Broncos ranked by Rivals.com

Thanks to an alert reader, we found out that Boise State has been ranked #35 in the country by Rivals.com. Their countdown, which began appropriately enough at the bottom with Utah State and Idaho, has been going on for weeks now, and we had been anxious to see where Rivals would place the Broncos. And really, we can't complain. If BSU started the season at #35, there would have a good opportunity to move up into the top 25 in just a few weeks' time.

The Rivals preview was pretty standard, but it surprised us with its thoroughness. A George Iloka mention? Hailing the virtues of Vinny Perretta? Knowing who Brandyn Thompson is? We half expected an ESPN.com-style fluff piece featuring a follow-up of Ian Johnson's marriage and a take on the strong cornerback duo of Orlando Scandrick and Kyle Wilson.

But Rivals really stole our heart with this line:

If we've learned one thing the past 10 seasons, it's never to doubt Boise State – no matter what issues the program faces.

You can say that again. Although, if one were to learn two things from the past 10 seasons, the other might be that Fresno State never finishes ahead of the Broncos. Perhaps it will take Rivals 11 years to learn that one.

Boise State preview [Rivals.com]

Boise State football links

Here are some links to good BSU stories. Enjoy.

• Vinny Perretta could be seeing duty as a punt returner. In a Statesman article with quite possibly the worst headline ever ("Perretta shoulders adversity"), special teams coach Jeff Choate hinted that he wants Perretta returning punts when he's healthy. Fine by us.
  
• Boise State reeled in another recruit yesterday. Carson (Calif.) High's Jack Sula, a RB/LB who will be playing OLB at Boise State, committed to the Broncos. He was voted the player of the year by his local newspaper, and he turned down offers from Fresno and LaTech among others.
  
• Coach Pete will be racing BSU students, faculty, staff, and members of the community on April 5 in the first Beat Coach Pete 5k race. We would prefer a Beat Coach Pete Madden tournament ourselves.
  
• FOX Sports ranked Boise State #20 in combined rankings for football and basketball.
  
• Kyle Brotzman is hitting the weights to improve his kicking distance...and his odds with the ladies.

OBNUG roster update: receivers

Spring football gets OBNUG in the mood to speculate, so over the next few weeks, we will be making blind guesses as to who will be starting for the Broncos in the fall. We’ll do it position-by-position. Today: Receivers.

Boise State football starting receivers

Ideal candidate: a 6'6" Tim Gilligan



Worst candidate: Captain Hook



Actual candidates: Jeremy Childs, Titus Young, Austin Pettis, Vinny Perretta, Julian Hawkins, Chris O'Neill, Ryan Putnam, Toshi Franklin, Tanyon Bissell, Tyler Shoemaker, various others

OBNUG's pick: Childs, Young, Pettis, and Perretta; O'Neill as the traditional tight end

What a stable of receivers. Next to running back, this position is the deepest, most talented on the roster. The starters are pretty obvious (Childs, Young, Pettis), but the addition of Perretta is where things get interesting. Will he be the fourth receiver? Will he have his own special package? Will he start at QB? Who knows? We can't wait to find out.