Spencer Danielson, the Boise State Broncos head coach, completely torched the college football transfer portal after the recent loss of Boise State’s star defensive tackle, Braxton Fely. Danielson knew a question about Fely was coming, and he certainly didn’t hold back in expressing how he felt.
Danielson was very close with Fely, even to the point of Fely asking Danielson to officiate his wedding in May 2024. Fely was a big storyline in 2024-25, demonstrating the Broncos coach’s relationship with his players. Unfortunately for Danielson and Boise State, Fely chose to enter the transfer portal.
Spencer Danielson Torches Transfer Portal Trend After Recent Loss of Braxton Fely
Following Boise State’s first spring scrimmage on Saturday, Danielson spoke to the media for the first time since Fely’s departure. Danielson said he wanted to be “very calculated” in his response. However, he didn’t hold back regarding the impact the transfer portal has had on his program in recent weeks.
“I’m a part of his life forever and will love him forever, but I do not believe that was the best decision for him,” Danielson said of Fely. “For us here, I want our players to focus and place value over currency. You’re focused on one or the other. Yes, in value, there is a financial piece to that, which goes to coaches, too.”
“But there’s a lot of value to being on this football team,” Danielson continued. “How we’re going to develop you, how we’re going to grow you mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, by being a part of this football team and seeing we will make you the best version of yourself.”
Fely is the second defensive starter the Broncos have lost to the transfer portal over the past two weeks. Before Fely’s departure, Boise State linebacker Andrew Simpson announced he was also leaving via the transfer portal. This was another significant loss for Boise State.
The spring transfer portal window officially opens on April 16 and closes on April 25. This is only six days after the Boise State college football team hosts their big Spring Game. Boise State had a decent winter portal window, but things are only getting tougher here in the Spring.
Boise State lost Prince Strachan, its wide receiver, and Malachi Nelson, its backup quarterback. With NIL opportunities at more well-funded Power Four programs always lurking, having players poached remains a consistent threat, even for a thriving Group of Five program like Boise State.
When former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter announced his retirement in January, he posted on social media that schools offered Broncos players between two and ten times what Boise State could afford. He also spoke with KTIK’s Idaho Sports Talk and said that one “key starter” on the defensive side of the ball received $700,000 from Oregon. It’s unknown if either Fely or Simpson was the player Koetter referred to.
“We’re a top 10 football team. When you are a top 10 football team, there are a lot of outside forces that want your players. Illegally recruit them, or however they want to do it, that’s the space we’re in. That’s OK, and I’m not talking about that right now. We’ve got to double down on making sure our guys continue seeing the value of this place.”
Danielson takes great pride in the Broncos being a developmental program that produces not only great football players but also great people. He talks a lot about ensuring the players who come through the program are set up well for anything they do in life, even if they don’t choose to go to the NFL.
However, with the inclusion of NIL money in college athletics and the transfer portal becoming a much more significant part of college football, Danielson said that more and more voices players are listening to that don’t value those honest and sincere principles that he does.
“There’s a lot of agents out there that do not have these kids’ best interest at heart,” Danielson said. “I’m not trying to be negative about it; that’s just the reality. They get paid if our players leave Boise State and go somewhere else. That’s their job. They’re not doing anything wrong.”
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“But for a guy like me, that loves our players, that I know without question they will become the best version of themselves here, there’s a lot of misinformation out there via some of these agents. … These kids are getting misinformation from a lot of sources that do not truly care about them 10, 15, 20 years from now, where we do. That’s the hard part of this space.”
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