‘Where I belong’: Boise State tight end had change of heart. Idaho lineman ready to work

Tight end Matt Wagner’s recruitment to Boise State was a bit of a whirlwind.

The Broncos’ coaching staff offered Wagner a scholarship on Oct. 27. Just over a week later, he was on a plane to visit Boise for the first time in his life.

“Besides the blue field, I didn’t know much about the place,” Wagner told the Statesman. “But from the moment I got there, every person, player and coach was so welcoming, and I could tell they really wanted me up there.”

Wagner, who was committed to North Texas at the time, said he knew his heart was in Boise as soon as he got back to Texas.

“I missed it as soon as I landed,” he said. “That’s when I knew Boise is where I belong.”

Wagner committed to North Texas in July, but he reopened his recruitment on Monday and committed to Boise State on Tuesday — just a few days after the Broncos beat the Mean Green in the Frisco Bowl. He was one of the 22 recruits that signed national letters of intent with the Broncos on Wednesday.

Early signing day: Boise State inks 22 recruits, including a QB from Rancho Cucamonga

He was also one of three tight ends who signed with the Broncos on Wednesday, joining Oregon native Oliver Fisher and California’s Cayden Dawson. Boise State tight ends coach Nate Potter said he’s excited about Wagner’s upside.

“Where he played in high school and the competition he played against, it just doesn’t get any better,” Potter said Wednesday. “He’s a big, physical specimen and a solid receiver, but he’s an even better person and has the work ethic to improve in his craft at a rapid pace.”

Backing out of his commitment to North Texas wasn’t easy, Wagner said. Wagner played at Rock Hill High School in Frisco, which is just 24 miles from the campus.

Wagner said the bond he formed with Potter and the uncertain coaching situation at North Texas helped convince him to switch his commitment. North Texas fired head coach Seth Littrell before the Frisco Bowl even though he led the Mean Green to bowl games in six of his seven seasons at the helm.

“We immediately clicked on our first phone call,” Wagner said of Potter. “I can tell he genuinely cares about me and wants me to be part of this program.”

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound native of Prosper, Texas, was part of the inaugural football team at Rock Hill, which opened in 2020. Wagner began his career as a quarterback, but he quickly realized his lanky frame and the team’s need at tight end offered a more certain path to playing time.

“Being open-minded about it was honestly the toughest part,” Wagner said. “My sophomore year was hard, trying to learn the fundamentals of the position, but I always loved the physicality. Getting my hand in the dirt and getting a little messy is my favorite part.”

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Wagner thrived this season, catching 47 passes for 592 yards and five touchdowns. He said it was in part because he still plays the game from the perspective of a quarterback.

“I understand how important the release of the route is and how every little detail is critical,” Wagner said. “It’s really fast in the game, especially from the pocket. When receivers and blockers are locked in, it makes the quarterback’s job a lot easier.”

Offensive coordinator Derek Thompson was part of a new coaching staff at Rock Hill this year. He said his top priority was to move away from the team’s run-heavy scheme and make his athletic tight end the centerpiece of the offense.

“I’d be crazy not to get him the ball as much as possible,” Thompson told the Statesman. “We were very versatile with him. We would line him up out wide, but he could also line up as a traditional tight end, put his hand on the ground and block somebody.”

In-state lineman ready to work

Owyhee left tackle Carson Rasmussen was the only recruit from Idaho to sign with Boise State on Wednesday. He joined the Broncos after a season that saw him earn 5A All-Idaho honors.

“It feels great to make things fully official, and I’m just ready to get to work,” Rasmussen told the Statesman on Wednesday. “I feel like I grew the most in pass protection this year, and my strength has always been getting in there and being physical in the run game.”

Rasmussen was the No. 3 overall recruit in Idaho, according to 247Sports. He also had scholarship offers from San Diego State, Air Force, Army, Idaho, Idaho State and Portland State.

Skyline wide receiver Kenyon Sadiq, the state’s top 2023 recruit, is committed to Oregon. Rocky Mountain tight end CJ Jacobsen was rated No. 2, and he’s going to Utah.

Rasmussen (6-5, 300) was born in Idaho, but he spent much of his childhood in Oregon. His family moved back to the Gem State this year, and now he’s a Bronco.

Boise State’s staff got to see exactly what he’s made of during a camp this summer, offensive line coach Tim Keane said.

“We put him in one-on-one competitions against highly touted guys and he didn’t even blink,” Keane said. “He went toe-to-toe and battled his butt off. He’s a worker and a grinder, and he’s just going to continue to develop.”

NOTES

▪ Boise State coach Andy Avalos said Wednesday that nine players will enroll early and be on campus by January. Eight of those recruits signed on Wednesday: quarterback CJ Tiller, linebacker Wyatt Milkovic, center Jason Steele, safety Titus Toler, wide receiver Chase Penry, defensive lineman Max Stege, tight end Cayden Dawson and defensive back A’marion McCoy.

The ninth player who will join the program in January is wide receiver Prince Strachan, who signed with the Broncos as part of the 2022 class but sat out this year as a grayshirt.

Originally from the Bahamas, Strachan never even put on full pads until 2019, but that didn’t stop him from racking up 1,406 yards and 17 touchdowns in two varsity seasons at John Carroll High School in Florida. His brother, Michael, is a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts.

▪ A couple of in-state recruits announced Wednesday that they’ll join the Broncos next year as walk-ons: Shelley High School defensive back Ryker Clinger and Bishop Kelly defensive back Cole Miller.

Miller was named 4A All-Idaho after he finished the season with 50.5 tackles and two interceptions.

Boise State also offered Bishop Kelly kicker Joshua Horn and Eagle wide receiver Ian Duarte spots as walk-ons in recent weeks.

Boise State’s 2023 recruiting class

QB CJ Tiller, 6-3, 200, Rancho Cucamonga (California) High

LB Wyatt Milkovic, 6-1, 233, Basha High, Chandler, Arizona

OL Jason Steele, 6-4, 280, Murrieta Valley (California) High

RB Jambres Dubar, 6-0, 200, Anna (Texas) High

WR Jackson Grier, 6-0, 175, St. Thomas Aquinas High, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

CB Franklyn Johnson Jr., 5-11, 175, Little Elm (Texas) High

OT Kyle Cox, 6-6, 270, Eatonville (Washington) High

OT Carson Rasmussen, 6-5, 300, Owyhee High, Meridian, Idaho

TE Cayden Dawson, 6-5, 232, University City High, San Diego, California

TE Oliver Fisher, 6-5, 225, Sherwood (Oregon) High

DL Michael Madrie, 6-4, 260, Argyle (Texas) High

DL Max Stege, 6-5, 250, Cologne Crocodiles, Germany

Edge Demanuel Brown, 6-4, 230, Dekaney High, Houston, Texas

CB Khai Taylor, 6-2, 174, Pittsburg (California) High

DB Ty Benefield, 6-2, 185, Crean Luthern, Rancho Sanata Margarita, California

CB Nick Hawthorne, 6-2, 175, Boswell (Texas) High

S Titus Toler, 5-11, 195, Wisconsin, Long Beach, California

LB Chase Martin, 6-1, 205, Thousand Oaks (California) High

CB Gabe Tahir, 6-2, 180, Kamiakin High, Kennewick, Washington

CB A’marion McCoy, 6-1, 170, Laney College, Atherton, California

WR Chase Penry, 6-1, 190, Colorado, Greenwood Village, Colorado

TE Matt Wagner, 6-5, 230, Rock Hill High, Prosper, Texas