Boise State Football Recruiting: Looking Ahead to the Broncos' 2015 Class

Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin has to be relieved that the Broncos 2014 recruiting class is signed, sealed and delivered. Not only that, but he has to be pleased that his class was ranked as the best in the Mountain West Conference.

In late December, however, it didn't appear as if Boise State was going to have anything close to what it ended up with.

After a coaching transition and several committed recruits choosing other options, the Broncos found themselves behind the proverbial eight ball.

What the new coaching staff did with so little time and such a late start in the process was definitely impressive.

Not only did they go out and improve the current recruiting class in immense fashion, but they inspired a heartbroken fanbase that was desperately needing something to cheer for. They did so with creative use of social media via Twitter and by keeping fans updated when new commits came on board.

Now imagine what Harsin and his staff can do with a whole year of preparation.

The recruiting never stops for a college football staff. As one class is signed, the next one is already in the works. This is certainly no different for the Broncos.

Looking ahead to 2015, Boise State will have some key needs to fill. However, seeing what transpired in 2014, fans of the Broncos can be excited about the recruiting potential of this current staff.

Let's look at some of those future needs in an attempt to determine the players that could supply the remedy, and assess the chances that the Broncos might have of landing the most talented players in the mix.

*Note: All recruiting data, rankings and statistics via 247Sports unless otherwise noted.

Boise State already has two verbally committed recruits for its 2015 class.

Darrell Stewart is a 6'0", 170-pound athlete out of Nimitz High School in Houston, Texas. He plays safety and is a dual-threat quarterback. The Broncos could utilize him in many different areas. However, defense seems to be the most likely.

BREAKING: #BoiseState adds 2015 Commit No. 2 - Nimitz (Texas) ATH Darrell Stewart http://t.co/ZYndJtIAi8 @murphsturph @Perroni247

— BoiseState247 (@BoiseState247) February 7, 2014

Garrett Larson is a local offensive line recruit.

He plays his football for Fruitland High School, which is less than an hour drive from Bronco Stadium. At 6'5", 250 pounds, he has the height but will need to put on some weight his senior season if he wants to be ready in 2015.

Even though it is still a year away, both of these recruits would be excellent additions to the 2015 class. Athletes with the versatility of Stewart are always a plus, and big dominant offensive linemen are a need in every class.

Every recruiting class usually includes a balance of players.

On offense, that usually means at least one quarterback, a running back or two, a tight end, a couple of wide receivers and at least two of the big boys who get it done in the trenches.

Boise State has built its offense on talented skill players and tough, gritty offensive linemen who play with relentless passion.

In 2015, the Broncos will be looking to land even more quality linemen.

In fact, fans can probably expect at least three in next year's class. With Garrett Larson already committed, that would leave at least two more to add.

The new staff has already offered Bar Milo and Henry Roberts, but landing either of them will be a battle.

Milo is out of Chaminade in West Hills, Calif. He is 6'6", 300 pounds, and looks like he could play college ball now.

He has current offers from Colorado, Cal, Arizona State, Boise State and Washington. It will certainly take some recruiting finesse to land the big guy from West Hills, but anything seems possible with Harsin and his staff.

Roberts, a 6'6", 263-pound tackle is out of Bellevue, Wash. He has offers from USC, Washington, Arizona State, Boise State and Oregon. Again, tough to land, but not out of reach.

Other offensive players who have been offered by the Broncos are pro-style quarterbacks Jake Browning and Brett Rypien. Both are 4-star recruits and both stand 6'2".

The Broncos always take one quarterback per season, but it is far too early to say either one of these two will end up on The Blue.

A pair of running backs are on the list as well.

Javarius Davis and Sheldon Croney have been extended offers. Davis has several other offers, including Pac-12 schools, but Croney has just one other offer and that is from Colorado State. 

The Broncos have yet to offer a tight end in the 2015 class, but they have offered at least three wide receivers. Christian Kirk, Cordell Broadus and Kanya Bell make up that group.

Kirk is a 5-star recruit while Broadus and Bell are 4-star recruits respectively. Even one of these three would be a huge get for the 2015 class.

All of these positions will be needs for next year's class, but probably none more crucial than the offensive line. The Broncos must replenish the stock, and big, aggressive offensive linemen are going to be crucial in a Bryan Harsin offense.

The Broncos did well in the 2014 class to fill some holes in the defensive line. However, the 2015 class will need even more players to help continue to build the line and give it some depth.

Currently there are four defensive ends listed on the Boise State offer list: Keisean Lucier-South, Landis Durham, Trent Goens and Caleb Peart.

However, there are no defensive tackles listed yet, but you can expect that to change.

Lucier-South is a 4-star recruit out of Orange County Calf. He is 6'5", 215 pounds, and is by far the best athlete of the group.

Durham has tremendous potential as does Peart. However, the real diamond in the rough might be Goens. Ranked as just a 2-star recruit, it won't take long for schools to realize he is sorely underrated.

Boise State has a full stable of linebackers currently, but expect at least two in next year's class.

Right now Shannon Walsh, a 2-star recruit out of Murrieta, Calif. and Kyler Manu an Idaho recruit out of Pocatello, Idaho have been extended offers.

Josh Butler is the only cornerback offered thus far, and Deontai Williams is the only safety on the current list. Both are 3-star recruits, and both have extensive offers. However, as Boise State fans experienced in 2014, highly ranked defensive secondary players are willing to play for coach Marcel Yates and the Broncos.

Safety Dylan Sumner-Gardner was the only widely recognized 4-star recruit in the 2014 class. He may have set the tone for future classes.

Overall, the defensive line remains the biggest concern going into the 2015 class. Expect the coaching staff to land another great crop of outstanding athletes to fill the void.

Although there are no current listed offers for any kickers for the 2015 Boise State recruiting class, it seems highly unlikely that the Broncos would go two years in a row without adding one.

In 2014, no kicker was added.

Currently the Broncos have some talented guys on the roster to handle the duties. But with two sophomores and a senior going into the 2014 season, adding a kicker into the mix seems plausible.

Boise State also likes to add dynamic, exciting offensive players that can be utilized in various ways. An example of that would be current offensive weapon Shane Williams-Rhodes.

Two current players on the list of offered talent that could fit such a role are wide receiver Malik Lovette out of Redlands, Calif. and athlete Deshawn Capers-Smith from New Orleans, La.

Capers-Smith is more of a defensive player, but his moves could make him extremely dangerous on offense.

As mentioned in the introduction, the Broncos finished the 2014 recruiting season with the highest-ranked class in the Mountain West Conference.

In that class there were 14 recruits considered 3-star athletes, and one who ranked as a 4-star.

And all of that on short notice.

With an entire year to prepare and a favorable schedule in 2014, the Broncos are poised to raise the bar once again. This new coaching staff has proven they are up to the task of recruiting good players, and you have to think that transfers to the field.

If things fall into place as they appear they could, Boise State should be able to start landing higher ranked recruits on a consistent basis.

This new dynamic, energetic and open recruiting style has energized a fanbase, and its result has been quality recruits.