Boise State Football: Breaking Down the Secondary

In 2010, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick found holes in the Boise State defense late in the game, setting up go-ahead scores for the Wolf Pack. In 2011, TCU's Casey Pachall started an aerial assault that accumulated 473 yards through the air and five touchdowns. The common denominator? Both games hung a loss on the Broncos and a blemish at their run at another undefeated season.

There is much more at play here than merely nickel defenses, safeties and cornerbacks. There is a perception that if Boise State has a weakness, and the opposing team's offensive line gives enemy quarterbacks time, then the Bronco secondary can be exploited. Factor in that BSU lost some very good players on the defensive front, and opposing teams may feel that passing the football will beat the Broncos. The only way to destroy that perception is for the defensive secondary to step up and prove that passing the football will be tough in 2012.

Let's take a look at some of the key players and the secondary as a whole.

The Experience Factor

George Iloka was the one of the mainstays in the Broncos defensive secondary in 2011, while newcomers like Lee Hightower received their baptism under fire. Hightower is now a true sophomore and other Broncos, Jamar Taylor and Jerrell Gavins, are back from injuries that cut down on games played in 2011.

One of the least experienced areas for the Broncos is at safety. The 2012 roster shows five players listed as safeties, with only Jeremy Ioane as the only sophomore; the rest are freshmen and/or red-shirt freshmen. That that means is that some players listed as defensive backs (Taylor, Gavins) may play either on the corner or at a safety position. Taylor and Gavins have the most experience among the defensive secondary players and will probably be the duo most counted on to shore up that element of the defense.

Jamar Taylor

Jamar Taylor missed four games in the 2011 season due to injury. One of those games was the TCU loss. In the nine games he did play, he recorded 27 tackles, two for loss, and had two interceptions. One of those interceptions, in the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl against Arizona State, went 100 yards for a touchdown, and that was the longest return in Boise State school history. Taylor has tenacity and solid skills. He is expected to be one of the leaders on the Bronco defense.

Jerrell Gavins

Jerrell Gavins, a red-shirt senior, makes up for his lack of size (5'9", 169 .lbs) with heart and intensity. He started each of the first three games for Boise State in 2011 and then lost the rest of the season due to an injury. He did record one interception, in the opener against Georgia. Gavins is another part of the key to success in the defensive secondary. He will need to take on a leadership role and impart his knowledge to the youngsters on the squad. That is no small task, but Gavins has the ability to have a monster 2012 season.

Lee Hightower

Due to injuries, Lee Hightower burned his freshman year and played in eight games for the Broncos as a true freshman. Highlights of the 2011 season included six solo tackles against San Diego State, a total of 25 tackles for the season, four pass-breakups and two tackles for loss. He got his first career interception against TCU.

At 6'2" and 193 .lbs, Hightower has good size, is fast and a great hitter. The freshman year gave him valuable experience entering the 2012 campaign, and Hightower could be one of the standouts in the defensive secondary.

Ebenezer Makinde

Ebenezer Makinde had four starts in 2011 and then missed the last four games of the season due to injury. As a red-shirt sophomore, Makinde registered 16 tackles, three pass breakups and pulled in an interception against Air Force. As a red-shirt freshman, he was named to the WAC All-Academic team, meaning that he brings intelligence to the position.

Does he have speed? In high school, Makinde was a two-time 400-meter regional champ while at Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix.

Jeremy Ioane

Listed as a reserve safety, Jeremy Ioane made his first start against Georgia and was listed as the No. 9 football prospect coming out of Hawaii. Though he only had four tackles on the year, Ioane picked up valuable experience, and it could give him an edge in nailing either a starting job over a freshman-rich corps of safeties or make him a go-to player in a nickel-back situation.

Ioane is the shortest of the safeties, though, at 5'10". Red-shirt freshman Taylor Loffler is 6'3", and true freshman Chancellor James brings a 6'2" frame to the defensive secondary. Two other safeties, Dillon Lukeheart and Christopher Santini, are listed at 6'1" and 6'0", respectively. Big does not always mean better, but they can be tough to pass over.