking corps. Two good quarterbacks, Joe Southwick and Mikey Tamburo, were also signed to develop until Kellen Moore is done.

Dec. 22 Boise State 56 … Arizona State 24
- CFN Thoughts on the Game

Boise State: The Broncos scored three non-offensive touchdowns. … Kellen Moore completed 25-of-33 passes for 269 yards and two scores and two picks. … Doug Martin ran 31 times for 151 yards and a score, and returned two kicks for 124 yards and a score. … WR Mitch Burroughs caught four passes for 59 yards.

Arizona State: The Sun Devils were stopped for -11 yards on 21 carries. … Brock Osweiler completed 30-of-47 passes for 395 yards and two scores with a pick. … Gerrell Robinson caught 13 passes for 241 yards and a score.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Doug Martin rushed for 151 yards and returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, giving No. 8 Boise State a lead 14 seconds into the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas on the way to a 56-24 win Thursday night.

Arizona State (6-7) never seriously threatened the Broncos (12-1), even though Boise State had three turnovers and allowed a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Sun Devils to start the second half.

Arizona State missed on several opportunities to make the game closer, wasting a bowl-record 241-yard receiving effort by Gerell Robinson, who caught a touchdown in the fourth quarter after the Broncos had already scored 49 points.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore - the NCAA's winningest player at the position - played well enough in his last college game to keep his team scoring, despite some missteps. He finished with 266 yards and two touchdowns, plus two interceptions and a fumble in a game that capped his college career with 50 total wins.

Martin finished with 301 all-purpose yards, breaking a bowl record set in 1997 by Air Force's Pat Johnson. His touchdown return also set a record for the longest kickoff return in MAACO Bowl history. It was the first time the opening kickoff had been returned for a score in any bowl game since Ted Ginn Jr. did it in the 2007 BCS title game.

The most costly mistake for Arizona State came in the third quarter, as the Sun Devils tried to capitalize on a fumble by Moore - his third turnover of the game. The Sun Devils drove 49 yards to Boise State's 1-yard line, but quarterback Brock Osweiler's fourth-down pass was intercepted by Jamar Taylor, who returned it for a touchdown to make the score 35-10.

Moments before the play, Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson tried to call a timeout as his team was late to the line of scrimmage, but his attempts weren't acknowledged by the referees.

"I should have just called a timeout," said Osweiler, who threw for 390 yards with two touchdowns in defeat.

Osweiler said his team had some confusion before the play, with the wrong players on the field and a delay in communicating what they wanted to do.

The Broncos led 28-3 at halftime with Martin's kick return, Moore's passing touchdowns and another by wide receiver Matt Miller on a trick play in the second quarter.

Arizona State didn't score after its first interception and failed to pick off a lofty, poorly-aimed toss from Moore's brother, receiver Kirby Moore, that hit a Sun Devils defender in the chest during a trick play. Boise State scored its fourth touchdown later in the drive.

Erickson was coaching his last game for Arizona State, which let him go in November after the Sun Devils finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak.

Erickson said he doesn't think his career is finished.

"I'll be involved in football some way - I'm not sure exactly what," he said.

Nov. 26 at Boise State 36 … Wyoming 14  

Nov. 19 Boise State 52 … at San Diego State 35

Nov. 12 TCU 36 … at Boise State 35
CFN Analysis: The Broncos didn’t have Doug Martin. They missed a game-winning field goal, and they gave away a late fumble that led to TCU’s game-winning touchdown drive. There are a lot of excuses, but the Broncos lost because they couldn’t stop Casey Pachall and the TCU passing game. TCU’s receivers were better than Boise State’s defensive backs. … This was coming. Boise State was playing worse instead of better over the last few weeks, but it still had plenty of chances to win. … Kellen Moore was fantastic, as always, completing 28-of-38 passes for 320 yards and two scores. … D.J. Harper ran well in place of Martin, running 24 times for 125 yards and two scores. … Once again, Boise State is going to miss the BCS because of a missed kick, but watch out for the game next week at San Diego State. There could be just as many problems on defense.

Nov. 5 Boise State 48 … at UNLV 21

Oct. 22 at Boise State 37 … Air Force 26
CFN Analysis: This might have been a shaky performance considering how much Air Force has struggled, but Kellen Moore had another great day, outside of a pick, and the team withstood the big day from the Falcon running game. Byron Hout came up with 18 tackles against the option attack and George Iloka made 12, but the defensive front couldn’t get to the backfield before the plays could get started and the Broncos got killed in time of possession. Call this an aberration and next week everything will get back on track against UNLV, but in terms of public perception, this might as well have been a loss. A blowout over TCU will be a must in a few weeks to have any hope of getting back in the national title argument.   

Oct. 15 Boise State 63 … at Colorado State 13
CFN Analysis: Welcome to the Mountain West. Boise State was unstoppable from the start on the road against a not-that-bad team with Kellen Moore pitching a near-perfect game completing 26-of-30 passes for 338 yards and four scores. Doug Martin was brilliant, running 20 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and Tyler Shoemaker was the big play target the attack’s been missing at times. It all starts with the offensive line that’s giving Moore plenty of time to work, but overall this is a machine that’s not going to be stopped the rest of the way. Boise State is getting better and better, but the pollsters don’t seem to care. 

Oct. 7 Boise State 57 … at Fresno State 7
CFN Analysis: This was Boise State’s last ESPN national showcase, and for those who weren’t busy watching Chris Carpenter’s magnum opus against Philadelphia, this was the type of dominant stomping the team needed to come up with. Not only was Kellen Moore back on track after a mediocre performance last week against Nevada, but now the offense has a big-time weapon ready to be a star with Geraldo Boldewijn back after serving a four-game suspension. Moore was sharp, and he would’ve been even better than 23-of-31 for 254 yards and three scores if Boldewijn had hung on to a sure-thing touchdown catch early on.  

Oct. 1 at Boise State 30 ... Nevada 10
CFN Analysis: It was hardly a sharp game, but the Broncos can be bad and still win by 20. Kellen Moore, shock of shocks, threw two picks and the passing game only came up with 160 yards, but the defense took care of this one stuffing the vaunted Nevada attack for just 59 yards. This was defensive domination in a bigger romp than the final score might indicate. Doug Martin broke out with 126 yards and two scores, there weren’t any concerns with missed field goals, and the defense camped out in the backfield with 14 tackles for loss. It’s not like the Broncos are going through the motions, but they’re making beating up on mediocre teams look routine.  

Sept. 24 at Boise State 41 … Tulsa 21
CFN Analysis: It was a bigger blowout and an easier game than the final score might indicate. Boise State was in control from the start with Tulsa’s points coming in garbage time late. Kellen Moore was nearly perfect completing 23-of-29 passes for 279 yards and four scores, and while the running game wasn’t great, it was good enough early on to get by. The Broncos won the field position battle with a nice day from punter Brad Elkin, putting three kicks inside the 20, and the defense kept the high-powered Golden Hurricane offense under wraps. The road games at Fresno State and Colorado State will be interesting but Boise State is going through the motions right now and still winning easily.  

Sept. 16 Boise State 40 … at Toledo 15 …
CFN Analysis: Remember, this is a Toledo team that gave Ohio State everything it could handle in Columbus last week. The Rockets were fired up, they came up with a big play early, and they had the momentum at times, but Kellen Moore was Kellen Moore, carving up the Toledo secondary for 455 yards and five touchdowns. For the second straight game, the question of how the offense was going to go on without Titus Young or Austin Pettis was answered by Moore and his ability to spread the ball around. Nine different receivers caught passes, and while Tyler Shoemaker was the big scorer with three touchdowns, the distribution was almost equal. The Bronco secondary was a little loose, and the back seven missed a slew of tackles, but it was a dominant road win over a team good enough to win the MAC. 

Sept. 3 Boise State 35 … Georgia 21
CFN Analysis: Kellen Moore was throwing darts. He overcame an early interception to finish hitting 28-of-34 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, showing that there really is life without Austin Pettis and Titus Young. Once again, though, the offense will get all the credit, but the defensive line was one of the biggest keys to the big win stuffing Georgia for 57 rushing yards outside of the early 80-yard Brandon Boykin touchdown dash. Shea McClellin dominated the Georgia offensive front finishing with a team-leading seven tackles and 2.5 sacks, and the rest of the defense did its part with six sacks and several pressures. This was Moore’s game, though, as he showed off the type of accuracy that made Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl champions. 

The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On … Defensive front seven. How much impact has Boise State’s move to the Mountain West had on recruiting? Yawwwwwwn. Down the road, the move up might matter a little bit, but it didn’t do much this year with a good class, but not an elite one. However, JUCO transfer safety Dextrell Simmons is a special prospect and corner Eric Agbaroji is a nice pickup for the secondary. The strength is on the defensive front, including linebacker Blake Renaud for the middle, with tackle Jeff Worthy and ends Sam Ukwachu and Robert Ash all expected to be rocks over the next several years.

Five Boise State Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. S Dextrell Simmons
6-0, 210. Four-star JUCO transfer from Blinn College in Texas. Offers from Houston and Colorado State.

2. LB Blake Renaud
6-2, 230, Scout.com’s 20th ranked middle linebacker. A three-star prospect.

3. QB Jimmy Laughrea
Laughrea has relatively good size at 6-3. He seems to have a good throwing motion but on his longer throws, seems to push the ball instead of whipping it around and throwing through the ball. He has good footwork and good athleticism. He is able to take off running. He makes good decisions with the football, knowing when to tuck it and run and when to keep the play alive as a thrower. Laughrea is an accurate quarterback.

4. DE Samuel Ukwuachu
6-5, 200, Scout.com’s 40th ranked defensive end

5. DT Jeff Worthy
Despite playing at a smaller school, has dominated at the prep level and at several camps. Well put together, and lean, has the frame to add more weight but keep his athleticism and speed off the ball.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Eric Agbaroji DB 6-1 195 Midlothian, Texas/Midlothian HS
Jay Ajayi RB 6-0 208 Plano, Texas/Frisco Liberty HS
Robert Ash DL 6-3 262 Elk Grove, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks HS
Corey Bell NB 5-11 200 Boise, Idaho/Capital HS
Dallas Burroughs WR 5-9 170 Meridian, Idaho/Rocky Mountain HS
Marcus Henry OL 6-2 280 Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue HS
Lee Hightower DB 6-1 170 Inglewood, Calif./Loyola HS
Rees Odhiambo OL 6-4 296 Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield Legacy HS
Jimmy Laughrea QB 6-2 197 Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin HS
Taylor Loffler S 6-4 200 Kelowna, British Columbia/Kelowna Secondary School
Dillon Lukehart LB 6-0 200 Eagle, Idaho/Eagle HS
Hayden Plinke TE 6-4 230 Hillsboro, Ore./Glencoe HS
Blake Renaud LB 6-2 235 Concord, Calif./De La Salle HS
Adam Sheffield OL 6-4 300 San Jose, Calif./Branham HS
Dextrell Simmons NB 5-10 205 Houston, Texas/Blinn JC
Darian Thompson DB 6-1 180 Lancaster, Calif./Paraclete HS
Samuel Ukwuachu DE 6-5 210 Pearland, Texas/Pearland High School
Jake Van Ginkel PK 6-0 175 Upland, Calif./Upland HS
Jeffrey Worthy DT 6-4 285 La Mirada, Calif./Whittier Christian HS; La Habra, Calif.