Two Boise State players make ESPN top 100 college football players list

Earlier this week, ESPN released its list of the top 100 players in the country entering the 2025 college football season. 

Boise State had two representatives on the top 100 list: junior edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan (No. 48) and junior offensive tackle Kage Casey (No. 63). 

Casey, one of the highest-rated offensive tackle prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft, started all 14 games at left tackle a season ago as the Broncos finished 12-2 overall, captured a second straight Mountain West title and rea ched the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. 

The 6-foot-5, 311-pound Casey has received preseason All-America honors from four publications and is on the watch lists for the Outland Trophy (nation’s top interior lineman) and Lombardi Award (top lineman or linebacker).

Virgin-Morgan led Boise State’s pass rush unit during his sophomore season with 10 sacks. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound game wrecker is also on the Lombardi Award watch list and was nominated for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

Casey and Virgin-Morgan were two of six Group of Five players to make the ESPN top 100 list. 

San Diego State edge rusher Trey White checked in at No. 36, followed by Navy quarterback Blake Horvath (No. 50), Old Dominion linebacker Jason Henderson (No. 60) and Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock (No. 90). 

The list was created by five ESPN college football experts: David Hale, Adam Rittenberg, Chris Low, Paolo Uggetti and Bill Connelly. 

Nine other Boise State players have earned national preseason award nominations entering the 2025 season. 

Here are the 11 Broncos on preseason watch lists: 

Junior quarterback Maddux Madsen:  Davey O’Brien Award (nation’s top quarterback), Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award  (nation’s top upperclassman quarterback), Manning Award  (nation’s top quarterback), Maxwell Award (national player of the year), Walter Camp Award (national player of the year)

Freshman running back Sire Gaines: Comeback Player of the Year, Doak Walker Award (nation’s top running back)

Senior wide receiver Latrell Caples: Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award (top player from Texas)

Senior tight end Matt Lauter: Mackey Award (nation’s top tight end)

Junior offensive tackle Kage Casey: Outland Trophy (nation’s top interior lineman) and Lombardi Award (top lineman or linebacker)

Senior defensive tackle Braxton Fely: Senior defensive tackle Braxton Fely:  Polynesian College Player of the Year

Junior edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan: Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player of the year), Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year) and Lombardi Award. 

Senior linebacker Marco Notarainni: Wuerffel Trophy (college football player who best combines community service and leadership on and off the field)

Junior safety Ty Benefield: Jim Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back)

Senior cornerback A’Marion McCoy: Jim Thorpe Award

Senior long snapper Mason Hutton:  Patrick Mannelly Award (nation’s top long snapper)