Boise State senior wide receiver no longer with team

According to multiple reports, wide receiver Austin Bolt is no longer with the Boise State football team.

Bolt, a graduate of Boise’s Borah High School, struggled with injuries throughout his Broncos career. He caught six passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns in 2023 and notched 16 receptions for 196 yards and four TDs last year. 

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Bolt was in the mix to start at wide receiver entering his sixth college season. 

The Broncos must replace two starting receivers from last season in Cam Camper (now with the Jacksonville Jaguars) and Prince Strachan (transferred to USC). Camper led the team a season ago with 58 catches for 903 yards and four touchdowns while Strachan caught 25 passes for 304 yards and one score.

Boise State does return starting slot receiver Latrell Caples, who caught 38 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. 

Sophomore Cam Bates, one of the fastest players on Boise State’s roster, had a strong showing during spring practice. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Bates had two receptions for 17 yards last season. 

“He’s blocking at a high level, he’s contributing on special teams at a high level,” offensive coordinator Nate Potter said of Bates in April. “And when you do those things, you’re kind of seeing those big plays happen. Just the person he is, being around him … he’s just a phenomenal person. It’s fun to see him grow, and that confidence grow with him.”

The Broncos are also counting on Chris Marshall — a former five-star prospect who joined Boise State last offseason after stops at Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Kilgore College — to make the leap as a junior. Marshall played in just four games last season, catching two passes for 13 yards. 

“I mean, he’s obviously one of the most talented receivers on our team,  but he’s got to be able to do it consistently,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said of Marshall prior to spring practice. “Last season didn’t go the way he wanted or the way we wanted it for him and that can go a lot of different ways, but Chris has grown a ton in his time here. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. Obviously some injuries hit or things didn’t go his way … that’s old news.”

Seniors Chase Penry and Ben Ford are also in the mix at wide receiver, along with former Broncos basketball player Kobe Young.