Signing day: Boise State lands QB who is a ‘perfect fit,’ adds two JUCO defenders

Whether they’re the first player to join or the last, quarterbacks are the centerpiece of recruiting classes, Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said Wednesday.

“The quarterback is the shot caller, and our whole team is involved with him,” Danielson said. “It’s all about finding the right one.”

Boise State signed 18 recruits on Wednesday, including Corona Del Mar quarterback Kaleb Annett, who finished his high school career with 4,163 passing yards and 46 touchdowns.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of Newport Beach, California, made his first visit to Boise State in June. He returned for the Broncos’ game against UCF in September and made his official visit on Dec. 8 as the Broncos were preparing to face UCLA in the LA Bowl. He hung out with returning Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen, who is recovering from knee surgery, during the team’s first practice for the bowl.

Danielson called Annett a “perfect fit” at Boise State because of his work ethic and humble nature. Danielson said the program treated Annett to a buffet-style dinner during one of his visits, and he waited until everyone else filled their plates before taking his place in line. That’s a small thing, but Danielson said it goes a long way.

“When you’re around him, you see he’s a natural leader,” Danielson said. “He’s the type leader you need handling the ball every snap.”

Obviously, there’s also a certain skill set required to play quarterback in college. Annett this year led his team to a postseason berth and then some, posting 2,751 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior to get Corona Del Mar to the CIF Division 4 championship game, where the Sea Kings lost to La Serna.

Annett, whose only other scholarship offer was from Princeton, verbally committed to Boise State in July. He stayed true to his commitment after former Boise State coach Andy Avalos was fired in November, in part because of his relationship with offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan, Annett told 247Sports earlier this month. Danielson announced that he was retaining Hamdan in the days leading up to the LA Bowl.

“Coach Hamdan and I have a great relationship and we talk regularly every week,” Annett told 247Sports’ Greg Biggins. “He’s got the offense playing at a high level right now.”

Annett joins a program that doesn’t have an established starter after Taylen Green transferred to Arkansas. Madsen played in nine games, however, completing 81-of-132 passes for 1,191 yards and nine touchdowns. He even dethroned Green as the starter for the game against New Mexico on Nov. 11, but suffered a torn MCL and PCL against the Lobos.

Danielson said the hope is that Madsen can return to limited action by the end of spring practice, but he probably won’t be back to full strength until preseason camp next August.

True freshman CJ Tiller started the LA Bowl and struggled in the Broncos’ 35-22 loss, completing 12-of-21 passes for 117 yards and an interception. Walk-ons Colt Fulton and Max Cutforth are the other quarterbacks on the roster.

Danielson didn’t rule out finding a more established quarterback in the transfer portal.

“There are a lot of different options out there, but there’s only a couple for us where it’s like, ‘OK, this fits us at Boise State and what we’re looking for,’” Danielson said. “It has the be the right one, because in this day and age of college football, if it’s not the right one, they won’t stay here anyway.”

If Boise State does add a transfer quarterback, they likely will be announced before the spring semester begins on Jan. 8.

Going the JUCO route for help on defense

Boise State had 16 known commitments in its 2024 class heading into signing day. The two additions to the class were players the Broncos plucked out of the junior college ranks.

Edge rusher Joseph Marsh joined the program after a season at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California. The 6-2, 225-pound native of Simi Valley, California, was named Southern California Football Association All-Northern League first team after posting 36 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery this year.

Danielson said Marsh filled a lot of different roles this year for the Cougars.

“He’s off the ball, he’s on the ball rushing (the quarterback) and he’s developed in regards to playing the run,” Danielson said. “He loves football. It’s in his blood.”

Marsh comes from a family of NFL players. His father, Curtis, played at Utah and was picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 1995 NFL Draft. His brother, Curtis Jr., played at Utah State and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round in 2011. His brother, Cassius, played at UCLA and was a fourth-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2014.

“He’s an overall outside linebacker,” said Boise State edge coach Jabril Frazier, who was one of four assistant coaches retained by Danielson this week. “He drops in coverage, he can pass-rush and even though he’s only really six months out of high school, he does a really good job of striking and using his hands.”

Boise State wide receivers, edge and O-line coaches retained by new head coach Danielson

The Broncos also made a late addition to the class Wednesday in Udoka Ezeani, a linebacker from Butler Community College in Kansas. The native of Houston began his college career at Missouri State. He posted 52 tackles, one sack and one interception in his only season at Butler.

New defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said he envisions Ezeani playing weakside or middle linebacker for the Broncos, but at just 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, he’s going to have to pack on some pounds first.

“We don’t recruit guys out of the portal or junior college to not play,” Chinander said. “He can really run, he can really fly around and hit people, but he’s got to develop his body a little bit.”

Boise State has had success finding defensive playmakers at the JUCO level in recent years. Former defensive end Shane Irwin led the Broncos with six sacks in 2020 and posted three more in 2021 before he was forced to medically retire the following year because of injuries.

This season, former Laney College cornerback A’Marion McCoy earned a starting role midway through the year and led the Broncos with three interceptions.

Frazier said junior college players fit the mold of the blue-collar players the Broncos are looking for.

“You look at the JUCO route, and it’s not easy,” he said. “They don’t have those same benefits and extras, and players get here, so they’re grateful for everything. Those guys want to come and work and prove themselves.”

Speed to burn

Boise State’s 2024 class includes plenty of speedy players.

Nine of the Broncos’ signees also competed in track and field in high school, and three of them recorded times that were under 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash: cornerback Treyvon Tolmaire and running backs Sire Gaines and Dylan Riley.

Tolmaire posted 12 interceptions during his career at Mission Viejo High in California.

“He has a nose for the ball and puts himself in really good positions, first and foremost,” Boise State cornerbacks and special teams coach Demario Warren said. “He’s fast and can catch up if he does get beat, and he’s using really good technique to stay on top of routes.”

Gaines racked up 1,685 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior at Orange Vista High in California. Riley finished his senior season at nearby Rancho Verde High with 2,059 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground.

The fastest player in Boise State’s 2024 class may be wide receiver Cameron Bates, whose time of 36.58 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles was one of the fastest in the nation last year. He played quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback and kick returner during his career at Mansfield Timberview High in Texas, but focused more on wide receiver as a senior. He finished his final season with 51 catches for 909 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“What Cam brings is explosiveness,” wide receivers coach Matt Miller said. “He’s got that track background and he played quarterback before he played receiver, so his football intelligence is pretty high, which could allow him the opportunity to play early.”

Nine will enroll early

Nine players the Broncos signed will enroll early and be on campus by January, Danielson said Wednesday.

That group is made up of Marsh, Gaines, Tolmaire, tight end Kaden Anderson, safety Travis Anderson, edge Roman Caywood, linebacker Clay Martineau, and defensive linemen Lopez Sanusi and Trevor McKenna.

Sanusi hails from Ireland, and he spent the past year at NFL Academy in England. He’s the latest international player to join the Broncos, following German defensive lineman Max Stege, who signed with the program last December, and pass rusher Ahmed Hassanein, who grew up in Egypt before moving to the United States in high school. Hassanein led the Broncos with 12.5 sacks this season.

McKenna posted 90 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 16 sacks as a senior at Borah High. Martineau finished his senior year at Oregon City High with 44 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass break-ups, one interception, one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal in eight games. Caywood tallied 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries as a senior at Corner Canyon High in Utah.

Kaden Anderson’s senior season at Chandler High School in Arizona was cut short by a knee injury, but he hauled in 32 catches for 321 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. He will be limited when he arrives on campus as he’s still recovering, Boise State tight ends coach Nate Potter said Wednesday.

Travis Anderson posted 109 tackles, three sacks and a team-high seven interceptions as a senior at Mission Viejo.