By Mark Pszonak
With the official firing of head coach Andy Avalos, Boise State players now have a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal. Numerous players will be contacted by other schools with the hope that they make themselves available, but here are the five who will be the busiest in the coming weeks:
RB Ashton Jeanty
The skinny: Since every school is looking for an athletic touchdown machine, Jeanty’s phone would likely blow up if he were to enter the portal. The sophomore has rushed for 1,742 yards and 18 touchdowns in 22 games, including 11 touchdowns this season. He has also proven himself to be dangerous in the passing game with 44 receptions for 551 yards and four more touchdowns. If he does enter the portal, geography likely won’t be an issue since he grew up in Florida, went to high school in Texas and now plays in the Pacific Northwest.
Schools to watch: Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Cal, Colorado, UCF, South Carolina
WR Eric McAlister
The skinny: This one may be cheating a bit as McAlister already announced that he intended to enter the transfer portal before Coach Avalos was fired. However, now there are rumors that his firing may actually bring the talented receiver back to Boise. If he does decide to enter, the list of suitors will be long, as McAlister has plenty of highlight tape available from this season to prove his worth. At 6-foot-4 and 200-pounds, he had 47 receptions for 873 yards and five touchdowns in nine games this fall. Options would be abundant.
Schools to watch: SMU, Nebraska, Colorado, TCU, Texas
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LB Andrew Simpson
The skinny: The redshirt sophomore began to shine last season with 29 tackles, five tackles for a loss and three sacks. This season he has taken his game to a new level with 51 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks and an interception in 10 games. While he is a bit undersized at 6-foot-0 and 225-pounds, he has more than proven himself to be a productive playmaker at the FBS level.
Schools to watch: UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas
DB Seyi Oladipo
The skinny: Oladipo has steadily improved his game over the last three seasons, which has resulted in an All-Conference caliber season this fall. Currently with 48 tackles, six tackles for a loss, one interception, one forced fumble and five pass breakups, he has played like a veteran who would make an impact at the Power Five level. Also, being from Colorado, there is likely a certain head coach in Boulder who wouldn’t mind adding a hard-hitting safety.
DL Ahmed Hassanein
The skinny: Finding interior defensive linemen who stuff the stat box is not easy, but that is exactly what Hassanein has done this season. Through 10 games he has totaled 37 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and nine sacks, making him one of the more productive defensive linemen in the Mountain West. Playing his high school football in California, it will be interesting to see if he’ll be drawn back to the Golden State if the opportunity arises.
Schools to watch: UCLA, Colorado, Duke, Oregon, Washington
