Kellen Moore receives award at Touchdown Club

Better get used to giving speeches, kid.

The Touchdown Club of Columbus presented Kellen Moore with their prestigious Award of Distinction on Saturday. Kellen was one of six returning NCAA players to earn the award at the Touchdown Club's 54th annual Sports Awards Banquet. Joining Kellen among the honorees with the distinction "Players to Watch in 2009" were quarterbacks Adam Weber (Minnesota) and Case Keenum (Houston), running back MiQuale Lewis (Ball State), and defensive standouts Kurt Coleman and Ross Homan of Ohio State.

The short press release can be found HERE.

Class of 2009 could have immediate impact pt. 1

2009 Running Back commit Malcolm Johnson

Boise State plays the best guys, period. If you don't believe it, look at the last few seasons. In 2007, five true freshmen saw the field, in 2008, Boise played 3 true freshmen and the starting QB was a redshirt freshmen. Yes, a youth movement is taking place at Boise State and the Broncos don't believe in "rebuilding", the Broncos simply reload year in and year out and 2009 looks to be no different.

—QBs—
Kellen Moore is the present and future of the Bronco program, garnering WAC Freshman of the Year Honors and Freshmen All-America status. With the departure of Nick Lomax and the graduation of Bush Hamdan, however, Kellen has little depth behind him. Right now, Moore has only Mike Coughlin and walk-on Drew Hawkins behind him and the Broncos took no quarterbacks last offseason. This year, things looked different on the recruiting trail and the Broncos look to have snagged some top-notch signal callers to add instant depth under center.

Joe Southwick, a 3-star prospect out of Danville, CA was the first verbal that the Broncos received in this recruiting cycle and may be one of the best. The 6'2" Southwick is rated as the #32 signal caller in the country and threw for 3,781 yards and 36 TDs this last year while running another 8 into the endzone. Southwick was named the All-East Bay Offensive Player of the year. Look for Southwick to redshirt next year.

Southwick likely thought he'd be the only QB taken in the '09 class. Well, things have a way of changing when you commit in May because by August, Nick Lomax had departed the Boise State program and QB depth looked to be a real issue. Enter North Gwinnett quarterback Mikey Tamburo—a Jared Zabransky clone that competed in Georgia's largest division and held offers from just about every mid-major in the Midwest. Tamburo is not the pure passer that Southwick is, but he is more of a pure athlete. Tamburo is a classic Boise State recruit...one who likely would've been heavily recruited by BCS conferences had he only been a bit bigger. A picture of consistency and a proven winner, Mikey threw for over 8,000 yards and nearly 90 TDs in his prep career. Tamburo is an intriguing player who may find his way on to the field sooner than later in option situations designed around his strengths. Still, I think Tamburo redshirts as well in 2009.

—WRs—
With Vinny Perretta graduating and Jeremy Childs declaring for the NFL Draft, Kellen Moore will have a few less experienced targets back in 2009. Speedster Titus Young will be back from suspension along with Austin Pettis (who snags every ball thrown his way). Hard to believe that in 2007, it was Young and Pettis foregoing their redshirt years to contribute immediately. Well, 2009 looks ripe for some newcomers to see the field and Boise State has some exciting commits this year.

Kirby Moore is the WR commit that grabbed the headlines nationally and locally. The "little" brother (he's 6'3" and 205 lbs.) of Bronco QB Kellen Moore was highly coveted in Pacific Northwest recruiting circles and this season became the national record-holder for career TD receptions. Moore is rated as a 3-star recruit by Scout.com and while he possesses a respectable 4.6 40-time, he is not a burner like Titus Young. The younger Moore will get the job done with his precision routes and great hands and I think he stands an excellent chance of seeing the field in 2009. You just don't get that many opportunities to catch touchdown passes from your brother and Moore will contribute right away.

The other intriguing WR commit for the Broncos is one that no one really knew much about when he committed in June. Aaron Burks is a 6'4" wide receiver out of Mansfield, TX who is already enrolled at Boise State. Burks did not play much wide receiver before his senior year, but managed to notch 500 receiving yards for the Mansfield Timberview Wolves last season. Burks will need to put some weight on that thin frame, but has good speed (4.5) for his height and following the lead of fellow Texan George Iloka and enrolling early can't hurt his chances to see the field in 2009. Burks should make the two deep rotation next year to give Kellen more options in the red zone. Imagine two lanky receivers in Austin Pettis and Aaron Burks running corner fade routes in the end zone. Can you say 'unstoppable'?

Can you say 'raw'? Boise State's third WR commit of the class is Geraldo Hiwat, a Capital High (Boise) product who is originally from the Netherlands and playing his first year of football. Hiwat is built much like Burks at 6'3" and 185 lbs. but may have a step on him speedwise. Hiwat will benefit greatly from more practice time as he missed a chunk of last year to injury and is still learning the American game. Hiwat is a likely redshirt candidate.

The Tight End position is one that the Broncos utilize more effectively and with more innovation than most teams in the country. Tight Ends at Boise State are expected to catch and block with equal aptitude and contribute to the endless amount of motion looks that the Harsin offense shows. Well, the 2009 class looks to have a nabbed a Tight End that can do it all. Trevor Peterson out of Placerville, CA is a 6'4" 220 lb. athlete with a big brain to match his big frame. Peterson entertained scholarship offers from Harvard, Utah, UC Davis, and SDSU. Peterson has a rare combination of size, speed and strength that may remind Bronco Nation of Derek Schouman, Richie Brockel and Jeb Putzier...combined. Peterson was a real steal for the Broncos in this recruiting class and will be a mainstay in the next few years, but with the current glut of capable Tight Ends, I say he sits until 2010.

—RBs—
Boise State has no shortage of quality running backs, but the Offensive Lines growing pains last year produced far fewer rushing opportunities than in years past. With Ian Johnson's graduation, the Broncos will be looking for a new feature back. The most likely candidate to lead the Bronco rushing attack is Jeremy Avery, but the Broncos backfield will be crowded with talent as DJ Harper and Doug Martin will get their touches too. Will a new face follow DJ Harper's lead and play as a true freshman in 2009? Could be.

The Broncos only picked up one running back in this class—but they got a good one...maybe even a great one. Malcolm Johnson from Sam Barlow High School in Gresham led the state of Oregon in rushing two years straight. His senior campaign saw him rush for roughly 2600 yards and 25 TDs. One game early in the 2008 season, Malcolm rushed for 458 yards and 5 TDs. Johnson's consistency and explosiveness will make him a mainstay in the Bronco backfield for years to come...but it's doubtful he'll burn his redshirt in 2009 out of necessity unless the Broncos have an injury in the rotation or he simply is THAT good. With numbers like Johnson has put up as of late, that may well be the case. Johnson held offers from Utah, UNLV, Air Force and Wyoming.

—LBs—
The Broncos look to have snagged some great linebackers this year and the recent coaching shake-up that moved runningbacks/special teams coach Jeff Choate to LB coach will hopefully pay immediate dividends.

John Michael Davis may be the star of the 2009 class. Rated a 4-star prospect and the #13 WLB in the 2009 class, Davis has good speed and a solid frame (6'1" 220 lbs). Davis battled through injuries his senior year, but should come in healthy and ready to go, and with the linebacking corps needing to replace outgoing Kyle Gingg, Tim Brady and Dallas Dobbs I wouldn't be surprised to see JMD make it onto the '09 depth chart.

Allen Mooney is another prototypical Boise State recruit...a little taller and every Pac-10 team would've been on him. Mooney is stocky and strong and just plain produces...he had over 100 tackles his junior year despite missing three games. Mooney also battled some injuries his senior year, but nothing that should impair his progression at BSU. Good pursuit and strong tackling will make Mooney an ideal middle linebacker for the Boise State system. Allen is rated a 3-star recruit by Scout.com and the #26 MLB of the class. I see Mooney redshirting in 2009 as Derrell Acrey and Daron Mackey will slug it out for MLB supremacy.

The strong side 'backer position in the 2009 class will be filled by a jack-of-all-trades with a familiar last name. Gabe Linehan out of Oregon played quarterback and linebacker out of Banks High and looks to come in as the third LB of the the Broncos' class. Linehan is an all-around athlete whose brothers Josh and Cole both played on the lines of Oregon and Oregon State. Linehan's bloodlines hint that he'll bulk up from his current sinewy 6'3" 190 lb. frame. Linehan's quarterback experience, athleticim and height will remind a lot of Bronco fans of Colt Brooks. I think Linehan will be a good one, but probably won't see real action until 2010.

Check back tomorrow for the an overview of the DBs and Lineman of the 2009 Bronco recruiting class.

New feature

Not faster than a speeding bullet.

You've all seen the celebrated Chuck Norris facts, right? Well, not even Chuck can hold a candle to our resident immortal, Kellen Moore (just don't tell Chuck I said that). So in the spirit of full disclosure, FFBSU (that's us) is trotting out a new feature: The Kellen Moore Fact of the Day™. They're kinda like Chuck Norris facts, but with less roundhouse kicks. You can find The Kellen Moore Fact of the Day™ in the sidebar right below the RSS feed buttons. Enjoy...and if you have a few obscure Kellen facts, send them to me right HERE.

Also, you can join the newly created Kellen Moore Facts Facebook group so you don't miss any.

Thank you sir, may I have another...

Boise State's crowded 2009 recruiting class may just get more crowded...and with another talented quarterback, no less. California quarterback Joe Southwick was the first verbal commit for the Broncos way back in May, and many thought that he was to be the only quarterback in the class...that is, until the coaching staff announced this summer that Nick Lomax would be transferring. The Broncos suddenly found themselves with very little depth at QB behind starter Kellen Moore and many suggested that the staff may go after one more signal caller. Enter Michael Tamburo, a Jared Zabransky clone out of Gwinnett High in Georgia who holds offers from a half dozen programs. Tamburo apparently visited the Boise this weekend and came away impressed...very impressed:

...(Tamburo) likes the turf, the school, the program, the city, the coaches … well, he likes just about everything that has to do with Boise State. In fact, the North Gwinnett senior quarterback likes the place so much he was on the verge of committing to the Broncos Monday night. Tamburo was wating to talk to the Bronco coaches before giving them his final commitment.

I guess as long as the coaches had their cell phones turned on tonight, we may well be seeing a new verbal in the morning.

``It’s where I want to be,’’ Tamburo said.

Did I say, "may be seeing a new verbal"...I meant, "will be seeing a new verbal". And that makes 17.

Not too shabby...


Story
Tamburo profile

Bush Hamdan has class

Bush Hamdan granted the media one last interview on Saturday and said a mouthful. Is Bush a little bitter? Maybe—but that guy has given his blood, sweat and tears to the Bronco program just like everyone else, so he has a right to be a little down...remember, he just found out on Wednesday that he lost the QB competition for the second straight year and to a freshman no less. Though I may have perceived a twinge of bitterness from Bush...I also saw a lot of humility, toughness and understanding. He said what he needed to say, but didn't throw a fit or throw anyone under the bus. We basically just see a guy that has given 5 years of his life and done everything asked of him, but came up a bit short. Just like if you or I were passed over for a promotion at work, when they decided the fresh-faced 20 year old with a BA was just a better fit. It stings a little, but you move one. Cheers to Bush for taking the news and his "new" role with a lot of grace.

KTVB interview HERE.

I like my crow with a dash of Frank's red hot sauce

Ok, so my "gut feeling" the other day was a tad off. This is what happens when you channel Hal Mumme's psychic abilities. Coach Chris Petersen has named his starting quarterback...and Bronco Nation couldn't be happier. The kid stays in the picture and Kellen Moore is the guy. Remember the other day when I said that I thought Bush Hamdan would be the starter? Well, also remember that I said that I was a huge Kellen Moore bandwagoner...so I definitely don't mind being wrong on this one. The very fact that Moore was in as tight a race as he was with a 5th-year senior spoke volumes about the poise and determination of the redshirt frosh. I really like Bush Hamdan and I think he has shown great leadership in his tenure here, but the next 4 years at Boise State may indeed be special with the same signal-caller guiding the offense...especially after these beefy youngsters on the O-line get some playing time under their belts. Petersen offered the following assessment of Moore:

“Kellen has just got great football savvy,” Petersen said. “He understands our offense extremely, extremely well and he has performed very consistently throughout spring ball and fall camp.”

If you were counting, that was two "extremely"s from Coach Pete.

Moore will be the first freshman quarterback ever to start a season opener when the Broncos take the field against ISU in 10 days. If Moore performs close to as well on the blue as he did as a Prosser Mustang, bookkeepers should have the white out very close to Ryan Dinwiddie's name in the Bronco record books. Moore and Coach Pete will speak at a presser at 3 PM today...even EF Hutton will be listening.

OBNUG has a conniption.
Statesman tells it like it is.
Clarence gets his wings.

Z is out-sky...

The Pittsburgh Steelers never really gave Jared Zabransky a chance. He never had the opportunity to show his skills or even duel with recent draftee Dennis Dixon. "Z" was cut by the Steelers on Wednesday to add receiver Marvin Allen to their practice squad. The worst part? Marvin Allen is British. I don't know why that is the worst part, but come on...he's a freakin' Brit! I thought that the Steelers admired Zabransky's spunk...does spunk mean nothing anymore?!

Once again, we wish Zabransky well, but he seems to be suffering the same fate as previous Bronco QBs...he just isn't really getting an opportunity. Maybe Z should head to the great white north and teach the Canucks a thing or two. We'll be following Zabransky's moves from here on out.

Story HERE.

A clean campaign?

Phil Dailey is a shrewd campaigner. Either that or he is some sort of freakin' clairvoyant as Dailey has boldly proclaimed that the quarterback job is Hamdan's to lose. Whether Dailey is really good at deciphering vague coachspeak or is of the mind that an Ian Johnson endorsement all but seals the deal for Bush we'll never know.

All I want to know is if Mr. Dailey, with his all-knowing power would be willing to grant me some hot stock tips.

Granted, I don't have access to practices like Phil Dailey does, and I can't command the awesome resources of the Idaho Press Tribune...but what exactly is Dailey hearing from the tight-lipped coaches that confirm his claims? Was it this quote from coach Pete...

“We might have more of feel now, but there’s no rush to set anything in stone. We want these to keep these guys competing and the best medicine for improvement is competition.”

Or maybe this concrete declaration by coach Harsin...

“Nobody is overall making a huge jump at this point, they’re doing what we ask them to do.”

Hmmm...maybe Dailey really looked into Harsin's soul when he made that statement and saw the profound commitment to Hamdan glimmering in his eyes. Maybe.

Heck, everyone's got their favorite (even Ian Johnson), but you're the sports director for the Press-Tribune, Phil Dailey...headlines like "Hamdan has QB lead" just aren't going to cut it when you can't back up that statement. Just admit that you are as clueless as the rest of us in this thing until about mid-August.

Dailey's psychic reading

Really?!

To say that Boise State Offensive Coordinator, Bryan Harsin keeps things close to the vest would be a slight understatement. To say that Harsin is a liar would be a slight overstatement. To say that Harsin is being extremely vague and diplomatic with his info would have squarely hit the nail on the head. Harsin yesterday insisted that no quarterback has really established himself as the frontrunner in the highly publicized QB race yet (roll eyes). He did, however, once again fail to include junior Nick Lomax's name among the QBs that he praised for their Spring progress. Not generally one to read too far into things...I am confident that Lomax's repeated exclusion from Harsin's interviews is a good indicator that at this point Lomax is sitting in the #4 QB spot. I also believe that by the end of spring ball on April 11th, we will have a clear favorite.

Luckily for us speculative fans, Harsin gave us a small inkling of how we might figure out the current pecking order:

He plans to give all of them time with the first-team offense this week in practice and reward the guys who play the best with more playing time in Friday’s scrimmage at Mountain View High in Meridian (3:30 p.m.).

Hear that? Take out your stopwatches to Mountain View High on Friday afternoon and determine who is getting the most time in the 2nd scrimmage...already knowing that Lomax is in 4th place (according to my calculations), we should accurately be able to determine the remaining top 3. After the first scrimmage, it looks to be 1. Kellen Moore 2. Bush Hamdan 3. Michael Coughlin and 4. (sorry) Nick Lomax.

One more impressive scrimmage out of Moore and he will be dubbed "the People's Starter"

Not-so-informative Statesman Article (step it up, Cripe)

'Gratest' website ever?

I believe that I may have unearthed possibly the greatest website ever...and it is titled: Ryan Dinwiddie Gratest(sic) Bronco Ever. Everything about this website is amazing. From the pea-green color scheme to the spelling and statistical errors, this site has everything.

The page's main header graphic, which reads: "Ryan Dinwiddie, an NFL quarterback" calls into question whether the website author was wildly speculative or just simply confused the CFL and the NFL.

Once the site patron clicks on the "About" tab, they are greeted with not only a rundown of Dinwiddie's positives and negatives as a next level QB, but also his injury and DUI statistics. And as you peruse this valuable Ryan Dinwiddie info, you are treated to this rare photo of Dinwiddie (when he was a black, partial amputee linebacker that played for Texas). WOW! The "About" page then offers the following analysis:

Smart, productive collegiate cornerback with marginal skills for the next level.

The hits just keep coming!

If you want more important Ryan Dinwiddie info, be sure to check out the "Report" page which highlights one of Dinwiddie's ultimate downfalls:

He has a good delivery, but will drop his arm to a ¾ angle at times.

If only Dinwiddie could've sorted out that 3/4 angle thing...he'd probably be a Pro-Bowler by now.

Be sure to browse the links page for free life insurance quotes and to visit the Wide "Word" of Sports. Thanks!

Ahh, screw it...check out the "Gratest" website for yourself HERE

Sorry, Bart

I'm one link down today as I just went to the venerable Bart Hendricks' blog only to discover that it has become something...well...different. No longer is it chock-full of interesting Bart Hendricks-ness but has turned into a poor man's AgencySpy or something. I'm really not sure what it is, or what Bart's role is on the page. One thing is for sure...it isn't about Bronco football, Bart Hendricks, or a combination of the two. I'm sorry to say that I will no longer be offering a link to Bart Hendricks' blog from this site. I hope that Bart will not lose too much sleep over this. Does Zabransky have a blog?

A Four Horse Race...

No, I didn't say "Four Horsemen"...


I said..."Four Horse Race" — And that looks to be exactly what we have shaping up for the 2007-08 season of Bronco Football. The race, of course, is to see which player is going to step up and become the starting Bronco QB.

The winner will have sizeable shoes to fill, following Fiesta Bowl hero and NCAA 08 cover boy Jared Zabransky who went 34-5 as a starter at BSU. The QB will also find himself in the shadow of other great Bronco QBs like Ryan Dinwiddie and Bart Hendricks. One thing is for sure, the Broncos have had a hot streak of quarterbacks and have recruited this position very well throughout their history.

So...who's it going to be? Coaches and fans are hoping that a front-runner will emerge as Spring turns into Fall, but at this point it is for the pundits and fans to speculate.

First off is senior Taylor Tharp, who has been an able backup for the last two years, but hasn't blown away fans with his athleticism or other intangibles. Tharp is clearly the most experienced Bronco of the 4, and should know the playbook like the back of his hand, but so far in Spring Ball has not dazzled fans or coaches. Another obstacle that Tharp may face is being a senior...would the coaches rather start an underclassmen to let them evolve or go with Tharp for his Bronco football swan song? The coaches have made it clear that the best man will see the field this year, but if Tharp even so much as "ties" in this race with an underclassman, you can bet that they will get the nod over the senior. Tharp will need to step up in the remaining scrimmages and solidify his position as the front-runner or he may see his time with the first-teamers diminish as we close in on the Weber St. opener.

Next in line is junior Bush Hamdan. Clearly the most athletic of the group and the QB most likely to remind fans of Zabransky. Hamdan does not possess the blazing speed of Zabransky, but he is mobile and has good escapability — he also has one of the stronger arms. Hamdan did very well for himself at the first Spring Scrimmage, completing 8 of 11 passes for 98 yards, but it is hard to tell at this point if the pecking order has shifted. Hamdan is the shortest of the 4 quarterbacks and has somewhat of a sidearm throwing style — this worries some that think this may be a hindrance against tall, http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.giffast lineman. Hamdan did have at least one pass knocked down in the first scrimmage. Hamdan has shown really well in scrimmages the last few years, but was still been unable to snatch the backup job from Tharp, which leads many to believe that some other issues are at play. In an interview recently, coach Chris Petersen hinted that Hamdan's main obstacle right now is mental, in that he gets down on himself when he makes mistakes on the field. Hamdan gives it all on the field and I think he is going to make a very significant run at the starting job this year.

Nick Lomax is a sophomore and the tallest of the bunch. The son of former NFL quarterback Neil Lomax, Nick was the 2005 Scout Team Player of the Year and has had high expectations heaped upon him since his arrival. Lomax is virtually untested, however, and the first Spring Scrimmage was not his best outing, going only 6 of 14 with an INT to boot. Lomax seems to be the slowest of the 4 hopefuls, and does not possess great arm strength. He has a decent pocket presence — and his height is a major positive. If Lomax doesn't make a strong move, and soon, he may see his snap count fall dramatically throughout the remainder of spring and fall as the coaches try to narrow the field.

Last, but certainly not least, is Freshman Mike Coughlin. Coughlin, the 2006 Scout Team Player of the Year, has tremendous upside as he:
• is the youngest of the 4 quarterbacks
• is the second tallest at 6'5"
• possesses very good arm strength
• is familiar with the Boise State offense, perhaps beyond his years, since he ran a very similar one in high school.

Coughlin's stats in the first Spring Scrimmage were just a hair's breadth worse than top-performer Hamdan's as he went 8 of 12 for 90 yards — Very impressive for a Redshirt Frosh. If Coughlin can duplicate his great performance in the subsequent Spring scrimmages, he may be able to buy himself some valuable time with the first team. Coughlin has been the subject of intense hype, but has so far lived up to his billing. Many Bronco fans are salivating at the prospect of a four-year starter, but time will tell whether this youngster can survive the rigors of spring ball to emerge as a favorite for the spot.

If I handicap the race today, here is how my list would look:

1. Hamdan
2. Coughlin
3. Tharp
4. Lomax

I will report back on this after the next two scrimmages and give my input. Please leave your comments here on this topic.