Dominant in the trenches; two Boise State players up for national lineman award

Preseason honors continue to roll in for Boise State football players. 

Junior offensive tackle Kage Casey and junior edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan both made the Lombardi Award watch list, the organization announced on Tuesday. The Lombardi Award is presented annually to the top lineman or linebacker in college football. 

Casey and Virgin-Morgan are Boise State’s first Lombardi Award nominees since 2015 when Kamalei Correa, Marcus Henry, Rees Odhiambo and Tanner Vallejo were all placed on the watch list. 

The 6-foot-5, 316-pound Casey has started all 14 games each of the last two seasons at left tackle. Casey, a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is also up for the Outland Trophy (college football’s top interior lineman).

Virgin-Morgan led Boise State’s pass rush unit last year with 10 sacks. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive weapon is also on watch lists for two defensive player of the year awards: the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

Seven other Broncos have also been named to preseason watch lists heading into the 2025 season.

Junior quarterback Maddux Madsen is up for two national player of the year honors: the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award. Madsen, the 2025 MWC preseason offensive player of the year, was also nominated for the Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback in college football). 

Madsen threw for 3,018 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions last year while running for 221 yards and five scores. 

Redshirt freshman Sire Gaines is on the Doak Walker Award (nation’s top running back) watch list. Gaines played in three games as a true freshman before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.

Matt Lauter, a senior tight end, is up for the Mackey Award (best tight end in college football). Lauter was the top receiving tight end in the Mountain West last year, leading the way in catches (47), yards (619) and touchdowns (seven).

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

Notarainni tallied 60 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries a season ago. 

Ty Benefield, a junior safety, and senior cornerback A’Marion McCoy are on the Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back in college football) watch list. 

Benefield notched a team-best 82 total tackles last year while also adding five pass breakups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. McCoy, who is also up for the Chuck Bednarik Award, recorded 11 pass breakups last year, tying for second in the country.

Senior Mason Hutton is on the Patrick Mannelly Award (nation’s top long snapper) watch list.