296lb Star Hits Transfer Portal Despite Making College Football Playoffs

Spring camp serves as the appetizer for what’s to come in the fall. Sounds positive. In a bit more of a dampener, it’s essentially a very marked line in the sand between ambition and reality. Spring practice is a tryst with gauging the roster and your standing within it. Players who spent last season lower down the depth chart learn through camp whether they’ll ascend or remain there. The starters learn if they’ll continue playing or be demoted. Deemed surplus to requirements. But for these starters, it’s also the testing ground for whether the program shall meet expectations or remain distant from their goals. Akin to how they’re distant to their teammates in these 15 contactless practices. Understanding where the program as a collective is headed becomes more important for the players because of what follows spring camp.

It may not exist much longer into the future, but there is a transfer portal window right after. You see, prominent voices in the media, such as Josh Pate, reckon the spring portal is a bad idea. There’s plenty of rationale for why. For one, it lends to players bailing on their teams after recognizing they’ve got greener pastures elsewhere. But hey, these players have the right to think a little selfishly. Especially those entering their final year of collegiate eligibility, hoping for one big final push before their football career ends. Or to boost their chances of getting drafted into the NFL. The exact reasons why remain inconspicuous, but one D-lineman seems to have decided to do exactly that. Jump ship to salvage their senior year since the current vessel may sink a little.

The Boise State Broncos broke into mainstream, national discourse more than ever last year. This was because of two interlinked things. They had Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty creating havoc out of the backfield. By extension, they won the Mountain West and made the inaugural 12-team CFP. An overall great year to be a Broncos player and a lot of them rode the coattails of Jeanty into prominence. But now that Jeanty’s gone, expecting a bit of a downward trajectory for Boise State isn’t unfair. This is likely baked into why a couple of key defensive starters are planning to hit the portal. After linebacker Andrew Simpson set the precedent last week, defensive lineman Braxton Fely is following suit. 

On3 reports that 6’1, 296lb Braxton Fely shall hit the transfer portal once it opens in a fortnight. This is a blow to Boise State’s defense, which was brilliant last year under new DC Eric Chinander. The Broncos had the most sack yardage in the country last season, with 347. As well as the 2nd most sacks (51). Braxton Fely contributed to 5.5 of those. He’s probably caught the attention of a “bigger” program in a Power conference and is now taking his talents away from his humble G5 habitat. A little bit egregious from a Boise State perspective, but understandable as well. 

In a statement posted to his X handle, Braxton Fely wrote, “Boise has been home for the past three years and I have developed and created relationships that I will cherish forever…I am grateful for the opportunity to show my talents on the legendary Blue and to have played in front of a great community…I will forever be grateful for Bronco Nation and the support you have shown me and my family…After many prayers and conversations with family and loved ones, I have decided to enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility left.” He accompanied this statement with the caption, “Thank you for all the love and support. I know God has a plan!” Braxton Fely leaves behind a pretty gaping hole in Chinander’s already depleted front 7.

Braxton Fely’s departure spells big trouble for Boise State

As a 3-star prospect out of high school, Boise State fended off interest from Power schools like BYU to onboard Braxton Fely. They even beat a scholarship offer from the Air Force Falcons. Fely was an instant contributor for the Broncos, playing all 14 games as a true freshman in ’22. Albeit, most of his playing time came off the bench. He rose through the ranks to become a starter in 2023 and went from strength to strength.

Fely conjured 15 total tackles and 3 forced fumbles as a sophomore. A steady progression followed in year 3 when he upped the ante as the program as a whole elevated alongside Ashton Jeanty. As aforementioned, Braxton Fely posted 5.5 sacks, along with 24 TT and 9 tackles for loss. If losing that production feels difficult to replace, Boise State has lost much more.

Defensive end Ahmed Hassanein and nose tackle Herbert Gums are headed for the NFL Draft, meaning Eric Chinander just lost 3 starting defensive linemen. It becomes more and more apparent why Fely decided to leave. This is a line in the state of flux, and so is the team in its entirety. Boise State making the playoffs as the G5 representative was immense last season. But they’ve got their work cut out to repeat that feat this fall.