Boise State Roster Breakdown: Defensive Backs

This edition of Blue-Turf.com's Boise State roster breakdown takes a look at the D Backs. The Broncos have to fill some NFL-size holes in the secondary this season but the good news is quite a bit of talent remains with many players competing to contribute this season.

Departing Players:

Ball-hawks Darian Thompson and Donte Deayon, who were the star players in this position last season have graduated and are now both in training camp with the Giants. Mercy Matson was also a contributor, spending his career playing both corner and nickel. That trio accounted for 123 total tackles, 8 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles. Needless to say, other players need to step up to help fill their void. The Broncos also lost two promising young players, Darreon Jackson and Donzale Roddie, who were entering their redshirt freshmen seasons. Jackson in particular would have competed for playing time this year at safety.

Newcomers:

The 2016 class is filled with talented defensive backs, many of whom have the potential to make a name for themselves over the next few years. Robert Lewis is small in stature but plays bigger than his height in a style similar to the departed Deayon. Reid Harrison-Ducros is a technique master for an incoming freshmen and De’Andre Pierce is a talented athlete from power program Long-Beach Poly. All three have big potential. They also brought in a pair of Safeties late in the recruiting process. Jordan Happle is a hard-hitter with good instincts and Jalen Walker is the kind of athlete Boise State looks for in their DBs. Also, there is Kekoa Nawahine, who recently returned from serving a two year LDS mission. In high school, he was one of the top athletes in Idaho, doubling as a receiver.

Projected Starters:

Jonathan Moxey most likely has one corner spot locked up after being a primary starter the past two seasons. On the other side, Tyler Horton and Raymond Ford have been battling during fall camp and while either could end up there, it is assumed Horton will end up the starter. Regardless, expect all three to play extensively this year and they could see the field at the same time in certain packages. At safety, Chanceller James and Dylan Sumner-Gardner seemed to have been locked-in as starters since the start of fall camp. However, due to off the field issues, both could possibly be serving suspensions for the first game. This could make Cameron Hartsfield and Tyler Evan the starting safeties to open the season in their absence. Hartsfield in particular has been mentioned as a player who has made big improvements.

True Freshmen Who Could Play:

While all of the players are talented, there aren’t many open roles in the secondary this season. However, two names to watch for are Reid HD and Pierce. Both have been singled out by coaches during fall camp and have the talent and work ethic to see the field this season. The coaches have said there is a spot or two to be had this year and they seem like the most likely to fill those spots. While their roles may primarily be back-ups and special teams, they could go a long way towards creating the depth at cornerback.

Biggest Question(s):

Will the unit be able to replace the production of Thompson and Deayon or will they struggle due to no true play-maker emerging in the secondary? Specifically, at corner the question is can Tyler Horton take the much-needed step this year going from freshmen with potential to productive sophomore? If Horton makes the jump, it should be the final piece to the starters being a unit of strength of the Bronco’s defense. At safety, the biggest question is can one of the talented players become a reliable pass-defender in addition their run-stopping abilities? When Thompson was off the field the past two years, it showed through big plays being given up. Someone needs to display the ability to apply coverage against pass-heavy schemes.