Back-to-back for Boise State? Redshirt freshman running back on national award watch list

National preseason honors continue to roll in for Boise State players. 

Redshirt freshman running back Sire Gaines, the heir apparent to Ashton Jeanty, was selected to the Doak Walker Award watch list, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced on Tuesday. The award is presented annually to the top running back in college football. 

Jeanty went on to win the 2024 Doak Walker Award.

Gaines appeared in three games as a true freshman before suffering a season-ending ankle injury, running for 156 yards with 44 yards receiving. He recorded 151 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in Boise State’s season-opener against Georgia Southern.

“He can do a lot, I couldn’t even put it into words,” fellow running back Malik Sherrod said of Gaines. “He just has such a great build. He’s powerful, he’s strong, he’s explosive. I think me and him are going to be a real problem.”

Gaines is one of four Mountain West players on the Doak Walker Award watch list, joining Colorado State’s Justin Marshall, Fresno State’s Bryson Donelson and UNLV’s Jai’Den Thomas. 

Eight Boise State players have received preseason national recognition heading into the Broncos’ Thursday, Aug. 28 opener against South Florida. 

Junior quarterback Maddux Madsen was selected to watch lists for two national player of the year honors: the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award. Madsen, the 2025 preseason MWC player of the year, threw for 3,018 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions as a sophomore while running for 221 yards and five scores. 

Junior offensive tackle Kage Casey, a potential first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, is up for the Outland Trophy (college football’s top interior lineman). Casey has made 28 career starts at left tackle for the Broncos. 

Jayden Virgin-Morgan, a junior edge rusher, is on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player in college football) watch list. Virgin-Morgan paced the Broncos with 10 sacks a season ago. 

Senior linebacker Marco Notarainni is on the Wuerffel Trophy (college football player who best combines community service and leadership on and off the field) watch list. Notarainni is also a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

Notarainni recorded 60 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries as a junior. 

Junior safety Ty Benefield and senior cornerback A’Marion McCoy were both selected to the Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back in college football) watch list. 

Benefield notched a team-high 82 total tackles a season ago while also adding five pass breakups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. McCoy recorded 11 pass breakups last year, tying for second in the country. 

Senior Mason Hutton is up for the Patrick Mannelly Award (nation’s best long snapper).