2016 Boise State Recruit Roundup: December 21st, 2015

It was a little bit of a somber week with Desmond Williams Huskies' loss, but Kellen was named a starter for Dallas this week, so YEAH! We also had 4 players officially sign on the line to become Broncos this week, 2 of which were non-JC players! Let's do a quick round-up and recap on what went on the last week, shall we?

Desmond Williams, OLB, Centennial High School (Corona, CA)

A monumental season for the Centennial Huskies ended on Friday in the California state championship against De La Salle, defending state champs, 28-21. They finished 14-1 and 2nd in the nation behind De La Salle, who moved into first with the win. It was an amazing season for the Huskies and now Desmond can turn his attention to school before focusing on his future as a Bronco.

Last week, we looked at our WR situation, which was very up and down this season. This week, we'll check out the RB position and see how that is affected in 2016.

Currently, we have 6 RB on the roster:

Kelsey Young, RS Sr, 5'10 198lbs

Jack Fields, Sr, 5'9 194lbs

Devan Demas, RS Jr, 5'8 175lbs

Ryan Wolpin (WO), RS Soph, 5'8 191lbs

Jeremy McNichols, Soph, 5'9 205lbs

Cory Young, RS Frosh, 5'10 200lbs

This year we lose both Kelsey Young and Jack Fields. I had kind of hoped Fields would have contributed more than he has. I'm not sure what held him back, but I just never felt like he seized his opportunities. Kelsey played well while McNichols was out, but he was very up and down this year. He always ran hard, which I can appreciate, but the productivity wasn't always there. That isn't all on him, though, as we all know our OL wasn't quite as good as we had anticipated.

McNichols was McNichols. He was as productive as he could have been, but he wasn't quite Ajayi. He's NOT Ajayi, and that is a tough act to follow, but Ajayi did set a high bar for future backs. McNichols is a bit more in the Avery mold than the Ajayi mold in that he could juke defenders in the open field, but he isn't a freight train like Ajayi was. Demas and Cory Young both don't fit into that mold either. And while walk-on was impressive when he got his chances, he is not in that mold either.

Demas could be a game changer with his speed, but he isn't consistent game to game. I think he knows this and will step up for his final year as a Bronco. McNichols is coming off a stellar year, and while he "only" garnered 2nd team All-MW, he will push for 1st team in 2016 for sure. I certainly hope Young steps up next year because we rarely saw him this year, but we all know the potential is there. And I was honestly impressed with how Wolpin ran. He didn't see the field a ton either, but he ran HARD when he did.

With both Crockett and Mahone coming in, we will again be loaded at RB. The biggest question will be, though, is will someone step up to be the solid #2 to McNichols? Kelsey acted in that role, but it didn't seem so much like he was the clear cut #2 guy, but he was the next best option. That's not a dis on Kelsey as I think he's a solid back, but no other back left the Bronco faithful calm and secure when they stepped on the field like McNichols. I think Crockett comes in and plays immediately. I like preserving those red shirt seasons as much as the next guy, but I think Crockett will be too good to sit for a year. Mahone is a great pick up as well, and he very well could be that #2 guy too. He had a nagging injury his senior year which kept his numbers down, but when healthy, he can be lethal. We picked up two SOLID running backs in this class that will serve us well for the next 4 or 5 years.

2016 Recruiting Class

Any players without highlights below do not yet have compiled senior season videos. I'll update as they become available. This week, highlights for Kole Bailey and Micah Wilson were added. Check 'em out!

Cedrick Wilson, WR, 6'3 190lbs

Joel Velaquez, K, 6'0 220lbs

Derriyon Shaw, DE, 6'3 220lbs

Ali'i Niumatalolo (2017 class), ILB, 6'1.5 230lbs

Nick Crabtree, TE, 6'6 247lbs

Damarea Crockett, RB, 5'11.5 211lbs

Tyson Maeva, ILB, 6'0 230lbs

Desmond Williams, S, 6'0 190lbs

Reid Harrison-Ducros, CB, 5'10 165lbs

Ezra Cleveland, OT, 6'6 270lbs

Julian Carter, WR, 6'2 175lbs

Robert Mahone, RB, 5'11 190lbs

Kole Bailey, OT, 6'4.5 285lbs

Robert Lewis, CD, 5'10 170lbs

Chase Hatada, DT, 6'2.5 255lbs

Micah Wilson, QB, 6'3 200lbs

Daniel Auelua, DT, 6'2 285lbs