Boise State depth chart vs. New Mexico

Here is the Boise State depth chart for Saturday, featuring actual changes at a number of positions (changes in italics). Update your NCAA football video game rosters accordingly.

OFFENSE

• QB: Joe Southwick, Grant Hedrick, Jimmy Laughrea
• RB: D.J. Harper, Jay Ajayi
• FB: Dan Paul, Chandler Koch
• X receiver: Matt Miller, Aaron Burks
• Z receiver: Mitch Burroughs, Dallas Burroughs
• Slot receiver: Kirby Moore, Chris Potter
• TE: Gabe Linehan OR Chandler Koch, Holden Huff
• LT: Charles Leno, Faraji Wright
• LG: Spencer Gerke, Marcus Henry
• C: Matt Paradis, Spencer Gerke
• RG: Michael Ames, Brenel Myers
• RT: Brenel Myers, Jake Broyles

DEFENSE

• DE: Demarcus Lawrence, Tyler Horn
• NT: Mike Atkinson, Greg Grimes
• DT: Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, Darren Koontz
• Stud end: Sam Ukwuachu, Beau Martin OR Kharyee Marshall
• MLB: Tommy Smith, Blake Renaud
• WLB: J.C. Percy, Tyler Gray
• N: Dextrell Simmons, Corey Bell OR Jonathan Brown
• CB: Jamar Taylor, Ebo Makinde
• CB: Jerrell Gavins, Bryan Douglas
• S: Jeremy Ioane, Hazen Moss
• S: Lee Hightower, Darian Thompson

SPECIAL TEAMS

• K: Michael Frisina, Dan Goodale
• P: Trevor Harman, Dan Goodale
• KO: Trevor Harman, Dan Goodale
• Holder: Matt Miller, Joe Southwick
• KR: D.J. Harper, Mitch Burroughs
• PR: Mitch Burroughs OR Chris Potter
• Snapper: Chris Roberson, Kevin Keane

Now for some news and notes and wild speculation:

There was some rather significant depth chart shuffling along the offensive line, which I take as a clue about the health of the Broncos' big uglies. Big Ugly No. 1: Joe Kellogg is not on this week's depth chart and therefore figures to miss his second straight game with an injury. Spencer Gerke takes his place. Big Ugly No. 2: Jake Broyles is listed behind Brenel Myers at tackle, signaling that Broyle's health is not 100 percent either. How big is the absence of Kellogg and/or Broyles? On one hand, I would point to last week's offense box score, and on the other hand, I would mention how Boise State offensive linemen are like Mr. Potato head parts - so long as there's a mouth, nose, eyes, and ears, everything's okay.

Dallas Burroughs sneaks onto the depth chart this week, replacing Troy Ware as backup to older brother Mitch. Still no Shane Williams-Rhodes on the depth chart, rendering the whole thing rather invalid, so take Dallas's inclusion with a grain of salt. It could mean an expanded role in the offense. It could mean he paid off the depth chart intern.

(Depth chart unintentional typo comedy: Dallas Burroughs is listed as weighing 1,173 pounds.)

Speaking of wide receivers, this week marks the final week in Geraldo Boldewijn's four-game suspension. He will return to the field (and maybe the depth chart) against Southern Miss. To refresh your memory, the NCAA suspension was for receiving impermissible benefits in the form of help from his host family in booking a plane ticket home to the Netherlands, a ticket for which Boldewijn reimbursed the family. So essentially he missed four games for letting someone use Expedia for him.

Actual football question about Boldewijn: Can he help this offense? It would appear that Aaron Burks stole G.B.'s deep threat role. In my opinion, he will need a few weeks to crack a wide receiver rotation that is pretty deep already, unless he can contribute Day One at the level Bronco fans envisioned when he was a breakout star-to-be last year.

Jay Ajayi supplanted Drew Wright on the depth chart as the No. 2 running back, and what might this mean?

Petersen says not to read too much into Ajayi being No. 2 on depth chart. Says they consider all backup RBs about the same.

— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) September 25, 2012

For what it's worth, Ajayi was the only non-D.J. running back to receive a carry last week. I imagine that changes on Saturday. The question will be who gets D.J. Harper's leftovers in the running game: Ajayi, Jack Fields, or Drew Wright?

Your turn

What did you find interesting on this week's depth chart? What do you think about the O-line, wide receivers, and running backs (I know what you think about the quarterbacks)? Share your thoughts in the comments.