Boise State’s pass rush extraordinaire on 2026 NFL Draft radar

The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, and draft analysts have already moved on to next year’s class. 

Coming off a 12-2 season and the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance, Boise State is loaded with future NFL talent on both sides of the ball. 

Boise State Broncos on SI is highlighting Boise State’s top 10 draft-eligible prospects for 2026.  

We have already covered cornerback A’Marion McCoy, wide receiver Chris Marshall, linebacker Marco Notarainni, wide receiver Latrell Caples, offensive lineman Mason Randolph, running back Malik Sherrod, safety Ty Benefield, tight end Matt Lauter and are moving on to the Broncos’ No. 2 draft prospect for 2026: Edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan. 

Edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan, junior 

Two of Boise State’s biggest strengths during the 2024 season were Ashton Jeanty and a ferocious pass rush. 

With Jayden Virgin-Morgan leading the way, the Broncos recorded 55 sacks — the most in FBS — during their march to the College Football Playoff. Virgin-Morgan had a team-high sacks as a sophomore and finished with 40 total tackles (15.5 for loss), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery en route to first-team all-Mountain West Conference honors. 

Boise State edge rusher coach Jabril Frazier said the 6-foot-3, 253-pound Virgin-Morgan is continuing to add size and speed this offseason.

“He’s a guy who’s been putting in the work constantly, day in and day out,” Frazier said. “He had a really good spring in the weight room. He’s put on some more weight, more mass. He’s got more strength and I feel is even more explosive now. 

“He knows the role he’s going to have this year, similar to the role that Ahmed (Hassanein) had going into his senior year in terms of guys know who you are now. How do you handle that?”

Hassanein, a sixth-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions who had 9.5 sacks a season ago, was the emotional leader of Boise State’s defensive front last season. Virgin-Morgan has taken the leadership reins from Hassanein. 

“The one thing you see now with Jayden is the confidence he has in himself in his game and his leadership role,” Frazier said. “He’s been stepping up each and every day. The guys look up to him. When you’re able to make plays on the football field, guys are like ‘I want to look up to that guy.’”

Rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports coming out of San Diego’s Mt. Carmel High School, Virgin-Morgan redshirted during the 2022 season and made six starts the following year. He recorded one or more sacks in seven games last season. 

Virgin-Morgan is a prototypical modern edge rusher who is effective against the run and pass. Just like Ty Benefield, Virgin-Morgan has two years of eligibility remaining and could put off the NFL until 2027.