Boise State Football: Biggest Training Camp Battles

Fall camp actually starts for the Broncos in heat of the August sun. While the temperature rises, position battles will be heating up as well on the Boise State campus.

With so many positions to fill, it seems this year's fall practice will be the most competitive in recent memory.

By the time the dust settles and the Michigan State game starts, we will all know which players proved themselves and which ones succumbed to the furnace of competition.

Let's look at the key position battles that should determine the starting players for the Broncos in 2012.

Linebackers

Boise State lost a lot of talent on defense from last year's squad.

There is only one returning linebacker that started last season. J.C. Percy actually split playing time with Aaron Tevis, but he has enough experience to be considered a starter.

Beyond Percy there is little experience among other returning players. Tommy Smith, Blake Renaud, Dextrell Simmons, Corey Bell and Jonathan Brown have all contributed in previous seasons.

Dustin Kamper and Travis Saxton are guys that have yet to contribute on the field but could and should finally get some starts. Kamper is a redshirt junior and Saxton is a redshirt sophomore, so both have been around and know the system.

Newcomers Andrew Pint, Tyler Gray, Chris Collins and Ben Weaver will all be in the mix as well. Look for Weaver to give the veterans some serious competition, but all of these freshman will make fall camp interesting.

Renaud showed his worth in the spring game and will be battling for a starting job. Percy and Smith seem to have the edge right now, but all that could change as the competition rolls on.

Wide Receivers

The one position that Boise State has an excess of players is the wide receiver spot.

There will be 12 guys listed on the roster come fall, and that is a recipe for healthy competition.

The leading candidates to win the starting jobs are of course Matt Miller, Mitch Burroughs and Kirby Moore. However, that won't stop the other nine guys from giving everything they've got to prove that logic wrong.

Geraldo Boldewijn, Dallas Burroughs, Chris Potter, Troy Ware and perhaps Hilton Richardson will all be competing to prove they belong. Richardson, last heard, was working out at nickel on the defensive side of the ball so he may not compete as a wide receiver. However, he is still listed at wide receiver on the roster, so we will have to wait and see.

Ware looked incredible all spring and had a solid spring game. He will be hard to deny a spot if he continues to impress. Potter will certainly get his chances all season, but as a senior you know he wants to finish strong.

There will be some freshmen on campus in August as well. With the team's depth, though, you wonder if any of them will find the field. Still, Shane Williams-Rhodes is truly impressive, and he may be too good to redshirt. D.J. Dean is a great one too, but a year of development would probably help him considerably.

Overall, Bronco coaches probably wish they had this kind of depth in several other positions. The wide receiver core in 2012 will be one of the best ever.

Tight Ends

Tight end will be another decent competition. The two main guys currently are Gabe Linehan and Chandler Koch, but there will be others competing for the spot.

Connor Peters, a transfer from Laney College, will be ready to perform come August. He will give the other two all they can handle.

Holden Huff is a redshirt freshman who could also make noise, and Jake Hardee, another redshirt, could as well. Both will no doubt give it their all.

Look for the tight end spot to eventually go to Linehan, but it won't be easy for him to break away from the pack.

Quarterbacks

Did you know that the Broncos have a quarterback competition going? The only way you couldn't is if you've been living under an SEC rock somewhere.

The main focus of the spring and no doubt the fall camp will be the Broncos' quarterback competition, at least as far as the public is concerned.

It was the talk of the spring game, and most who attended seemed to think the game produced a clear leader.

Joe Southwick appears to be the favorite to win the starting spot with true freshman Nick Patti somewhat close second. Grant Hedrick and Jimmy Laughrea have fallen back a bit, but don't be surprised if either rebounds by fall.

Hedrick had a good spring and Laughrea has a rocket for an arm. Still, Southwick looked impressive and with limited knowledge and experience, Patti raised quite a few eyebrows.

Look for this to be a fierce competition all fall. It should produce a solid starter, and the whole team should benefit from this battle.