Former Broncos basketball player returns to Boise State to play football

In an interview with KTVB, Young said that he had become burnt out on basketball and texted Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson out of the blue about trying out for the football team. 

“He was like ‘We need a receiver right now,’ and he wanted me to come out and do a workout,” Young said in the KTVB interview. “And it went well, and I got an offer to come back to play football.”

Young played football and basketball for Washington’s Chiawana High School. He was rated a three-star wide receiver prospect by 247Sports and the No. 31 overall recruit in Washington for the Class of 2021. 

Young ultimately chose to play basketball in college for the Broncos and head coach Leon Rice, but the versatile athlete is eager to get back to football. 

“I haven’t touched the gridiron in five years,” Young said. “But when I went and worked out with (wide receivers coach Matt) Miller, he said that he was impressed with how good I was for not having on cleats for so long. That’s obviously a good sign, and I’m willing to work as hard as it takes.”

Young appeared in 52 total basketball games for the Broncos in a reserve role. He averaged 7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds for Cal State Fullerton as a junior.

Young will enter the 2025 season as a fourth-year senior with a redshirt year available. 

The Broncos are thin at wide receiver behind Latrell Caples, who had 38 catches for 473 yards and five touchdowns last season. 

Boise State is up to 17 transfer portal additions since the end of last season. 

Here are the Broncos’ 17 transfer portal additions:

Kicker Colton Boomer (UCF)

Edge rusher Camden DeGraw-Tryall (Washington State)

Punter Oscar Doyle (Weber State)

Defensive back Demetrius Freeney (Arizona)

Defensive back Derek Ganter Jr. (Eastern Washington)

Long snapper Hunter Higham (Hawaii)

Kicker Evan Kiely (Sacramento State)

Edge rusher Sterling Lane II (Arizona)

Defensive lineman David Latu (BYU)

Defensive lineman Keanu Mailoto (Arizona)

Defensive back Jaden Mickey (Notre Dame)

Running back Malik Sherrod (Fresno State)

Offensive lineman Alma Taleni (Utah)

Offensive lineman Miles Walker (Ohio State)

Defensive lineman Dion Washington (Hawaii)

Edge rusher Malakai Williams (Idaho)

Wide receiver Kobe Young (Cal State Fullerton)

Here are the Broncos’ 18 scholarship transfer portal losses:

Defensive lineman Demanuel Brown Jr. (New Mexico State)

Running back Kaden Dudley

Linebacker Udoka Ezeani (UTEP)

Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds (Oregon)

Tight end Oliver Fisher (Idaho)

Wide receiver Jackson Grier (Appalachian State)

Edge rusher Nick Hawthorne (UMass)

Wide receiver Tyrone Jackson 

Edge rusher Joseph Marsh

Wide receiver Zamondre Merriweather

Linebacker Wyatt Milkovic (Western Illinois)

Quarterback Malachi Nelson (UTEP)

Linebacker Andrew Simpson (North Carolina)

Wide receiver Prince Strachan (USC)

Safety Gabe Tahir (Idaho State)

Cornerback Khai Taylor

Cornerback Dionte Thornton (Portland State)

Defensive lineman Tyler Wegis