Heisman sleeper? Boise State’s quarterback poised for breakout season

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty finished a close second to Travis Hunter in last year’s Heisman Trophy voting. 

Will the Broncos have another Heisman Trophy candidate in 2025 as they chase a second straight trip to the College Football Playoff? 

In a recent list by Fansided’s John Buhler of the Group of 5’s top Heisman sleeper candidates, Boise State junior quarterback Maddux Madsen checked in at No. 1. 

The 5-foot-10, 201-pound Madsen started all 14 games for the Broncos last season, throwing for 3,018 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions. Madsen also recorded 57 carries for 221 yards and five TDs. 

With Madsen behind center, Boise State finished 12-2 overall, won a second straight Mountain West Conference title and reached the CFP for the first time in program history. 

Madsen is +30000 to win the Heisman entering his junior season. 

“The best bet right now to potentially win the Heisman Trophy out of the Group of 5 would have to be Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen,” Buhler wrote. “Part of the Broncos' turnaround under (head coach) Spencer Danielson can be attributed to the confident play we have seen out of Madsen. He may not be the most physically impressive guy, but he plays with a ton of grit and poise that helps his team win big.”

Madsen received all-MWC honorable mention as a sophomore in Boise State’s run-heavy offense. 

Danielson and first-year offensive coordinator Nate Potter praised Madsen’s leadership during spring practice. 

“He’s been a great leader for our team,” Potter said. “He’s been operating really well. We’re trying to challenge him mentally in certain aspects, and he’s answered those challenges. He’s made some plays. I’m looking for him to be consistent, and he has been that. For us as coaches, it’s about continuing to find ways to push him to make him better, and then him becoming the best leader possible and being the engine for our offense. And so far this spring, he’s been doing that.”

Danielson said the Broncos hope to be more balanced on offense this season as Jeanty is now with the Las Vegas Raiders. 

“We want to be 50-50 balance this year, run to pass,” Danielson said. “(The run game) is a huge part of what we do offensively. I had questions asked to me, ‘With Ashton not here, does that mean you guys are going to be drastically different?’ We won’t be. Obviously, our offense, our defense and our special teams are going to be directly correlated to the players we have, but we are going to run the football. I believe in that as an offense, I believe in that as a team.”

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