After bursting on scene, will Boise State’s Green emerge as one of top Group of 5 QBs?
Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a series exploring the top 10 questions the Boise State football team is facing this season. Each article will be accompanied by a video featuring Idaho Statesman reporter Ron Counts and Boise State super-fan Jacob Bleymaier. The videos also will appear on his Bronco Bleymaier YouTube channel.
Boise State quarterback Taylen Green has gone from intriguing prospect to program-altering athlete in the blink of an eye.
Green, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound redshirt sophomore, was an unknown quantity when he took over as the Broncos’ starter four games into last season after four-year starter Hank Bachmeier decided to transfer. Bachmeier is now at Louisiana Tech.
Now Green is the defending Mountain West freshman of the year after he posted 2,042 passing yards, 586 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns last season. He has already proved to be one of the best — if not the best — athletes to line up at quarterback for Boise State, but the question this year is whether he can emerge as one of the top Group of Five quarterbacks in the country.
“I’m trying to be a leader for this team and take my game to the next level,” Green said in March. “Last year was crazy, but the lessons and experiences I took from it are going to make me better.”
Season analysis: Boise State’s offense hit rock bottom, then rebounded to end the year
Green took over a floundering offense that was about to be under the direction of former Boise State and Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter, who stepped in as interim offensive coordinator after Tim Plough was fired less than 24 hours after a loss at UTEP.
Green and Koetter were tasked with turning the season around after Boise State opened with a 2-2 record, and that’s exactly what they did.
Green went 8-2 as the starter, leading the Broncos to a berth in the Mountain West championship game, which they lost to Fresno State, and a win in the Frisco Bowl. The native of Allen, Texas, also rewrote Boise State’s record books.
His 91-yard rushing touchdown against Utah State is the longest run from scrimmage in program history. He was the first Boise State QB to rush for more than 100 yards in a game since 2014, and the first in program history to have multiple 100-yard rushing games in a season.
“It’s always a good thing when one of your best athletes is also one of your hardest workers,” Boise State coach Andy Avalos said. “That’s what we have in Taylen, and that’s part of what makes his future so bright.”
Boise State reveals timeline for ambitious renovation of Albertsons Stadium’s north end
Green was one of nine quarterbacks in the country who had at least 10 passing and 10 rushing touchdowns last season. He ended the season with a career-high 119 yards on the ground and three total touchdowns in a 35-32 win over North Texas in the Frisco Bowl.
Green’s new offensive coordinator, former Boise State quarterback Bush Hamdan, couldn’t be more excited about the leader of his unit.
“There’s no doubt that he’s special,” said Hamdan, who was hired last December. “Taylen can just do things most humans can’t. He’s got the speed and the long stride. He’s got the arm talent and he’s eager to learn, but like every quarterback, he still has room to grow.”
Where can Green improve?
Green and Hamdan spent the spring practice season focused on improving the young quarterback’s timing and footwork.
“Getting the ball out on time is one of the most important things a quarterback has to learn,” Hamdan said. “They can’t get it out on time if their feet aren’t right.”
Green said a big part of improving his timing comes down to studying film of himself and the Broncos’ opponents.
“I want to know presnap where I’m trying to go with the ball, which will help get it out quicker,” he said.
Boise State fans should be excited about the growth Green showed in the 10 games that Koetter was in charge of the offense. His completion percentage hovered around 50% in his first two starts, against San Diego State and Fresno State, but he completed 62% of his passes over the final eight games.
Still, Koetter insisted the Broncos’ young quarterback had just begun scratching the surface of his potential.
“He’s got some growing to do, but he can take this thing as far as he wants,” said Koetter, who had stints as an NFL offensive coordinator with three teams and also was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ head coach for three seasons. “He’s got the physical tools, he’s a smart player and he’s a hard worker.”
Green has been hard at work this summer. He spent time training with former Boise State safety Jeron Johnson in California, and he said he’s been working through routes with his receivers whenever possible.
Hamdan said the offseason work is critical because opponents have no shortage of game film to study, and their plans are going to revolve around making Green beat them with his arm, not his legs.
“The secret is out,” Hamdan said. “Everyone knows what kind of athlete he is. They know he can run by them, so they’re going to try to take that away. Now the question becomes, can he grow as a multidimensional quarterback? I have no doubt that he can.”
How does Green stack up nationwide?
There’s no shortage of talented quarterbacks in the Group of Five conferences this year. Here’s a look at the top signal callers, broken down into three tiers.
Green falls somewhere between the second and third tiers because he doesn’t have the body of work that most of the quarterbacks on this list possess. He is a better athlete than most of these QBs, though, and he has a chance to close in on the top tier with another big year.
Tier 1
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina — After flirting with the transfer portal this spring, McCall returned for his fifth season with the Chanticleers. He’s the only player ever to be named Sun Belt Conference player of the year three years in a row. He has a 28-5 record the past three seasons, and he’s thrown for more than 8,000 yards in his career, with 78 passing touchdowns and 17 on the ground.
Michael Pratt, Tulane — The junior led the Green Wave to a 12-2 record while racking up 2,684 passing yards, 25 touchdowns through the air and nine on the ground last season. He started nine games as a true freshman in 2020, and totaled 26 touchdowns in 11 starts as a sophomore.
Frank Harris, UTSA — The seventh-year senior was named Conference USA’s MVP after posting 4,063 yards and 32 touchdowns through the air and 602 yards rushing last season. He has a 31-9 record as the Roadrunners’ starter, and has thrown for 9,356 yards and 74 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,822 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Tier 2
Hank Bachmeier, Louisiana Tech — The fifth-year senior posted a 20-9 record at Boise State, throwing for 6,605 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Kurtis Rourke, Ohio — The fifth-year senior was leading the MAC with 3,256 passing yards and 25 total touchdowns when he suffered a season-ending knee injury last November.
Tier 3
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky — After leading Western Florida to a Division II national championship in 2019, Reed led the country with 4,744 passing yards last year in his first season with the Hilltoppers. He also ranked No. 3 in the nation with 40 touchdown passes.
Chevan Cordiero, San Jose State — The former starter at Hawaii posted 3,251 yards and 23 touchdowns through the air after transferring last season. He also added nine rushing touchdowns for the Spartans.
Davis Brin, Georgia Southern — Brin transferred to Georgia Southern this year after starting 22 games the past two seasons at Tulsa, where he threw for 5,407 yards and 25 touchdowns.
