Madsen’s injury highlights Boise State’s QB depth issues. How will it be solved?

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Boise State football head coach Spencer Danielson confirmed Monday afternoon that redshirt junior starting quarterback Maddux Madsen will not be available for the Broncos’ trip to San Diego State this weekend.

Redshirt sophomore QB Max Cutforth will start in Madsen’s place.

Madsen was injured in the first quarter of Boise State’s 30-7 loss to Fresno State in early November when he was sacked from behind. He exited the game and returned to the sideline shortly after with his right foot in a protective boot and on crutches.

Cutforth replaced Madsen for the rest of the game, ending the night 14-of-29 for 106 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Danielson initially feared that Madsen would be out for “a while,” but appeared optimistic Monday that he would return before the end of the season. He said that the injury would not require surgery and that Madsen already had been undergoing rehab.

“We had a lot of specialists go through it to make sure. We always want to do what’s best for our kids,” Danielson said. “So we’ll get him back this season. I don’t know exactly what that time frame is, but he’s out this week.”

Madsen’s injury leaves Boise State with three underclassman options at quarterback: redshirt freshman three-star recruit Kaleb Annett and two walk-ons in Cutforth and freshman Zeke Martinez.

Cutforth won the backup job in fall camp and earned a scholarship after last year’s backup quarterback, Malachi Nelson, entered the transfer portal.

“Max is extremely bright. We can run our entire playbook with Max, and that’s what we love about Max,” Danielson said. “He’s very bright, he can make all the throws. Now, we’ve got to make sure we put him in good spots.”

Boise State’s quarterback depth situation

Boise State’s blowout loss at home to Fresno State earlier this month highlighted an issue that had been bubbling under the surface for Boise State all season — what will happen if Madsen goes down injured?

Madsen returned to Boise State in 2025 as the presumptive starter after helping take the Broncos to a second straight Mountain West championship and a College Football Playoff appearance last season. However, with the departure of Nelson, who lost the quarterback battle to Madsen in 2024, a hole was left to be filled behind Madsen.

Understandably, not many quarterbacks would want to sit behind a redshirt junior who took his team to the CFP the year before. However, rather than using the transfer portal to add depth, Danielson and his staff continued to rely on Cutforth and Co. With Cutforth under center for the majority of the Fresno State game, Boise State produced historically bad numbers: the offense managed its ninth-lowest total yards (193) in program history, its lowest rushing yards (91) since the loss to UTEP in 2022, and the lowest point total ever (7) against a Mountain West opponent.

If there’s a silver lining for Bronco fans heading into the San Diego State game, it’s that Cutforth had the luxury of a bye week to prepare for the Aztecs.

“When you get thrown in the fire in a big game like that on The Blue, there’s going to be a learning curve there,” offensive coordinator Nate Potter said Monday. “So I think these last two weeks, he’s really been able to just hone in on just his craft, his coaching, the game plan, the details, and that’s going to help anybody.”

When asked if the Boise State quarterback room needs more depth, Danielson said Monday that his team needs to grow in “every single position room,” including at quarterback.

“I love Max. I love all our quarterbacks in our quarterback room,” Danielson said. “Do we need to continue to grow the quarterback room and continue to push forward? We absolutely do.”

What does the solution to quarterback depth look like? Along with the quarterbacks on the roster, class of 2026 three-star recruit Jackson Taylor is expected to join the fray next season. However, if Bronco fans are looking for a more experienced QB out of the transfer portal, Danielson said that may not be the answer.

“I think it’s funny how the answer a lot of times that I see … the answer always is the transfer portal,” Danielson said. “… I’m not going to speak a lot about (the portal), but that’s not always the right answer. Sometimes it is, and we will walk that path with every single position.

“… I believe in what we can continue to grow to, and I know we’re going to find the right ones. That doesn’t mean that people on the outside are going to love clicking on the commitment graphic, I don’t know, but I know it’s going to be the right one.”

Boise State at San Diego State

When: 8:30 p.m. MT Saturday

Where: Snapdragon Stadium (35,000, grass), San Diego

TV: CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Robert Turbin)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM / 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State is 6-3, 4-1 Mountain West; San Diego State 7-2, 4-1

Series: Boise State leads the series 6-4

Betting line: San Diego State by 2.5 Weather: 63 degrees, showers, 41% chance of rain