Biggest and best of the Broncos 2016 recruiting class

Here is where we tread into dangerous waters. Predicting how a recruit will pan out is far from an exact science. It wasn't all that long ago that Thomas Sperbeck, a 2013 3-Star commit with minimal offers, looked like a special teams contributor at best coming out of high school. Three years later, Sperbeck is easily one of the greatest Broncos of all-time racking up awards and receiving yards.

All that said, the Blue Turf team will make an educated guess as to who the best recruit from the 2016 class will be several years down the road, along with other predictions.

Best recruit in 2016 class: DL Chase Hatada

I could have gone with quite a few players here, but Hatada jumps off his highlight reel with insane quickness for a player of his size. He is quick, powerful, and has the frame to get even bigger than his currently listed 6'3" 260 lbs. Boise State has struggled to keep and produce DTs in recent years, but I think Hatada is an all-conference type performer in the making.

Biggest sleeper: DB De'Andre Pierce

Pierce plays for one of the best high school programs in the country. In recruiting he is overshadowed by several of his teammates and maybe even the star status his father holds, but his skills are legitimate. At 5'11" 170 lbs, he might be undersized, but he can hit and play the position. Don't be surprised if Pierce turns out to be a great player for the Broncos.

Best position group: Defensive Line

This undoubtedly has to be defensive line. The Broncos lose a ton of experience at this position and needed to replace a large number of players. But they couldn't just add bodies, they needed talent and they achieved their goal of obtaining it. There are several DL in this class that I think have a high upside, like Emmanuel Fesili, Curtis Weaver, and the aforementioned Chase Hatada.

Best bet for early playing time:

I think Boise State struggled to push the pile in the run game in 2015. They missed Ajayi's ability to drag defenders for extra yards. The team lacked the type of RB necessary to make such a push, and because of that I think RB Alexander Mattison, the 16th ranked RB nationally, is a good bet to play early. With a great blend of speed and power, I think he eventually is the #2 RB behind Jeremy McNichols in 2016.

Best recruit: Alexander Mattison

As Jeremy mentioned above, there are three or four players who could be argued into this spot, but I’m going with Mattison. He will become the highest ranked BSU running back as soon as he signs, ranking as the 16th highest according to Rivals. A strong power back who can excel between the tackles who won’t go down after first contact. Add in good speed and a 38” vertical to make for quite an athlete. He would be talented enough to come in and compete for playing time right away and end up being the type of runner that Boose missed last year without Ajayi.

Biggest sleeper: DB Reid Harrison-Ducros

There are many good players in this class who could end up being good college football players. I believe Reid fits into that category. On all the film I’ve watched of him, his footwork and fundamentals continue to stand out. He can flat out play cornerback. He has the combination of size (just under 5’11”) and speed (stays within a step or two of the WR when in press-coverage, good closing speed when in zone) to cover most receivers in college. He’s not short on experience either, going up against many D1 WRs in Texas and his recent stint with Team USA.

Best position group: Defensive Line

I want to first give an honorable mention to the offensive line. After a disappointing season, they were attentive to it in recruiting with two solid players, one high ceiling project, an athletic interior lineman, plus a grad transfer. However, the DL was the biggest need in the class and ended up being the most talented group. They were able to cover all four of their positions as well as have a blend of JUCO talent, high schoolers with potential to play right away and ones that project to be good players after developing for a year or two. Curtis Weaver and Chase Hatada are top talents, Emmanuel Fesili should eventually be a force at Nose Tackle and Derriyon Shaw was a good high school pass rusher whose skills will translate to the next level provided he puts on some weight. The future is bright at this position.

Best bet for early playing time: Cedrick Wilson

Again, I think Hatada, Mattison, and possibly Williams all push for early playing time, but I think Wilson deserves to be highlighted. This season at Coffeyville C.C. he put up 1,046 yards on 66 catches and 17 TDs, making him one of the best JUCO WRs this year. As a JUCO player, he is expected to play right away and in a contributing role as well. He could find his way into the starting lineup, but will definitely be within the top 5 WRs on the team. Standing at 6’3” the Broncos have a big play receiver with height for the first time in years. A player like Wilson is important for Boise State to be successful on offense, providing another option for Rypien and take attention away from Sperbeck. Both opportunity and talent align to set Wilson up for immediate playing time.

Best Recruit: Alexander Mattison

For me this has to be running back Alexander Mattison. He is ranked as the 16th best running back in the nation by rivals.com, not exactly a huge fall off from Damarea Crockett. Alexander has a great skill set that will translate well to what the Broncos have wanted out of there running backs. He will also provide some depth at a position that looked dangerously thin at times last season.

Biggest sleeper: Curtis Weaver

The biggest sleeper in this class to me could be Curtis Weaver. He jumps off The screen with his athletic ability at his size. He manhandled offensive linemen and even has the ability to split out as a wide receiver and catch passes he's the rare combination of size and skill. The only reason I consider him a sleeper is the fact that not a lot of people have talked about him because his recruitment has been Lost in the craziness of the last couple weeks.

Best position group: Defensive Line

This is the easiest question out of all of them so far it is easily the defense of line. Boise lost a lot of explosiveness and experience from this Group last season, but this class will go along way into reaffirming Boise State's defense of line dominance.

Best bet for early playing time: Alexander Mattison

Once again, this is going to be Alexander Mattison. He comes to the Broncos at a perfect time, they're in need of a second running back,and the answer doesn't seem to be on the roster right now. Mattison has a great all-around skill set and should be valuable when giving Jeremy McNichols a much needed rest.

Best Recruit: RB Alexander Mattison

Mattison was a huge need for the Broncos after Damarea Crockett decommitted and went to Missouri. I expect Mattison to compete for playing time early and being a compliment to McNichols in the backfield. Mattison should be the running back of the future that the Broncos were looking for.

Biggest Sleeper: DB Desmond Williams

When you watch his tape you see this kid all over the field. A lot of the time you see one thing and that is that Desmond may have been the best kid on the field and that’s saying something with the rest of the secondary getting scholarship offers as well. He is going to compete for the Nickel spot as soon as he steps on campus.

Best Position Group: Defensive Line

Everyone has already said it and I don’t have to add much to it, but the defensive line was a huge position of need. The Broncos shored up their defensive line which was in need with lots of seniors. This group could be a group that is on par with some of the great Boise State defensive lines.

Best bet for early playing time: Toss-Up

I could see this going two ways, one Alexander Mattison or two Desmond Williams. Mattison may be able to outperform some of the other running backs or he could be redshirted to give him time to develop. Williams is being recruited as a nickel and its a position that over the years has always had two guys rotating in. Take your pick on this one.