This Borah lineman grew up a Boise State fan. Now he’ll suit up for his beloved team

Borah senior Trevor McKenna has been a Boise State fan for as long as he can remember.

His earliest football memory is taking the field for his flag football team in kindergarten proudly wearing the same jersey number as his favorite Bronco. He wore No. 11 — a number that may one day be retired at Boise State.

It was worn, of course, by famous quarterback Kellen Moore. All he did was win an NCAA-record 50 games as the starter between 2008 and 2011, a feat that has earned him consideration for the College Football Hall of Fame. Moore has been on the ballot since 2021, but hasn’t made the final cut.

McKenna couldn’t contain a laugh when asked why Moore was his favorite player.

“He kind of had to be,” McKenna said Thursday, adding that he has yet to meet Moore in person. “He was the star quarterback on my favorite team and he meant a lot to this community.”

Staying home and suiting up for the same program Moore helped put on the map is special for McKenna, who grew up in Boise, watching games on the blue turf in Albertsons Stadium and attending annual youth camps led by many of the players he looked up to.

“It’s a lifelong dream,” McKenna said. “I’ve always watched Boise State and always wanted to be part of the program and leave my chapter in that legacy.”

McKenna plays offensive and defensive tackle at Borah, but he said Thursday that he’ll begin his college career on the defensive line. He said he always considered himself more of a natural fit on that side, but he started getting more attention from recruiters as an offensive tackle this summer.

He said Boise State’s coaches liked him at defensive tackle from the very beginning.

McKenna was at his grandparents’ place in Garden Valley earlier this month when Boise State coach Andy Avalos offered him a scholarship on a video call that also included his parents, defensive line coach Erik Chinander and defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson.

McKenna called the decision “a no-brainer.” He also said he has what it takes to do battle in the trenches as a Division I defensive lineman.

“I have long arms, and I’ve always been described as having a good motor,” he said. “Offensive linemen are usually bigger, fat guys and I can tire them out.”

Boise State finds the ‘anchor’ for its 2024 recruiting class: a QB from California

McKenna said Boise State’s coaches even compared him to one of the Broncos’ most well-known defensive linemen, who was picked in the sixth round of this year’s NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers.

“The way they described it to me is they saw me as a Scott Matlock-type of player,” McKenna said. “That was awesome to hear, and the opportunity to get in front of scouts and make it to the league was definitely a big factor for me.”

Matlock, a former standout at Homedale, and former Boise State left tackle John Ojukwu, who once starred at Boise High, are Idaho natives who went on to fill prominent roles for the Broncos.

Ojuwku started 33 consecutive games at left tackle for BSU, and he signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent earlier this year. Matlock started 32 consecutive games during his five-year college career and led the Broncos with seven sacks in 2020.

McKenna watched every step of their journeys and envisions himself on a similar trajectory.

“I’m excited to represent Idaho and do my part to keep that tradition going,” said McKenna, who was named first-team 5A SIC River Division as an offensive lineman last year.

McKenna will join former Borah star Austin Bolt at Boise State. The wide receiver missed most of last season after suffering a broken leg in the season opener at Oregon State.

Bolt was named Idaho’s Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2019 after moving to quarterback for his final high school season and racking up 2,771 yards of offense 36 touchdowns.

McKenna said his goal this season is to mean as much to his teammates at Borah as Bolt did his senior year.

“I watched Austin absolutely carry our team,” McKenna said. “I want to fill that role. I want to be the guy my teammates can count on.”

McKenna is a three-star recruit and the No. 4 high school prospect in Idaho, according to 247Sports. He also has scholarship offers from Idaho, Eastern Washington, Montana Tech and Pacific University.

Boise State is hoping to add another player from Idaho to its 2024 recruiting class next week.

Gatlin Bair — a four-star wide receiver from Burley High and the state’s top-ranked prospect — announced last week that he’ll commit at 5 p.m. on Aug. 5 during a live stream hosted on preediction.com. Fans can tune in for free and pay $3.99 to ask Bair a question during the stream.

Bair, who was named first-team 4A All-Idaho last season after racking up 73 catches for 1,073 yards and 18 touchdowns, has whittled his list of schools down to a top five: Boise State, Michigan, TCU, Oregon and Nebraska.

Boise State 2024 recruiting class

DL Hayden Hanks, 6-3, 270, Thompson Falls (Montana) High

OL Eyitayo Omotinugbon, 6-3, 275, Queen Creek (Arizona) High

S Travis Anderson, 6-0, 175, Mission Viejo (California) High

CB Treyvon Tolmaire, 5-11, 165, Mission Viejo (California) High

Edge Roman Caywood, 6-3, 220, Corner Canyon High, Draper, Utah

LB Clay Martineau, 6-4, 215, Oregon City (Oregon) High

S Tice Williams, 6-3, 187, Conroe (Texas) High

DL Connor Warkentin, 6-5, 260, Centennial High, Bakersfield, California

QB Kaleb Annett, 6-3, 190, Corona Del Mar High, Newport Beach, California

DL Trevor McKenna, 6-6, 255, Borah High, Boise