NFL stars and Boise State Hall of Famers: Broncos find success with JUCO transfers

Boise State’s football program has a long history of plucking impact players out of the junior college ranks, dating back to offensive lineman Al Davis, who was an All-American in 1973.

Two former Broncos who played JUCO ball — wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. and pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence — are still playing in the NFL. Wilson just wrapped up his second season with the Miami Dolphins, and Lawrence made the Pro Bowl in his 10th season with the Dallas Cowboys.

Another former player discovered in the JUCO ranks, quarterback Joe Aliotti, is in the Boise State Hall of Fame. He led the Broncos to the 1980 1-AA national championship.

The formula for plucking good players out of the JUCO ranks is not complicated for Boise State. The Broncos’ blue-collar mentality matches well with what it takes to succeed at a junior college, edge coach Jabril Frazier said.

“You look at the JUCO route, and it’s not easy,” he said. “They don’t have those same benefits and extras that players get here, so they’re grateful for everything. Those guys want to come and work and prove themselves.”

Boise State has hit on a couple of defenders from the JUCO ranks in recent years. Former defensive end Shane Irwin led the Broncos with six sacks in 2020 and added three more in 2021. He played at Long Beach City College before joining the team in 2020. Irwin medically retired in 2022.

Last season, former Laney College cornerback A’Marion McCoy led the team with three interceptions.

The Broncos have added four junior college transfers to the roster for the 2024 season, including wide receiver Chris Marshall, who was a five-star commit coming out of high school and is ranked the No. 1 JUCO recruit in the country, according to 247Sports. They also signed pass rusher Joseph Marsh, linebacker Udoka Ezeani and offensive lineman Daylon Metoyer.

Here’s a look at the top 10 junior college transfers in Boise State history.

Top 10 JUCO transfers

1. WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. (2016-17), Coffeyville Community College, Kansas — Wilson started 18 games in two seasons at Boise State, and he racked up 2,640 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. His total of 1,511 receiving yards in 2017 still ranks No. 1 in program history for a single season. He was picked by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. After four seasons there, he signed a three-year deal with the Dolphins in 2022. He caught 22 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns in the 2023 season.

2. Edge DeMarcus Lawrence (2012-13), Butler Community College, Kansas — Lawrence posted 20 sacks in two seasons with the Broncos and was a Walter Camp All-American in 2013. He was picked by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2014 draft and has played for the team ever since. He’s posted 58.5 sacks and 20 forced fumbles during a standout NFL career.

3. QB Joe Aliotti (1979-80), Los Medanos College, California — Aliotti led the Broncos to a 20-4 record in two seasons as the starter, and he was named Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1979. In 1980, he led Boise State to the I-AA national title. He finished his college career with 3,460 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. His .636 career completion percentage still ranks No. 6 all-time at Boise State. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1988.

4. DE Tyrone Crawford (2010-11), Bakersfield College, California — Crawford led the Broncos with 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in 2010. In 2011, he ranked No. 2 on the team with seven sacks and was named first-team All-Mountain West. He was drafted by Dallas in the third round in 2012. He spent the entirety of his nine-year career with the Cowboys before retiring in 2021. Crawford started 29 games and posted 194 tackles and 25 sacks.

5. RB KC Adams (1994), Laney College — Adams’ 1,275 rushing yards in 1994 still ranks No. 10 in Boise State single-season history. He was named second-team All-America by The Associated Press after helping the Broncos make it to the I-AA national championship game that year. Adams was also a dangerous punt returner.

6. LB John Rade (1981-82), Modesto Junior College, California — Rade was named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year after posting 109 tackles, 31 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles in 1982. He was picked in the eighth round of the 1983 draft by the Atlanta Falcons and went on to start 112 games for the franchise between 1983 and 1991.

7. WR John Hightower (2018-19), Hinds Community College, Mississippi — Hightower led the Broncos with 943 receiving yards and eight TD catches in 2019. He finished his two-year Boise State career with 82 catches for 1,447 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hightower was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2020 draft. He spent 2021 on the Eagles practice squad and was waived in 2022. He joined the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad in 2022 and was waived in 2023.

8. LB Winston Venable (2009-10), Glendale Community College — Venable was a two-time All-Western Athletic Conference pick at Boise State. His interception sealed the Broncos’ 17-10 win over TCU in the Fiesta Bowl in 2010. After a five-year playing career in the Canadian Football League, he joined the coaching staff at his alma mater, serving as the Broncos’ director of player development in 2019. He spent two seasons as running backs coach before stepping down in December 2021.

9. K Tyler Rausa (2013-16), Riverside Community College, California — Rausa set Boise State’s single-season record with 25 field goals in 2015. Current kicker Jonah Dalmas broke the record with 26 in 2021. Rausa finished his Boise State career with 34 field goals. After several near misses in the NFL, he spent the 2022 season kicking for the Tampa Bay Bandits in the relaunched USFL. He joined the Broncos’ coaching staff as a special teams assistant last year.

10. WR Jerard Rabb (2005-06), Saddleback Community College, California — Rabb hauled in 75 passes for 1,158 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons with the Broncos. He also played a major role in one of the most iconic plays in Boise State history. Rabb took the pitch on the Broncos’ hook-and-ladder play against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, and he dove into the end zone to give Boise State the chance to tie the score in the final seconds of regulation. Rabb was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2007, but he never made the active roster. He also spent time on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.

Just missed the cut: OL Al Davis (1972-73), QB Jaylon Henderson (2018-19), OL Klayton Adams (2003-04), RB Antwaun Carter (2004-05).