Broncos Sign 13 on National Signing Day
BOISE, Idaho – Boise State football head coach Bryan Harsin unveiled the Broncos’ 2017 signing class Wednesday, announcing the signing of 13 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent.
Boise State had previously announced five mid-year signees, and Riley Whimpey, who initially signed in 2015, will enroll at Boise State this fall following a two-year church mission.
Of the 13 signees, six are slated for the offensive side of the ball, including three wide receivers – Damon Cole (El Cerrito, Calif.), Octavius Evans (Center, Texas) and Cartrell Thomas (Lancaster, Texas). The Broncos also signed quarterback Chase Cord (Peoria, Ariz.), running back Drake Beasley (La Canada, Calif.) and offensive lineman Isiah Moore (Tiffin, Ohio). Moore is transferring from Mesa Community College.
The Broncos signed seven defensive players, including three each at linebacker and defensive back and one STUD. The linebackers include Breydon Boyd (Katy, Texas), Roman Kafentzis (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) and Zeke Noa (Spring Valley, Calif.), while the defensive backs include Jermani Brown (Midlothian, Va.), Tyreque Jones (San Bernardino, Calif.) and Kekaula Kaniho (Kahuku, Hawaii). The lone defensive lineman, Aisa Kelemete, played for Highland High School in Pocatello, Idaho.
The five mid-year signees included cornerbacks Marques Evans (Pasadena, Calif.) and junior college transfer Michael Young (Kansas City, Mo.), offensive linemen John Ojukwu (Boise, Idaho) and junior college transfer Zachary Troughton (Maxwell, Calif.), and quarterback Rathen Ricedorff (Show Low, Ariz.), the National Junior College Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year.
Whimpey, a linebacker from San Clemente, Calif., served on a two-year church mission in Milwaukee, Wis., and is expected to join the team this summer.
In all, the 19 student-athletes hail from eight states – eight from California, three from Texas, two each from Arizona and Idaho, and one each from Hawaii, Missouri, Ohio and Virginia.
1. Jermani Brown
JERMANI BROWN // DB // 5-11 // 175 // Midlothian, Va. (Midlothian HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-star recruit per ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals and Scout.com...all four aforementioned outlets have him as one of the top 30 cornerbacks in the country...ESPN rated him as the No. 10 player in the state of Virginia for the class of 2017...earned first-team all-conference honors and was a Virginia All-Star Game selection in 2016...named to the American Family Insurance Second Team ALL-USA Virginia Football Team.
2. Breydon Boyd
BREYDON BOYD // LB // 6-3 // 215 // Katy, Texas (Katy HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-star recruit per ESPN, Scout.com, Rivals, 247Sports...two-time All-District 19-6A selection, being named to the First Team in 2016 and to the Second Team in 2015...named a team captain in 2016 and helped the team to its eighth-straight district title and reached the Round of 16 in the state 6A Division I tournament...helped lead Katy to Texas Class 6A Division II title in 2015, a season in which he recorded 66 tackles and 6.0 sacks...Katy defense that season allowed just 62 points as the team went 16-0.
3. Cartrell Thomas
CARTRELL THOMAS // WR // 5-9 // 160 // Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-star recruit according to Scout, Rivals, ESPN and 247sports...named fifth-best receiver in the Dallas area by the Dallas Morning News...as a senior, caught 60 passes for 1,205 yards and 15 touchdowns, helping to lead his team to the District 10-5A title...hauled in 54 passes for 943 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.
4.Chase Cord
CHASE CORD // QB // 6-3 // 185 // Peoria, Ariz. (Sunrise Mountain HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-star recruit according to Scout, Rivals, ESPN and 247sports...rated 21st nationally at his position per ESPN, and 23rd nationally per Rivals...rated as the 11th-best quarterback in the west, per Scout...concluded his prep career as the state of Arizona's all-time leader in career touchdown passes (137)...through his four years as a starting quarterback, completed 528-of-829 passes for 9,493 yards...tossed just 20 interceptions...also rushed 391 times for 2,393 yards and 38 touchdowns throughout his career...senior year completed 149-of-249 passes for 2,721 yards, 38 touchdowns and just five interceptions...also rushed 74 times for 154 yards and six scores...was named district and section offensive player of the year, and also garnered section first-team all-league and honorable mention all-state honors in each of his final two prep campaigns...as a junior, completed 169-of-237 passes for 3,173 yards and 52 touchdowns, while tossing just six interceptions...also rushed 109 times for 1,059 yards and 13 touchdowns...sophomore year went 139-of-228 for 2,286 yards, 33 touchdowns and five interceptions, earning his first of three first-team all-section honors...rushed 146 times for 933 yards and 12 touchdowns...thrust into the starting role as a freshman, completed 71-of-115 passes for 1,313 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions...picked up 247 rushing yards on 62 carries, and scored seven times...played in and was named Offensive MVP of the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl...named honorable mention all-section...also lettered in basketball and track & field, and was a member of his school's honor roll.
