Boise State lands versatile Big 12 offensive lineman with 9 career starts

Boise State turned to the transfer portal to add more reinforcement for the trenches on Thursday.

Texas Tech offensive lineman Ethan Carde announced on Twitter that he’s joining the Broncos for his final season of eligibility.

Boise State added former Virginia Tech center Nikolai Bujnowski, who is joining the team as a walk-on, and former Iowa State defensive tackle Howard Brown in the past two weeks.

Carde, who will join the team as a graduate transfer, played in 29 games in three seasons with the Red Raiders, starting nine times. The 6-foot-8, 320-pound native of Valrico, Florida, started seven games at left tackle in 2020 and made two starts in 2021 — one at right guard and one at left tackle.

Carde, who spent the 2019 season at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, played in 12 games last season, serving as a backup at guard and tackle.

Boise State returns four starters on the offensive line this season.

Washington State transfer Cade Beresford started 13 games at right tackle last season and could replace John Ojukwu at left tackle this year. Garrett Curran and Ben Dooley have started games at guard and tackle during their careers, and redshirt sophomore Mason Randolph started 10 games at right guard last season.

Carde could have a shot to compete for the starting spot at right tackle when fall camp begins in August.

The Broncos’ coaching staff also saw the value a versatile backup adds on the line while working with another Texas Tech transfer the past two seasons. Will Farrar joined the team in 2021 and ended up starting games at both guard and center. He’s now an offensive graduate assistant for the Broncos.