No doubt with the amount of talent leaving the Bronco’s in 2011 many true Freshmen will have an opportunity to make an impact in 2012. When you look at the this graduated class of 2011 other then George Iloka and Billy Winn the rest were red shirted at some point, George Iloka being the only true starter from day one , this doesn’t bold well for the history of true freshmen playing let alone starting right out the gate. Obviously Iloka and Winn are special players who would have started on any FBS school.
Add in the only True Freshmen to start a game this year was Hightower and the chances look mighty grim for those coming in today, so we have to ask of the new recruits who is that special player.
First lets consider the positions we are losing Starters .
QB, No doubt Kellen Moore is going to leave some big shoes to fill, and with 3 QB’s already on the roaster, Grant Hedrick, Jimmy Laughrea and Joe Southwick many don’t see Nick Patti having much of a chance of doing anything other than being Red Shirted like Kellen was his first year. I know I have writer earlier that if Laughrea earns the starters Job this could be real bad news for Patti, but on the flip side Patti does show the potential of doing something we haven’t seen in a long time in Boise and that is Starting from day 1.
Coach Pete is about winning and no doubt he will play the player that gives him the best opportunity to win, and if that is Nick Patti look out all of Kellens records could be in play. If Patti earns his way to the starting job no doubt he’ll have the greatest impact in 2012, but that’s one great big if!
Staying on the offensive side of the ball I think it’s fair to say as for Olinemen well they have some beef to put on before they will get a real shot and it’s not like Boise doesn’t have a lot of Depth there already so that leaves us with Shane Rhodes, D.J. Dean, Jack Fields. Devan Demas, Armand Nance.
Of those Shane Rhodes looks to be the one that has the greatest potential to get on the field. He’s got the Titus Young look to him and certainly having a play making athlete on the flied opens up the play book just a little more then what the Dallas brothers have provided to date. While Devan Demas looks promising and Jack Fields has a Doug Martin look about him the fact is Boise is loaded at RB for next season with Malcolm Johnson set to come back along with DJ Harper and Ajayi , Ajayi will be coming back with a huge chip on his shoulder with the intent to make up for off the field mistakes. I can tell you I know he has a one set mind right now and that is to make everyone forget the word sweet pants and I believe he will. So the chances of fourth RB making the rotation is going to be very very slim.
Though Boise has signed Connor Peters a JC transfer with only Gabe Linehan returning starting TE Boise is loaded at the TE position Holden Huff, Kyle Sosnowski, Chandler Koch, and Jake Hardee this will not only make it extremely difficult for Armand Nance to see the field I believe with this much talent Coach will look to moving one or two of the guys to the defensives side of the ball, you just can’t leave that much talent sitting on the bench when it could be helping you in other places. Look for Hardee and or Koch to make a switch this off season.
So that leaves us with Shane Rhodes as the player with the greatest potential to have an impact in 2012 of the above grouping.
Now for the Defense with the total decimation of the Fearsome four some add in Root and you could say fivesome one might think Rory Connop would have a great shot at getting on the field guess again…
Greg Grimes, Michael Atkinson, Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, Jeffrey Worthy, Justin Jungblut, Nick Alexander, David Cushing, Robert Ash, and Beau Martin there is a reason Coach only recruited 1 DT and signed 1 DE JC transfer Boise is still loaded up front with lots of young and very talented men. I’m sure Rory Connop is a great talent and that’s why coach singed him but DE’s and DT’s is not something Boise is short on!
My guess Connop is a project and I’m sure in later years we will be plenty of him.
LB might be a different story, Ben Weaver, and Andrew Pint are impressive players and with the loss of Byron Hout, Aaron Tevis, Travis Stanaway, and Matt Wilson they just might have a shot. In Boise’s 4-2-5 one of the 4 and one of the 5 are either an over sized LB ie Shea Mc Clellin or an undersized LB Travis Stanaway, in reality Boise Plays with 4 LB’s on the field. Boise does have some depth at the position however only J.C. Percy and Tommy Smith has any real playing time the rest Travis Saxton, Dillon Lukehart, Mitchell McCarthy, and Dustin Kamper seem pretty undersized all about 6’1” and 210lbs so I can see Ben Weaver having a real chance to get some real playing time. There is still time and room to sign more LB and I certainly have one in mind for them Marquis Steward of Detroit but time is running out on that one. I did think Reshawn Hooker was coming specially after he friended me on facebook but when UCLA first started talking about coach Pete he unfriended me which at first scared me a little as I was thinking he might know something we didn’t know , I know he has his choices narrowed down to Boise and UCLA but since he hasn’t come nosing around me I think he’s leaning UCLA God only knows why?
In the Defensive back field this class of 2012 is loaded with talent CB’s Donte Deayon, and Chaz Anderson, Safety Chanceller James all quality players problem for them this season is Jerrell Gavins and Jamar Taylor are back add in Dextrell Simmons, Eric Agbaroji, and Quaylon Ewing-Burton and I would say you would have to be the next Charles Woodson to break into that line up. As for Safety I would say things as pretty solid with Jeremy Ioane,and Lee Hightower, however the position is slim right now so of the DB’s Chanceller has the best chance at making an impact.
No matter how you cut it the 2012 Bronco’s will be a powerful team with great potential, if they start out at 2-0 next year be prepared for the hate fest to start up again as win’s over MSU and BYU to start the season would make them clear favorites to go undefeated again and the haters will cry all year ..
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