Boise State To Face Potential No. 1 Overall Nfl Draft Pick In 2026 College Football Season Opener

Boise State’s first crippled arsenic a personnel of nan Pac-12 will beryllium connected nan roadworthy against a erstwhile Pac-12 power. 

The Broncos are group to unfastened nan 2026 assemblage shot play astatine Oregon connected Saturday, Sept. 5. 

The Ducks, who fell to Indiana successful nan semifinals of this year’s College Football Playoff, will beryllium replacing violative coordinator Will Stein (Kentucky’s caller caput coach), protect coordinator Tosh Lupoi (California caput coach) and respective effect players connected some sides of nan ball, including tight extremity Kenyon Sadiq and information Dillon Thieneman. 

Oregon will person certainty astatine nan backmost position arsenic Dante Moore announced connected Wednesday that he is returning to schoolhouse for his inferior season. Moore was expected to beryllium nan No. 2 backmost imaginable successful nan 2026 NFL Draft down Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. 

“With this decision, chiefly each my life has conscionable been astir being arsenic astir prepared arsenic I tin for immoderate business I spell into,” Moore said during an quality connected ESPN’s SportsCenter. “And erstwhile it comes to maine making my decision, I conscionable want to do what's champion for my situation, particularly arsenic a quarterback.”

Moore began his assemblage profession astatine UCLA and transferred aft his freshman season. He backed up Dillon Gabriel past twelvemonth arsenic nan Ducks won nan Big Ten and earned nan No. 1 wide seed for nan inaugural 12-team CFP. 

As a redshirt sophomore, Moore started each 15 games for nan Ducks and completed 296 of 412 passes (71.8 percent) for 3,565 yards pinch 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He besides ran for 156 yards and 2 much scores. 

The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Moore is expected to beryllium 1 of nan apical prospects successful a loaded 2027 quarterbacks class.

Boise State will besides person an knowledgeable backmost astatine Autzen Stadium successful senior-to-be Maddux Madsen, who started nan past 2 seasons for nan Broncos. 

Madsen vanished his inferior twelvemonth 176 of 302 passing (58 percent) for 2,334 yards pinch 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He missed nan last 3 games of nan regular play pinch a little limb wounded but returned for nan Mountain West title game, starring nan Broncos (9-5) to a 3rd consecutive title. 

It was an up-and-down run for Madsen, who started successful 4 of Boise State’s 5 losses. He went 55 of 103 passing (54 percent) for 487 yards pinch 1 touchdown and six interceptions successful nan losses. Madsen didn’t decorativeness 2 of nan games — including nan LA Bowl — owed to injury.

In his 5 profession appearances against Power Four teams, Madsen has 2 passing touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He completed 17 of 40 passes for 148 yards pinch 1 touchdown and nary interceptions during Boise State’s 37-34 nonaccomplishment astatine Oregon successful September 2024.