Friday, February 8, 2008

WIR: Signing Day Bonanza!

Week in review (WIR) was really excited about the Letter of Intent Day event at the Big Easy in downtown Boise. But then it realized that the whole event was centered around two guys talking on the radio.

--Glendale's magic powers.
--Sign on the dotted line.
--The future looks bright...the WAC's future? Not so much.
--Say hello to the two-time Idaho player of the year.
--Nevada over BSU? Seriously?
--Shields out indefinitely.

Have a good weekend, Bronco fans. See you Monday.

Welcome to the family, various others

The rest of the BSU recruiting class looks pretty good. I couldn't easily find video for any of these guys, but there should be some on the scout.com and rivals.com websites. The future looks bright for the Broncos!


Darren Koontz
6'4" 265
OL/DL
Los Alamitos High

Chris Berman nickname:
Darren "Coo-coo-ca-Koontz"

Berneil Myers
6’2”, 265 pounds, 4.9 40, Offensive Guard
Westfield High School, TX

Chris Berman nickname:
"Ber-neil Diamond" Myers

Tom Swanson
6’7” 290 pounds, Offensive Tackle
Skyline High School, WA

Chris Berman nickname:
Tom "Swan Lake" Swanson

Spencer Gerke
6’3”, 245 pounds, 5.0 40, Defensive end
Bishop Kelly, ID

Chris Berman nickname:
Spencer "Gerke-jerky"

Bronson Durrant
6’3”, 270 pounds, Offensive guard
Marist High School, OR

Chris Berman nickname:
"Bronson-saurus" Durrant or Bronson "Duran Durrant"

Joe Kellogg
6’4”, 290 pounds, 5.13 40, Offensive guard
Saguaro High School, AZ

Chris Berman nickname:
Joe "What the Kell-ogg"

Greg Grimes

6'0", 270 pounds, Defensive Lineman
Inderkum High School, CA

Chris Berman nickname:
Greg "If you can't do the time, don't do the Grimes"

Jamar Taylor
6'0", 185 pounds, Cornerback
Helix High School, CA

Chris Berman nickname:
Jamar "Taylor made"

Welcome to the family, Tommy Smith

For the next couple days, we'll be profiling BSU's recruiting class. Enjoy.

Tommy Smith
6'1", 205 pounds, Linebacker
North Atlanta High School, GA

One of several strong linebackers in the recruiting class, Smith is the only recruit from west of the Mississippi. From the video above, it looks like he has a great nose for the football, and he brings a lot of power to his tackles. Kudos for graduate assistant Julius Brown for bringing him in.

Something to think about:
Will Smith die a thousand deaths from culture shock when he has to road trip to Utah State?

Chris Berman nickname:

"Tommy Gun" Smith

Welcome to the family, Tyler Jackson

For the next couple days, we'll be profiling BSU's recruiting class. Enjoy.


A nice interview with Jackson (hint: he's the one without the mullet).

Tyler Jackson
6'0", 185 pounds, Safety
Douglas County High School, CO

Boise State commitment Tyler Jackson picked up Gold Helmet presented by the Denver Post anually to the top senior football player, scholar and citizen. He certainly has the flair for the dramatic. In Colorado's 5A championship game, he definitely rose to the occasion:
And his punt block, his third of the game and one that could serve as a how-to
video, one he had instinctively recovered then returned for a touchdown in the
closing moments of regulation, went for naught. A penalty far from the block
negated the score.
Sounds like shades of Scandrick. Also reported in the article was a game against Rangeview in which Jackson intercepted 3 passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown in the span of 8 minutes and 36 seconds in the 3rd quarter.

The Bronco program definitely has a propensity for red-shirting freshmen so we probably won't be seeing him until to 2009 season. Sounds like he'll be worth the wait.

Something to think about:
How much would you pay for the Golden Helmet on eBay?

Chris Berman nickname:
Tyler "Apple Jackson"

Tyler Jackson awarded Gold Helmet [Denver Post]

Welcome to the family, Raphiel Lambert

For the next couple days, we'll be profiling BSU's recruiting class. Enjoy.



Lambert is seen toward the end of the game recap.

Raphiel Lambert
5’9”, 185 pounds, 4.5 40, Running back
Jesuit High School, OR

We can never have enough great athletes, so Lambert’s arrival is more good news for a strong recruiting class. Lambert was great at one of Portland’s best high schools, and he chose BSU over several PAC-10 teams. He will be converted to cornerback, but his prowess as a runner could be an asset on special teams. Lambert is a proven winner, having won two state championships in high school, and we look forward to what he can accomplish with the Broncos.

Something to think about:
Did Lambert do Smash Williams’ football scenes in Friday Night Lights?

Chris Berman nickname:
“Donatello” Lambert (and other permutations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Recruiting profile [ESPN.com]

Welcome to the family, Chris Potter

For the next couple days, we'll be profiling BSU's recruiting class. Enjoy.


Potter (#1) shows some good moves in the open field.

Chris Potter
5’9”, 152 pounds, Wide Receiver
Oaks Christian High School, CA

Size aside, Potter sounds like a great addition to the Broncos offense. Scouting reports say he runs great routes and catches everything thrown his way, which means he will certainly have a place in the BSU offense. He used to catch balls from Jimmy Clausen, but with the prep star departed, Potter stepped in at quarterback for the team and led them to the playoffs.

It might take him awhile to crack the lineup, but when he does, Potter should be a valuable addition. I can see him filling in nicely in the slot receiver spot and making big plays for the Broncos.

Something to think about:
How many times during his freshman year will he use the "I have Jimmy Clausen's phone number in my cell" line on an upperclassman girl?

Chris Berman nickname:
Chris "Potter and the clay"

Recruiting profile [ESPN.com]

David Shields to have surgery


This, from the Idaho Statesman:

Boise State senior linebacker David Shields will have another shoulder surgery this month and miss spring ball, Petersen said. It's unclear when Shields, who has started for parts of the past two seasons, will be ready to play.
This news appeared at the bottom of the recruiting story in yesterday's paper. It is interesting that there are so many good linebacker recruits in this class. Perhaps the team is expecting Shields to have a slow recovery.

Signed, sealed, delivered [Idaho Statesman]

Welcome to the family, Daron Mackey

For the next couple days, we'll be profiling BSU's recruiting class. Enjoy.

Daron Mackey
6'0", 230 pounds, Linebacker
Bakersfield College, CA

Mackey could be BSU's best recruit out of the 2008 recruiting class. He is a strong, powerful playmaker, and he was great at forcing turnovers in junior college. He joins an already strong linebacker unit, but here's hoping he finds a way to crack the lineup. He sounds like a player.

Mackey was the only juco recruit for BSU this year, so he comes into spring practice with an advantage over the rest of the newcomers. Normally, the Broncos have multiple juco transfers, but the emphasis this year has been on more freshmen. Perhaps the notoriety from the Fiesta Bowl makes the school more appealing to incoming freshmen, and we are able to find the quality players we need from high school. I would prefer that we keep our junior college recruits coming because they have had better experience against better talent, and they have matured to the point they can come in and contribute right away. I think Mackey will be one of those key players.

Something to think about:
How does Derrell Acrey feel at this point?

Chris Berman nickname:
Daron "Big Mack-ey"

Welcome to the family, Van Drumgoole

For the next couple days, we'll be profiling BSU's recruiting class. Enjoy.

This track video shows off Drumgoole's speed. He is the second leg of the relay.

Van Drumgoole
5'10", 165 pounds, Wide Receiver
Vallivue High School, ID

The first thing Coach Peterson noticed about Drumgoole was his speed, and judging from the above video, this kid has plenty of it. He may not be the ideal size for a wideout, but we've seen BSU do well with less. Drumgoole should help provide another level to the offense when he is ready to contribute.

Something to think about:
Is Van Drumgoole the fastest Dutchman ever?

Chris Berman nickname:
Van "Bang the Drum-goole"