BroncoSports.com has released the Boise State depth chart for the Oregon game, and the linebacker question that we have all been waiting for has finally been answered. Derrell Acrey and Aaron Tevis will be your starters. View the full depth chart after the jump. (Updated with analysis at 10:42MT)
Boise State offense |
Boise State defense |
Z - 2 Austin Pettis 6-3 201 Jr. X - 4 Titus Young 5-11 170 Jr. H - 89 Tyler Shoemaker 6-1 207 So. LT - 72 Matt Slater 6-4 290 Jr. LG - 59 Will Lawrence 6-2 293 Jr. C - 66 Thomas Byrd 5-11 284 So. RG - 62 Kevin Sapien 6-4 286 Jr. RT - 54 Michael Ames 6-4 281 Fr. TE - 85 Tommy Gallarda 6-5 249 Jr. QB - 11 Kellen Moore 6-0 187 So. RB - 27 Jeremy Avery 5-9 173 Jr. FB - 40 Richie Brockel 6-2 240 Sr. |
E - 98 Ryan Winterswyk 6-4 263 Jr.
92 Shea McClellin 6-3 262 So. T - 90 Billy Winn 6-4 288 So. N - 97 Chase Baker 6-1 296 So. SE - 96 Jarrell Root 6-3 259 So. MIKE- 52 Derrell Acrey 6-1 235 Jr. WILL- 36 Aaron Tevis 6-3 228 So. S 23 Jeron Johnson 5-11 194 Jr. S 8 George Iloka 6-3 207 So. N 17 Winston Venable 5-11 223 Jr. CB 1 Kyle Wilson 5-10 186 Sr. CB 13 Brandyn Thompson 5-10 180 Jr. |
Kickers |
Returners |
PK - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 201 Jr.
84 Jimmy Pavel 5-9 212 Fr. KO - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 201 Jr. HD - 46 Michael Choate 6-0 190 Sr. P - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 201 Jr. SNP - 44 Chris Roberson 6-0 222 Fr. |
KR - 4 Titus Young 5-11 170 Jr. PR - 1 Kyle Wilson 5-10 186 Sr. |
Disclaimer: Depth charts mean as much as you want them to mean. Keep in mind that things change over the course of a game week and that game situations, injuries, and performance will render some of this depth chart moot. Still, it's fun to speculate ... with hyperbole! OMG James Crawford got robbed at longsnapper!
Acrey and Tevis: Congratulations on all your successes
The linebacker battle that would never end has finally ended, and Aaron Tevis worked his fall camp magic to again wind up in the starting lineup.
Tevis and Acrey will start the season as the first-team linebacker duo. Everyone who saw that one coming, give yourselves a hand. Boise State did some depth chart politicking with its backups, using the ambiguous "OR" to group J.C. Percy, Hunter White, and Daron Mackey in a three-person logjam behind the starters. One player conspicuously absent from the list is WILL candidate Tommy Smith. He was left off the depth chart entirely, making him a perfect candidate for the Statesman's trivia contest. Spoiler alert!
Gallarda over Efaw, the position battle that no one saw coming
Tommy Gallarda pulled an upset over Kyle Efaw at the tight end position. Phil Steele's all-WAC team just took a serious credibility hit.
You might remember Gallarda as "the tight end who doesn't catch so well." As a sophomore last season, Gallarda missed on a couple of big catches. However, what Gallarda lacks in hands, he makes up for in blocking, which might be a more important skill to have at this point in the development of the Bronco offense or, more specifically, the Bronco offensive line. Either way, Efaw will get to see the field plenty in two- and three-TE sets, so Bronco fans won't be Efaw-less on Thursday night. Still, Gallarda over Efaw at tight end? Good one, Bronco coaches. You totally punked me.
Jarrell Root must have had a good fall camp
Root was with the first team during the fall camp scrimmages, pushing Byron Hout to substitution duty. Therefore, Root's place in the starting lineup isn't a complete surprise.
However, his appointment to starter shouldn't be lost on Bronco Nation. Root was able to overcome a serious injury last year and the budding stardom of Hout, so let's give Root some much-deserved credit. Besides, he has an afro. I love afros!
Kyle Brotzman's leg will be so full of itself when it sees this
Once again, Brotzman will be handling the kickoff, field goal, extra point, and punting duties for the Broncos this fall. Good for his attempt at a Lou Groza - Ray Guy double. Bad for late-season kicking accuracy.
Also, there is that new special teams rule that makes Brotzman fair game when he rolls out for his rugby punts. Injury is a concern. Stamina is a concern. Acute onset elephantitis of the leg is a concern.
Also, and I hesitate to mention this, are we sending Brad Elkin down a dark, lonely path?
Doug Martin will be returning kickoffs when Titus Young lets him
All I have to say about this is ... /hyperventilated and passed out.
Jeremy Avery OR D.J. Harper? What's that supposed to mean?
Everywhere else on the Boise State depth chart, starters are listed alone at their positions. At running back, they are listed with that evil OR.
Starting at running back for the Broncos will be Jeremy Avery OR D.J. Harper. Will someone please explain that to me?
- A) Boise State will split carries between the two backs, causing the fives of tens of people who play fantasy college football to poke themselves in the eye with their nerd eraser pens.
- B) Avery is the starter, but since Harper will remain a big part of the offense it just made sense to list them together.
- C) Avery is not completely healthy.
- Sidenote to C) Why has no one told us what his injury is? Someone shine the Chadd Cripe light over Boise city. I need answers.
- D) Coach Pete is messing with us. Haha! Good one!
The Boise State starting offensive line looks interesting
Drew mentioned it yesterday, but I think it bears repeating: Who's Michael Ames again?
Ames, Sapien, Byrd, Lawrence, and Slater are your starters. Nate Potter is your sixth man. Joe Kellogg is your backup LG and he's enormous. It's going to be a good year.
Aaron Burks is the second-ish-string X receiver
I believe this means that Burks will only play if necessary and we will continue to be in the dark about the status of his redshirt for at least another week or so. Quick, Kirby Moore! It's not too late. Climb into my hyperbaric chamber and be healed.
Your turn
What surprises you about the Boise State depth chart? What do you think about the Avery/Harper dynamic? Who i s missing? Who is where they shouldn't be? Let's take this conversation to the comments.