clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Spring is in the air: Part deux

By Drew Roberts
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Spring break is over and the Bronco football team is back on the practice field...most of them sporting new farmer tans and a few with unfortunate braids in their hair that they got on the beach for $2 in Cabo San Lucas. Yes, it's back to reality for many a college student...and for us college grads, it's just the same as it ever was. STAY IN COLLEGE FOREVER, KIDS! IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE!

But I digress.../sniff

At the outset of Spring ball, I outlined a few questions that'd be on the minds of Bronco fans (well, the handsome ones anyway) and now that camp has begun anew after a week hiatus, here's the rest of those burning questions or interesting storylines.

Safety Dance

In due time, the Broncos will have a formidable defensive secondary. Spring camp is decidedly not that time. The Broncos are running with a skeleton safety crew in camp compounded by the fact that Dillon Lukehart has walked away from the field to preserve his vital joints and cartilages. So far this Spring, Darian Thompson and Dylan Sumner-Gardner have been the main safeties...because they're practically the ONLY safeties. Walk-on converted RB Skyler Seibold and walk-on Brandon Brown are working into the rotation, but we'll have to wait until Fall before the safety position is backfilled with the requisite depth. Chanceller James will (hopefully) be back from his ACL injury and a slew of true freshman will descend on campus. I've heard tell there's safety in numbers...but right now there are just no numbers at safety.

Kickin' it

People don't really like talking about kicking 'round these parts. With all that non-talking though, we probably failed to acknowledge just how good the Bronco kicking game was in 2014, and that's can be laid at the foot of Dan Goodale. Goodale was hitting clutch field goals and gettin' those touchbacks at an impressive clip last season. Alas, the bearded one has now graduated and it's time for the next generation of Bronco kickers to make us hold our collective breaths. Good news, though...Tyler Rausa has been "awesome" this Spring according to special teams guru Kent Riddle (incidentally, my favorite adjective for kickers). Rausa may be pushed a bit by walk-ons Blake Gonzalez or Isaac Dodd and punter Sean Wale has two functioning legs as well. Kicker may not be our favorite position to cover, but history has shown it IS important, so we'll be mindful of these guys for the rest of Spring and into Fall camp.

D line: d best

Steve Caldwell must be living right because this year's D-line looks absolutely stacked. Boise State lost just ONE player off last year's line (well, two if you count Mat Boesen) and gain 3 guys back without even dipping into their redshirt reserves (Deuce Mataele, Justin Taimatuia, and Tyler Horn). DE Jabril Frazier has thus far impressed this Spring and could really benefit from opponents focus on Kamalei Correa. Well, at least I'D focus on Correa if I was an opponent...but would it matter? D-lineman I'm hoping to get a good look at in the Spring game are Frazier (naturally), and redshirts David Moa and Dereck Boles. If Moa's big brother can join the team this Fall...all the better.

QB race

We already touched on this, but will touch on it until our fingers will no longer fing. Boise State has 3 QBs over six feet tall and one of them spent his Spring Break in the gym. This one:

Your turn

Any other Spring storylines I'm missing? Any lingering questions?