Will Boise State start freshman QB or savvy lefty in LA Bowl against UCLA on Saturday?

With Taylen Green committed to an SEC team and Maddux Madsen recovering from a torn MCL, Boise State will turn to a freshman quarterback in the LA Bowl on Saturday.

True freshman CJ Tiller is expected to start against UCLA at SoFi Stadium, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said Tuesday.

“CJ is a smart football player and great kid to be around, and he preps his tail off,” Danielson said.

Danielson didn’t rule out the possibility of redshirt sophomore Colt Fulton playing in the game, saying “just like at every position, we have to create competition all the way until kickoff.”

No matter who takes the snaps for Boise State, they will see the first extended playing time of their career on a big stage against the Bruins, who finished the season in 7th place in the Pac-12.

“At end of the day, you prep the entire time you’re here and in high school for these moments,” Danielson said. “There’s going to be nerves and we’ve got to make sure we put them in the right spots and the right situations to be successful.”

Green committed to Arkansas on Monday. He has three years of eligibility remaining, and is immediately eligible to play for the Razorbacks thanks to the NCAA’s one-time transfer rule.

Madsen, who replaced Green as the Broncos’ starter in a 42-14 win over New Mexico on Nov. 11, suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Lobos. The redshirt freshman has had surgery, and Danielson said Tuesday that the team hopes to have him back by the start of fall camp next August.

Tiller joined the Broncos this year as a three-star recruit from Rancho Cucamonga High School in California. He enrolled early and has been on campus since January. He appeared in just one game this season, Boise State’s 45-10 win at Utah State, but he hasn’t attempted a pass.

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Tiller was the first player to join Boise State’s 2023 recruiting class, turning down scholarship offers from San Jose State, Utah State, San Diego State and Northern Arizona. Washington State and Cal offered him a scholarship after he committed to the Broncos.

He began his high school career at Williams Field in Arizona, where he posted 2,458 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in 2021. Tiller transferred to Rancho Cucamonga for his senior year and led the Cougars to a 9-3 record while throwing for 2,154 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound native of Gilbert, Arizona, has been putting his arm talent on display since he stepped on campus, his teammates said.

“His throwing talent is elite,” tight end Riley Smith said on Friday. “He’s young, but he’s picking up the offense and he’s able to operate at a high level.”

“CJ has a killer arm,” defensive tackle Michael Callahan added on Saturday. “He can throw the ball a mile and has a ton of talent.”

Fulton joined the Broncos as a walk-on in 2021. He was one of two quarterbacks who were added to the roster just before the start of fall camp. The 6-4, 200-pound lefty from Rancho Santa Margarita, California, was joined by Colton Fitzgerald, who has since transferred to Georgia Southern.

Fulton appeared in two games last season and eight this year, primarily as the holder on extra point attempts. He did complete a pass to tight end Matt Lauter on a 2-point conversion in the Broncos’ 32-7 win over Wyoming on Oct 28.

Two-point conversions don’t count toward stats, so Fulton hasn’t officially completed a pass in his college career. He’s made his biggest impact behind the scenes.

Fulton was a key part of the Broncos’ scout team early in his career. He has signaled plays in from the sideline during games, and he was a valuable resource at practice and in position meetings for Green, Madsen and former Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier, Smith said.

Bachmeier left Boise State after four games last season. He spent this year at Louisiana Tech and announced Sunday that he will spend his final year of eligibility at Wake Forest.

“Colt has bought into his role, and he’s a really selfless dude,” Smith said. “When you’re teaching and helping somebody else, you’re helping yourself as well.”

Smith began his college career as a quarterback before moving to tight end in 2018. His advice for Tiller and Fulton is to find their voices this week.

“I talked to them about being field generals and being vocal,” he said. “They have been sitting on the back burner and watching others lead, and I told them now it’s their turn.”

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Broncos cancel series

Boise State and East Carolina have agreed to cancel a home-and-home series that was scheduled to begin in Boise in 2026, a spokesperson for Boise State confirmed on Tuesday. The Broncos were supposed to play in Greenville, North Carolina, in 2028.

The cancellation leaves Boise State with just two scheduled nonconference games in 2026 and 2028. The Broncos are scheduled to travel to Oregon and host Memphis in 2026. They’re scheduled to host Cincinnati and Georgia Southern in 2028.

Boise State is scheduled to open next season with an East Coast trip to Georgia Southern, which is in Statesboro. The rest of the Broncos’ 2024 nonconference schedule includes a road game at Oregon and a home contest against Portland State.

They will also face Oregon State — which was already on the schedule as a home game — and now will play Washington State as part of the Mountain West’s scheduling agreement with the remnants of the Pac-12, but dates and times for those games have not been announced.

Edge rusher earns scholarship

Danielson said Tuesday that redshirt junior edge rusher Gabe Hunter was put on full scholarship on Friday.

Hunter joined the Broncos as a walk-on in 2020. He appeared in 10 games last season, starting four of the final five in place of injured teammate Demitri Washington. Hunter posted 15 tackles and snagged the first two interceptions of his career. He has appeared in just two games this season.

“He has worked his tail off since he got here, and he played a lot for us last year,” Danielson said. “We’re so excited to be able to grant him a scholarship that he has earned.”

NOTE

▪ Danielson said Monday that safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Kane Ioane has left the program for another job and will not coach in the LA Bowl. Danielson also said his defensive and offensive coordinators would be announced before the LA Bowl, and no new hires would be announced until after the bowl game.

BOISE STATE VS UCLA

What: Starco Brands Inc. LA Bowl

When: 5:30 p.m. Mountain time, Saturday

Where: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles (70,000)

TV: ABC (Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler, Kayla Burton)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 8-5, 6-2 Mountain West; UCLA 7-5, 4-5 Pac-12

Series: The Broncos and Bruins have played just once before — a 38-7 home win for UCLA in 1999.

Vegas line: UCLA by 2.5 points