Boise State named redshirt sophomore Maddux Madsen the starting quarterback for the Broncos’ season opener against Georgia Southern on Aug. 31 in Statesboro, according to several reports on Sunday.
Madsen, who began last season as the primary backup to Taylen Green, edged out high-profile transfer and former five-star recruit Malachi Nelson for the job.
Nelson transferred to Boise by way of USC in January but entered college among the best quarterback prospects in the class of 2023, along with the likes of Arch Manning (Texas) and Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma).
Boise State Names Maddux Madsen Starting QB Over Malachi Nelson
Boise State enters the 2024 college football season as the odds-on favorite (-110) to repeat as Mountain West conference champions, per DraftKings Sportsbook. The Broncos also have the second-best odds (+400) to reach the College Football Playoff among teams from outside the four power conferences, behind only Notre Dame (-160).
Under the new 12-team CFP format, one automatic bid is reserved for a conference champion that is not in the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, or ACC.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
Spencer Danielson, who is entering his eighth season at Boise State but his first full season as head coach after taking over last December when Andy Avalos was fired, had said a decision on the starting quarterback would come soon after the Broncos’ second scrimmage of fall camp.
“I wanted to use the whole body of work, the whole fall camp – everything we do, the stats. The whole focus is who is going to help us win game one,” Danielson said.
“We’re not going to be in a two-quarterback situation. Whoever the starter is as we go through it will be the starter. Now, if they don’t play well and they are making bad decisions, we’ll make changes.”
Maddux Madsen (QB1)
Madsen offers collegiate experience at the position that Nelson does not yet have.
Madsen even saw playing time as a true freshman in 2022 after current Broncos offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter replaced Tim Plough midway through the season.
Madsen appeared in 10 games in his prior two seasons in Boise and has 1,234 career passing yards and nine touchdowns. He has also shown an ability to be versatile, rushing for 121 yards and two scores last year.
Madsen lost a quarterback battle last offseason to Green before supplanting him as the starter ahead of the New Mexico game on Nov. 11. But he suffered a season-ending injury in that game after throwing for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Malachi Nelson (QB2)
Nelson made big headlines when he hit the portal at the end of last season after an injury-plagued year with the Trojans. Those headlines got even bigger when he chose Boise State over other powerhouse programs.
Though he enrolled at school prior to spring practices, Nelson’s lack of playing time, adjustment to a new offensive system, and lack of familiarity with other skill position players was too big of a task to start the opener.
Nelson appeared in only one game, and attempted only three passes (one completion), for USC last season as he backed up Caleb Williams, the eventual top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
NElson threw for nearly 8,000 yards and 105 touchdowns in a storied high school career at Los Alamitos in Southern California.
While Madsen will be under center when the Broncos take the field in 12 days, it would not at all be shocking to see Nelson in that role at some point during the 2024 season.
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