Opinion: Maddux Madsen is One of the Country's Most Underrated Quarterbacks

Boise State football is coming off an amazing season.

Thanks largely to a historic season from new Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos ran through the Mountain West, and even gave then No. 1-ranked Oregon a tough battle early in the season. They finished the regular season 11-1, and followed with a domination of UNLV in the Mountain West Conference championship. They qualified for the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff, as the No. 3 seed. All good stories come to an end though, as the Broncos fell to Penn State in the College Football Playoff in the Fiesta Bowl.

While all of the media attention landed on Jeanty, one other player truly stood out in Boise: sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen.

Madsen’s season started on a very high note, as he beat out USC transfer and former five-star quarterback recruit Malachi Nelson for the starting job. Fans were shocked, but it turned out to be the best move for the Broncos.

Madsen had a phenomenal sophomore season. He finished with 3,018 yards, 23 touchdowns leading the conference in both those categories. The Utah native threw just six interceptions, having a 75.1 QBR. Against San Diego State, Madsen threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns to zero interceptions. Against San Jose State, Madsen went for 286 and a touchdown. Even in the College Football Playoff threw for 304 yards against the incredible Penn State defense.

These stats would typically put him near the nation's top quarterbacks, but Madsen was overlooked due to the strong run game Jeanty and the offensive line established.

Next season, Boise State will be forced to rely on the pass game much more.

On top of most of the offensive line returning, the Broncos have three key returners at receiver. First there's Latrell Caples, who put up 473 yards and five touchdowns last season after returning from injury. 6'3" Austin Bolt, who had 196 and four touchdowns, and the Chase Penry, who had 164 yards, also return.

Perhaps the biggest returning tool for Madsen: All-Mountain West First Team tight end Matt Lauter. Lauter caught seven touchdowns and averaged 13.2 yards per catch. Having many players with the experience of playing on two Mountain West championship teams truly give the Broncos a chance to succeed again in 2025.

As G5 Football Daily's Jorge Pola pointed out, "Madsen does a phenomenal job playing in rhythm. Paired with his quick and compact release, he consistently puts the ball in play right after reaching the top of his drop or slightly after—displaying a solid understanding of the offense."

Overall, Madsen is a phenomenal talent who has seemed to be overlooked. But while Boise State is counted out due to Jeanty’s absence, Madsen will prove why he is truly one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

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