The Boise State Broncos made a surprise run to the College Football Playoff in 2024 in large part because of the excellence of running back Ashton Jeanty. His junior season couldn’t have gone any better, as he finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up and totaled 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. His efforts led to him getting selected No. 6 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Expectations remain high for the Broncos, fresh off a CFP appearance, but who will take over in the backfield in Jeanty’s place?
What Does the Boise State RB Room Look Like Ahead of the 2025 College Football Season?
Sire Gaines (Redshirt Sophomore)
Gaines burst onto the scene in 2024, rushing for 110 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in Boise State’s season opener. He was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week for his efforts. Just two weeks later, he suffered a lower leg injury and missed the rest of the season.
His talent was on full display in Week 1, and he was expected to aid Jeanty in taking some carries off his plate. That obviously didn’t happen, but it doesn’t change the outlook of Gaines potentially getting the starting nod. He did miss time during spring practices with another injury, but should be good to go come the fall.
Breezy Dubar (Junior)
A four-star recruit out of high school, Dubar saw more action during his freshman season than he did a season ago. In 2023, he totaled 335 rushing yards and two touchdowns along with six catches. A powerful back, it’s likely that Dubar will serve as a complement to Gaines.
However, head coach Spencer Danielson has yet to name a starter, so he remains an option if he continues to show his skills in the summer and fall.
Malik Sherrod (Sixth-Year Senior)
Sherrod joins the Broncos after five seasons with the Fresno State Bulldogs. He suffered a season-ending injury after appearing in four games in 2024 but will be ready come 2025.
The former Bulldogs performed especially well two seasons ago, when he amassed 966 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, including 44 catches for 260 receiving yards and another score. He was an All-Mountain West Honorable Mention honoree.
How Sherrod fits into the mix is a bit of a question mark, but he’s easily the best receiving RB in the room and could easily fill in as a third-down back who will also vie for carries in a committee-style backfield.
Dylan Riley (Sophomore)
As a freshman last season, Riley contributed greatly on special teams, leading the Broncos with 237 kickoff return yards. He also showed promise out of the backfield, carrying the ball 22 times for a total of 135 yards and two touchdowns, with much of it coming in mop-up duty.
The highlight of his season came in a 56-14 victory over the FCS Portland State Vikings, when he ran for a 64-yard touchdown.
He’ll certainly get some carries in this offense, but it may be another year or two before Riley steps onto the field on offense as a stable contributor.
Seth Knothe (Redshirt Junior)
After spending his first three seasons with Boise State as a safety, Knothe is making the switch to RB for his final two seasons of eligibility. He was an Idaho first-team All-State selection at RB as a senior, rushing for 1,949 yards and 33 touchdowns.
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He’s a speedster and could be used as a gadget player for the Broncos offense; otherwise, he likely won’t see much time on the field other than special teams.
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