Forsey and Mikell. Marks and Carpenter. Johnson and Avery. Martin, Avery and Harper. Jay Ajayi and Jeremy McNichols. Alexander Mattison. Since the 2000s to the mid 2010’s the Broncos running back cores were either a running back by committee or one single big-time talented running back quickly handing the torch off to the next one the next season. Within the last few years it seemed to be just one dominant back per year. This year it looks as if the Broncos are leaning back towards another running back by committee.
Last season in their seven contests, the Broncos running back committee averaged 107 yards per game as a group. Their lowest per game average on the ground in over two decades. Boise State will bring back a very talented running back with George Holani. He ran for a hint over 1000 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman, but an injury-riddled and shortened season in 2020 put Holani in the position coming into this year where he needs a bounce back campaign. He needs to take ahold of his job as the starting tailback for this team. He has the skills to control and lead this backfield. He has proto-typical size for a tailback, just under 6 feet tall and 205 pounds. Holani is a shifty runner and his athleticism is what scares teams’ especially with his ability to be an affective pass-catcher as well. He showed flashes of being a brute downfield runner as well during his freshman year and he is fearless football player. Something that you want in a running back for your program.
Andrew VanBuren is a bigger body, at nearly 230 pounds. He is just as shifty as Holani but Van Buren is more productive at changing the pace as a runner. He is tough to bring down and is dangerous in the open field. He is not as skilled in the pass-catching department as say a George Holani is. So the Broncos will turn to Holani when they are trying to surprise the defense or when they need a big play. Whereas Van Buren will be who the Broncos throw in there to fight for hard yards or make a defender miss and push the team to positive field position.
Meanwhile, do not sleep on Oregon transfer Cyrus Habibi-Likio this season. He has a nose for the end zone as he danced in for a score 21 times in his limited play time at Oregon. What jumps out at you more is that he had 4 scores on just 19 attempts last season! He will be a player that the Broncos could turn to when they are desperate to put some points on the board. Offensive coordinator Tim Plough and other Broncos players have gone on record to praise Habibi-Likio for how quickly he embraced the Boise State culture. Therefore, the gap between all three running backs on the depth chart is not as wide as some may think. Do not be surprised if all three running backs end the season combining for 20 touchdowns or more. Habibi-Likio is one of the fastest players on the whole team and look for him to make a heavy impact on the success of the offense this year.
The Broncos special-teams unit is an interesting bunch. Without the real ability to have a consistent kicking or punting unit over the years, the team has been know to try and throw a few wrinkles in their production. Sophom*ore kicker Jonah Dalmas had a 96% extra point percentage and an 87% percentage on field goal attempts. He came unto the scene impressing the staff at a tryout that they had before last season when they were desperate for a more effective kicking game. Punter Joel Velazquez has had his moments of putting the team in poor field position. But the hope is that new special teams hire Stacy Collins can improve the special teams unit to have a more positive impact on the Broncos success this year.
Returns will once again be manned by Khalil Shakir with Stefan Cobbs adding extra fire power on kickoffs. Simply put, Boise State wants to get the ball in Shakir's hands at every opportunity, so look for him to get the majority of touches as a returner.
The Boise State Broncos are facing a lot of questions this season all the while giving fans of Bronco Nation a lot to look forward to. Everyone cannot wait to see what the team can do this season and how they perform under their new identity and coaching staff changes. Coaching changes cannot be easy for a team and are even harder in the college ranks as many of these players are still maturing. But, having a Coach like Andy Avalos who of course is a former Boise State alumni is an easy transition. The levels of pressure were lowered when they hired Andy Avalos while the excitement levels have been greater ever since. The hope is that the Boise State Broncos football team can jumpstart their season with a big win against Central Florida in a few weeks and get their 2021 campaign started in the right direction. Luckily enough for them, they have the talent all across the board to do so.
