Boise State Football: 4 Freshmen Who Will Start in 2012

The Boise State football team is going to look different in 2012. The monumental task of replacing 15 starters from an excellent football team is not a small mountain to climb. Chris Petersen and his coaching staff have their work cut out for them.

Without Kellen Moore, Doug Martin and Nate Potter on offense and Shea McClellin, Billy Winn, George Iloka, Byron Hout and Tyrone Crawford on defense—just to name a few—to say the Broncos need some new guys to step up is a massive understatement.

Spring camp brought some fierce competition, but fall practice will only be more intense. You can count on guys doing all they can to prove that they are the one player who is worthy to fill the gaps left by future NFL stars.

Among the mix will be some scrappy freshmen who will no doubt do all they can to prove they belong. At the moment it appears there are four, at least, who could find their way onto the starting roster, with one possible wild-card.

Let's look at the four freshmen who just might start for the Broncos in 2012.

Sean Wale

Sean Wale has yet to arrive at Boise State. He will come to Boise in August as a true freshmen looking to compete for the job of starting punter.

Wale is an outstanding kicker out of La Habra High School in La Habra, California. He was an outstanding soccer player, but decided to give football a chance simply out of peer pressure.

In a Los Angeles Times article, Wale was quoted as saying, "All my friends were playing and I didn't want to be left out." This is one time when peer pressure seems to have paid off.

Wale became an outstanding kicker in high school, but to look at him you would think he was a wide receiver. At 6'3" and 185 lbs., Wale is not your average foot soldier. He is very athletic, and doesn't shy away from the weight room or speed and agility drills.

Wale was invited to the "Chris Sailer Kicking Top 12" invitation only camp in 2009, 2010 and 2011. As a senior he was named First-Team All-Area, All-CIF and First-Team All-County. He made 9-of-12 field goals, which included a longest of 52 yards. Wale also averaged over 47 yards per punt his senior year.

Punting is actually where he may find his starting spot in 2012. Redshirt junior Trevor Harman struggled this spring, and Wale is going to have a solid chance of taking the staring job come fall. He may not win the job kicking field goals, but he should keep busy enough making sure the Broncos win the field position battle.

Look for Wale to be the Broncos punter this fall.

Troy Ware

Troy Ware had an amazing spring session, and capped it off with a great spring game. Coaches are high on this redshirt freshmen, and for good reason.

Ware is 6'1" and 185 lbs. He is fast, agile and has incredible hands. In fact, the new offensive coordinator for the Broncos was quoted in the Idaho Statesman as saying that Ware "might have the best hands in the group." That is saying something considering the depth of talent in that Broncos receiving core.

Ware came to Boise via Vista High School in Oceanside, California. He was a Second-Team All-State selection, and was voted First-Team All-Palomar League as a senior. In that same year he had 45 grabs for nearly 700 yards. He was also named to the All-Academic Team as a junior and a senior.

He is the kind of recruit coach Petersen looks for. He is smart, hard-working, athletic and a true team player. He redshirted last year, but this year he seems more than ready to go.

You can expect another "Matt Miller" type performance from this freshmen. In fact, Ware has the talent and ability to be the go-to guy on that deep list of Bronco receivers.

Look for Troy Ware to do something special in 2012 as a starter.

Samuel Ukwuachu

Remember the name Samuel Ukwuachu. He is going to make a big impact in 2012 as a redshirt freshmen. His spring was incredible, and it has coaches and players excited.

Ukwuachu should be one of the starting defensive ends for a new-look Bronco defense. He played that position and wide receiver at Pearland high school in Pearland, Texas, and was a force to be reckoned with—on both sides of the ball.

He was part of the team that took the Texas 5A Division I State Championship and was a Second-Team All-State selection as a junior and a senior.

His senior year was incredible. He finished with 70 tackles and 10 sacks. He also grabbed 16 catches for 328 yards and five touchdowns.

At 6'5" and 215 lbs., you can bet that Ukwuachu will stand out in the fall. His speed, strength and determination will no doubt guarantee him a starting spot.

Jake Van Ginkel

For as much trouble as the Broncos have had in the area of kicking you wouldn't know that an incredible foot is currently on the roster. Jake Van Ginkel is a very talented field goal artist. Since the word "kicker" sends shivers up the spine of most Broncos fans, we will use "artist" at this time.

This is the kid who nailed a reported 60-yard field goal while still in the eighth grade. Van Ginkel was also the player who nailed a 37-yard field goal in this year's Boise State Spring Game.

This is the same guy that set the California high school state record for career field goals with 39. He was also named a MaxPreps All-American in 2012 and named First-Team All-State by MaxPreps, Golden State Preps and CalHi Sports as a junior.

While in high school he made three field goals over 50 yards including his longest of 58. Look for that kind of success to continue for Van Ginkel.

Last year he redshirted, but Bronco coaches might be regretting that decision. However, look for 2012 to be his year. He should get the nod as the Broncos' field goal "artist," and he might even get the nod as the kickoff guy as well.

The Wild Card, Nick Patti

True freshman Nick Patti is probably not going to win the starting spot over Joe Southwick. But, you never know.

Patti looked good in the spring after just arriving in Boise January of this year. As he learns the playbook and gets more comfortable with the players around him, it could be a surprise come fall.

This guy had an incredible career in high school. He played at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, and was named the 8A Florida Player of the Year after his senior season.

The awards and accolades for this kid are impressive. He was a finalist for the National Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr. Football in Florida. He was also invited to the Elite 11 quarterback camp and the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl.

Patti finished his high school career with a 34-4 record as a starter, and set school career records for completions, touchdown passes, and overall yards.

One thing is for sure, he is going to give Joe Southwick a run for his money come fall camp. He may not start this season, but when he eventually gets his chance, he has the potential to be something very, very special.