Boise State Fall Camp begins on Friday, and the Broncos were kind enough to leak a summer depth chart to set the table for the start of camp. Now if only they would leak me a media pass, I'd be set.
After the jump, find out who stands where as Fall Camp kicks off, and debate whether or not you really believe the depth chart when it says things like "Avery over Martin" and "Taylor over Gavins." Plus, find out camp's toughest position battles and share your thoughts on who should be starting where.
Boise State offense |
Boise State defense |
|
Z - 2 Austin Pettis 6-3 197 Sr. X - 1 Titus Young 5-11 168 Sr. H - 89 Tyler Shoemaker 6-1 217 Jr. LT - 75 Faraji Wright 6-3 295 So. LG - 73 Nate Potter 6-6 297 Jr. C -61 Joe Kellogg 6-2 304 So. RG - 59 Will Lawrence 6-2 300 Sr. RT - 64 Brenel Myers 6-2 266 So. TE - 85 Tommy Gallarda 6-5 254 Sr. QB - 11 Kellen Moore 6-0 186 Jr. RB - 27 Jeremy Avery 5-9 179 Sr. |
E - 98 Ryan Winterswyk 6-4 267 Sr.
96 Jarrell Root 6-3 259 Jr. T - 90 Billy Winn 6-4 290 Jr. N - 97 Chase Baker 6-1 300 Jr. SE - 92 Shea McClellin 6-3 258 Jr. MIKE- 52 Derrell Acrey 6-1 233 Sr. WILL- 36 Aaron Tevis 6-3 231 Jr. S 23 Jeron Johnson 5-11 195 Sr. S 8 George Iloka 6-3 207 Jr. N 17 Winston Venable 5-11 218 Sr. CB 21 Jamar Taylor 5-11 192 So. CB 13 Brandyn Thompson 5-10 180 Sr. |
Kickers |
Returners |
|
PK - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 196 Sr.
84 Jimmy Pavel 5-9 212 So.
P - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 201 Sr. |
KR - 1 Titus Young 5-11 168 Sr. PR - 1 Titus Young 5-11 168 Sr. |
Disclaimer: Depth charts mean as much as you want them to mean, especially ones that are released surreptitiously through a WAC media guide. Still, it's fun to speculate ... with hyperbole! Jadon Dailey is wearing Joe Kellogg's skin!
How the Broncos came up with this depth chart, or How a BroncoSports.com intern spent his summer
The depth chart that you see above was culled from the belly of the WAC media guide where supposedly it was placed by someone in the know. How knowing? It's hard to tell. The chart is very similar in a lot of places to the ones that made the rounds every week last fall, but there are enough noticeable changes (updated offensive line positions, Kharyee Marshall, etc.) to make me think that it is authentic. So good job, Bronco intern. The OBNUG Internt will take you out for Sonic happy hour any time you please.
You may have been enraged by this: Jeremy Avery over Doug Martin
As per usual, Avery sits atop the running back depth chart, which will probably bum out a fair number of you. But look at it this way: At the end of the season, Avery was still RB1 and Doug Martin was still RB2. Neither back saw much time in the spring, so there really hasn't been anything that has happened between January and now to force BSU to shake up its depth chart. Except for the crushing inevitability that Doug Martin is The Man.
Drew and I will be exploring this topic in much more detail next week when we publish an email roundtable that got entirely out of hand. So get excited about that.
This new depth chart obviously did not watch Joe Southwick at the spring game
How else can you explain Mike Coughlin being the clear-cut No. 2 without any mention of Southwick? It's funny because spring performances factored into so many other positions on this depth chart that you would have totally thought Southwick would be at least an OR with Coughlin as QB2. Maybe Mike Coughlin was the one who put this depth chart together. That would explain some things.
Dan Paul, I'm sure the omission of the fullback position was just a mistake. Please don't hurt the intern. He's so fragile.
Dan Paul will be the team's starting fullback whether the depth chart acknowledges it or not. It's the depth chart's funeral.
Speaking of players I didn't see ...
There were more. Like these:
- Garrett Pendergast. Remember him? The team's starting tackle for most of last season? Pendergast went down with an injury in Fiesta Bowl practice, Brenel Myers filled in like a Tony Bosselli, and now Pendergast is not even on the team's two-deep. Injuries could be to blame, especially since Pendergast will not be full speed come Friday.
- Ebo Makinde. Everyone was talking about this redshirt corner in the spring, but apparently the depth chart wasn't around to hear any of that. Man, this depth chart is such a poser.
-
Daron Mackey. Yes, he's injured, but yes, he was also a semi-starter last fall and really good.
Matt Slater is now a guard
For those of you keeping score at home.
Look out above (and probably below): Michael Atkinson climbs the depth chart ladder
This depth chart should be proof that when his ankle can support his massive girth without spraining itself, Michael Atkinson is a force to be reckoned with. After spending much of last season on the injured list or in the Jarvis Hodge playing time zone, Atkinson had an impressive Fiesta Bowl and now finds himself just a Billy Winn breather away from the field.
Oh and by the way, Jamar Taylor is ahead of Jerrell Gavins
Or, as Graham Watson would have put it, "Jamar Gavins is the leading candidate to replace Kyle Wilson, but don't count out Ebo Makinde or Orlando Scandrick just yet."
Give Joe Kellogg and inch and he'll take Thomas Byrd's starting spot
And so, apparently, he has. Kellogg is listed as the team's starting center despite the fact that Byrd has been the team's starting center in every single game Byrd has ever played. A spring injury kept Byrd on the sidelines and Kellogg took advantage with some seriously good practice and scrimmage performances. Plus, not once did Kellogg send a shotgun snap 90 degrees to his left.
Byrd may end up back on top by the time that Fall Camp concludes, but it looks like this will be one of the fall's bigger camp position battles.
Other Fall Camp position battles of note
There's Kellogg vs. Byrd, and then there's:
- Cornerback: Taylor vs. Gavins
- Backup QB: Southwick vs. Coughlin
- Running back: Avery vs. Martin vs. Harper vs. Kaiserman
- Left tackle: Wright vs. Leno
- Linebacker: Tevis vs. Percy
Those are the obvious ones, but how about this one: Iloka vs. Febis at safety. Thoughts?
There's this now: Kevan Lee's very unofficial depth chart
The Boise State pre-fall depth chart was good, but I think I can make it better. But really I am probably just going to make it much, much worse.
Asterisks mark the positions I changed.
Boise State offense |
Boise State defense |
|
Z - 2 Austin Pettis 6-3 197 Sr. X - 1 Titus Young 5-11 168 Sr. H - 34 Kirby Moore 6-2 200 So.** LT - 75 Faraji Wright 6-3 295 So. LG - 73 Nate Potter 6-6 297 Jr. C -66 Thomas Byrd 5-11 279 Jr.** RG - 59 Will Lawrence 6-2 300 Sr. RT - 64 Brenel Myers 6-2 266 So. TE - 80 Kyle Efaw 6-4 242 Jr.** QB - 11 Kellen Moore 6-0 186 Jr. FB - 47 Dan Paul 6-0 220 So.** RB - 27 Jeremy Avery 5-9 179 Sr. |
E - 98 Ryan Winterswyk 6-4 267 Sr.
96 Jarrell Root 6-3 259 Jr. T - 90 Billy Winn 6-4 290 Jr. N - 97 Chase Baker 6-1 300 Jr. SE - 92 Shea McClellin 6-3 258 Jr. MIKE- 52 Derrell Acrey 6-1 233 Sr. WILL- 36 Aaron Tevis 6-3 231 Jr. S 23 Jeron Johnson 5-11 195 Sr. S 8 George Iloka 6-3 207 Jr. N 17 Winston Venable 5-11 218 Sr. CB 21 Jamar Taylor 5-11 192 So. CB 13 Brandyn Thompson 5-10 180 Sr. |
Kickers |
Returners |
|
PK - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 196 Sr.
84 Jimmy Pavel 5-9 212 So.
P - 35 Kyle Brotzman 5-10 201 Sr. LS - 44 Chris Roberson 6-0 226 So.** HD - 15 Joe Southwick 6-1 195 Fr.** |
KR - 1 Titus Young 5-11 168 Sr. PR - 1 Titus Young 5-11 168 Sr. |
Some notes about the changes I made:
- I swapped BurrPott for GeraldBurks for reasons that I'm sure all of you understand. I would not be at all surprised if Burroughs and Potter were second-string come opening day, but I would be a little wistful. I expect Hiwat and Burks to tear it up this fall.
- Kirby Moore over Tyler Shoemaker because I think it's sort of inevitable.
- I don't doubt that Joe Kellogg will make a great center, but he was a guard until six months ago. I have to think that Thomas Byrd still has the upper hand.
- I swapped Efaw and Gallarda, mostly to make munson happy.
- Dan Paul made my depth chart because I would fear for my life otherwise. And I went with Drew Wright over Chandler Koch at backup FB because Wright had a lot of good touches in the spring scrimmages.
- Tyrone Crawford is my choice at backup DE over Kharyee Marshall for now, but I would still expect Marshall to get in on certain pass rush situations. I just think Crawford is too good to leave out at that position. Wasn't that why Byron Hout was moved to linebacker?
- Aaron Tevis and J.C. Percy were co-starters on the initial depth chart, but it seems to me like Tevis has a slight lead on Percy based on his Fiesta Bowl performance and spring scrimmages.
- Jason Robinson is my backup nickel. It could have just as easily been Hunter White, Jonathan Brown, or even Jeremy Ioane. I just think Robinson's experience makes him the best choice for that spot (and I'll go with White to fill in for Robinson while he serves his suspension).
Your turn
You've seen Boise State's depth chart and you've smiled politely at mine. Now let me know yours. What players would you have in different spots? Would you shuffle the starting lineup at any position? What are the best fall camp battles to watch? Share your thoughts in the comments.