Boise State transfers, NIL money, portal plan

For most people, this time of year is about spending time with family and enjoying some well-earned time off, maybe with a glass of eggnog and a holiday movie.

That will be the case for most of the Boise State football squad, which earned itself a long Christmas break after winning the Mountain West championship for a third straight year and playing in the LA Bowl last weekend — one of the earliest postseason games on the schedule.

But for head coach Spencer Danielson and his staff, this time of year is also about keeping the football family together for the following season and trying not to let the stress ruin a visit from Old St. Nick.

Despite the fact that college football’s bowl season and playoffs go deep into January, the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2 and runs through Jan. 16. That means players who are looking to move are already declaring their intentions — whether their reason is playing time, money or location — and being courted by programs across the nation.

After Boise State’s berth in the College Football Playoff last year, which led to the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve, the Broncos had to contend with some players going to the portal, such as wide receiver Prince Strachan (USC), linebacker Andrew Simpson (UNC) and defensive tackle Braxton Fely, who ultimately returned.

Things are somewhat less stressful this year, but the next couple of weeks won’t be that restful, either.

Here’s where Boise State stands from a recruitment and Name, Image and Likeness standpoint as the Broncos look to retool for 2026.

How does Boise State approach NIL?

A big indicator of where Boise State stands in the new whirlwind of college athletics is how much NIL money the program is able to dish out. Unfortunately, like most programs, it is tight-lipped about spending power.

Former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said last January that Boise State’s 2024 NIL budget was just shy of $2 million. Given Boise State pocketed at least $3 million for traveling to the Fiesta Bowl, and there was $8 million paid to the Mountain West to be distributed among its teams, Danielson’s team likely saw a bump in its spending power.

Danielson said that Boise State would see an increase in NIL spending from 2025 to 2026, but that it’s still not enough.

“Is it where we absolutely need to be? No, there’s still a lot of meat on the bone; we need to continue to push,” Danielson said Wednesday. “But it is an increase from last season, and I’m excited to continue to do that in the years to come.”

Danielson said he and his staff are busy prepping for the portal — including working with current players to keep them — but they won’t actively meet with anyone until at least Jan. 2.

The coach said Wednesday that some teams are already reaching out to players and attempting to cut deals, but he has made it clear that Boise State will play by the rules and not be involved in underhanded activity.

“If someone on social media says, ‘Hey, I’m going to transfer,’ we are going to log that to know, ‘Hey, blank player’s leaving, let’s look at some film and see,’” Danielson said. “But we are going to have zero communication with that young man until he’s on the board. … When the portal opens up on January 2, we can have communication.”

What is Boise State looking for in a transfer?

When asked which specific positions the Broncos might try to enhance throught the portal, Danielson again remained coy.

“We’re going to really look at it holistically, and we’ve got some spots left,” Danielson said. “I’m really, really proud of the class that we got coming in as freshmen, and we’ve got a few spots left that we’ll be looking at the transfer portal for.”

He added that the program is also evaluating junior college players, but isn’t going to “recruit a lot of them.”

Danielson already said BSU would not pursue a quarterback, putting his trust in starter Maddux Madsen and primary backup Max Cutforth, as well as the incoming freshmen.

Speculating on some of the team’s other needs, a veteran wide receiver is probably on the wish list. The only upperclassman set to return in 2026 is redshirt junior Chris Marshall. Behind him are exciting but more inexperienced underclassmen Cam Bates, Quinton Brown and Qumonte Williams Jr.

A good chunk of the starting offensive line needs to be replaced, with starting left tackle Kage Casey heading to the NFL Draft, and center-turned-left-tackle Mason Randolph and backup-turned-starting-center Zach Holmes both graduating.

Team captain Marco Notarainni is graduating at linebacker, but redshirt sophomore Boen Phelps made big leaps in 2025. Still, depth at that position is always crucial.

Players declare for the NFL Draft

Casey announced his intention to declare for the draft and opted out of Boise State’s LA Bowl loss to Washington. Casey didn’t even travel with the team to Southern California, and Danielson confirmed on Wednesday that he decided to keep Casey away from the team to avoid any distractions.

Fifth-year cornerback A’Marion McCoy, who missed the last month of the season with an injury, announced on his Instagram that he was declaring for the draft as well. McCoy ended the 2025 season with four interceptions, including a three-game streak of interceptions through October.

Junior safety Ty Benefield also could try to make it in the NFL. Benefield filed paperwork with the league last week to receive a draft projection and make a decision, and Danielson has said he will support whatever the team’s leading tackler from 2025 wants to do.

“It’s not a question of if he would be drafted, it’s a question of when,” Danielson said. “And he and his family are going to go through it and pray through it, and we’re going to go through that process in the next few weeks.”

Are any players leaving Boise State?

Several backups already have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal, including redshirt junior kick specialist Jarrett Reeser and redshirt junior offensive tackle Hall Schmidt.

Danielson said he doesn’t expect any major players to attempt to leave the program. One player who could be a target of other programs with lots of NIL money to spend is Benefield, but Danielson is confident that won’t happen if he decided to return for another college football season.

“I do believe that Ty and his family know, through how he’s been able to develop here, how he’s been able to play, the amount of NFL attention he has right now,” Danielson said. “If he decides not to go to the NFL, I believe that we would absolutely have a really good shot to keep him here, because he knows the best thing for his long-term future is being here.”

Danielson also has repeatedly said that a large chunk of the program’s NIL budget goes toward retaining and rewarding current players.

Boise State currently operates a tiered NIL model that provides a consistent package for players based on where the coaching staff believes each player is developmentally. Some of those groups include “guys that haven’t played, to played a little bit, to guys that are on the rise, to guys that are all-league,” Danielson said.

“I believe we’re going to find a way to give our guys really good offers. But more importantly, I need them to want to be here.”