Uno mas.

I'm just simply running out of recruiting-related headline puns. Boise State appears to have secured verbal commit #9 as of today with the nod from athlete Gabe Linehan from Banks, Oregon. Linehan is listed by scout.com as a linebacker and quarterback. Chances are good that Linehan will come to Boise State as a linebacker or tight end, but judging from his bloodlines, could get much bigger and fill another role. Linehan is 6'4" and weighs 205 lbs., but has one brother, Josh, who is 6'4" and 308 lbs. that played OT for the Oregon State Beavers and another brother, Cole, who is 6'4" and 300 lbs. that plays DT for the Oregon Ducks. Well, Gabe is 6'4"—could he pack on a hundy and be another D1 lineman like his bros? Who knows? Linehan appears to have the proper genes to be a big, athletic kid.

Linehan has good judgement in choosing schools, maybe not so much on evaluating coaching staffs:

"They offered me about a week later and I accepted it. I'm committed. It's 100 percent. Oregon State is a dream school, but at tight end, there's no better place than Boise State with their spread offense. Sometimes they run two tight ends. And I didn't think you could get better than the Oregon State coaching staff, but the Boise State staff is right up there too. It's going to be a great fit for me.

You just did better, Gabe...you just did.

Boise State recruits for 2009 are all trying to cram through the door at the same time, creating a comical Three Stooges effect. Keep'em coming!

Damn pt. 2 (this time, in a good way)

Well, Boise State fans who were downtrodden this morning at the news of Darren Markle's WSU commitment now have reason to rejoice. WLB John Michael Davis from Tesoro, CA has given a verbal commitment to play for the Broncos according to Rivals.com. Davis is 6'2" and 225 lbs. runs a 4.59 40. Davis is also rated by Scout.com as the #14 WLB in the country. Davis joins an impressive group of early commits for the Broncos, that now stands at 5 recruits.

Needless to say, Boise State is off to a fantastic start for their '09 class. Let's hope these verbals stick.

Fantastic four

With June barely dawning and Fall camp right around the corner, no one is really thinking that much about the 2009 recruiting class. Heck, most of the '08 recruits haven't even set foot on campus yet—however, Boise State has already secured their 4th verbal commitment of the '09 class. Malcolm Johnson, a 6 foot-ish 185 lb. runningback out of Gresham, Oregon, had his verbal confirmed by Rivals.com yesterday. Johnson, rated the #67 back and a 3-star recruit after his junior year by Scout is regarded by many as the premier back in the state of Oregon. Malcolm was teammates with current Bronco linebacker Dan Paul, who played both Offensive Line and linebacker for the Bruins. Johnson was the 2007 Mt. Hood offensive player of the year and has racked up 3 straight 1st team all-state honors. At one point in his previous campaigns, Johnson threw down 29 rushes for 379 yards and 6 TDs. To say that Boise State looks to have got a good one would be a slight understatement as Johnson looked poised to garner a slew of Pac-10 offers after already being eyed by in-state programs Oregon and Oregon State. Check out Malcolm below or surreptitiously check him out at Boise State's summer camp next week if you can't wait.

Boise State lands Canadian bowling ball

Boise State has done well up north. Mike G. Williams, Josh Bean, Andrew Woodruff, etc. were all Canucks. Well, it looks like Boise State may have landed another solid (and we mean solid) Canadian recruit in DT Mike Atkinson. Atkinson is 6'1" and weighs 330 lbs. (in Canadian lbs., that is) Atkinson will join the team this summer and will no doubt contend for playing time right away. Coach Kwiatkowski likes what he sees:

"What stood out from watching film is how athletic he is for a big guy,"

Ya think?


That run reminded me of Andy Avalos in the 2004 Liberty Bowl.

Read more about Atkinson here.

We're proud to have you, Jack!

If you read this article about the latest Bronco commit, Jack Sula, and aren't excited to have this kid coming to the blue...well then you, sir have no heart.

We're awfully proud to have you Jack, you and your family are part of Bronco Nation now.

ESPN article

Sula headed to Boise State

Not to be confused with Mr. Sulu, Don Shula, or Indiana Jones' trusted ally Sala...LB/RB Jack Sula is headed to Boise State. Apparently, a late qualifier, Sula will hopefully live up to the hype provided by his un-biased high school coach:

"It's a good fit for Jack, and it's a steal for Boise," Carson coach Mike Christensen said. "I told Coach (Chris) Petersen that Jack was the best all-around player I've coached, just his attitude, his ability. He should do very well. I told him that it would not surprise me if Jack leads them back to the Fiesta Bowl or a BCS game."

Can't say I'm bummed to hear of one more linebacker in the mix. You can check out the story here if you would like to read more and don't get annoyed by an excessive amount of flash banners.

Here's what ESPN had to say about Sula...who had offers from Washington and Nevada amongst others:

Sula is a well-rounded running back prospect who does not possess elite skill in one area, but can move the chains with the ball in his hands. Possesses adequate height with an athletically-built frame that should continue to fill out with lean bulk. Best asset as a running back prospect may be his soft hands and receiving skills out of the backfield. Plucks the ball well in stride, transitions quickly upfield and extends well away from his frame for the difficult grab. Could develop into a fine 3rd down back despite his lack of great speed and elusiveness. As a runner, he hits the hole quickly and can break through the initial wave of arm tackles when he decides to square up his shoulder pads and run downhill. Not real explosive or sudden when he finds a crease but is a smooth, natural runner who glides a bit with his nice stride. While he occasionally flashes good leg drive, balance, lean and the ability to break tackles as an in-line runner, his power is inconsistent. At times he will run east-west instead of hitting it up hard inside. Light through his hips and lower-body limiting yards after contact. Movement skills and lateral quickness are marginal in the open field and he lacks a second gear and top-end speed. Shows some ability at linebacker and could develop there if his current speed does not transition well on offense. Would need to add good size and play with more physicality if he makes the move. Sula possesses good versatility as a prospect and his best days could be a head of him as a prospect.

Intriguing development, no?