Boise State captain secures another preseason award nomination

Boise State junior quarterback Maddux Madsen, the preseason Mountain West player of the year, received another honor on Monday. 

Madsen is one of 46 players on the Walter Camp Award watch list. The Walter Camp Award is given annually to the top player in college football. 

Late last month, Madsen was named to the Maxwell Award (another player of the year award) watch list. Former Boise State star Ashton Jeanty won the 2024 Maxwell Award and placed second in the Heisman Trophy voting. 

The 5-foot-10, 201-pound Madsen started all 14 games for Boise State last year, passing for 3,018 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions. The dual-threat quarterback also had 57 carries for 221 yards and five TDs.

With Madsen behind center, the Broncos finished 12-2 overall, won a second straight Mountain West title and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Madsen, one of Boise State’s four captains for the 2025 season, received all-MWC honorable mention as a sophomore in a Jeanty-led offense. Jeanty, who was selected sixth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL Draft, ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. 

Five other Boise State players have also been named to watch lists for national awards.

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

Jayden Virgin-Morgan, a junior edge rusher, is up for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player in college football). Virgin-Morgan led Boise State 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, who recorded 60 total tackles last season, was also nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

To go along with his 60 total tackles, Notarainni also tallied 3.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries last year. He was voted first-team all-MWC and was selected to the 2025 preseason all-MWC team.

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

Benefield led the Broncos in total tackles a season ago with 82 while also adding five pass breakups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. McCoy tallied 11 pass breakups last year, tying for second in the country.