Matt 1: How Boise State’s new starting tight end showed he deserved the role

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — For the past two seasons, Boise State’s tight end pairing was fondly nicknamed “The Matts.”

There was Matt Lauter, the Broncos’ three-year starter at the position, who regularly lined up in the slot and became a safety blanket for the offense in picking up short-to-intermediate passes.

Then there’s Matt Wagner, the younger of the pair, who mostly saw time as a dominant inline blocker to open lanes for the running game.

In reality, it was more of a Matt 1 and Matt 2 situation. But Matt Lauter is gone now, having graduated following the 2025 season. His departure has given Wagner a clear path to graduate from Matt 2 to Matt 1, and he wasted little time in making that jump.

The 6-foot-5 tight end tied freshman wide receiver Rasean Jones last weekend with a team-high four catches in the 34-27 loss to No. 2 Oregon. He recorded 27 receiving yards and caught a fourth-down touchdown pass late in the third quarter to tie the game, 24-24.

“I’m so proud of Matt,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said Thursday. “What he can do in the run game, the physicality he brings. But then the matchup issues he creates when he’s out there — his future’s extremely bright here.”

Wagner hasn’t been shy about how he wants to improve as a pass catcher, and his 7-yard grab in the end zone Saturday showed that the work on the practice field has paid off.

Trailing 24-17 late in the third quarter, Boise State lined up three yards shy of the first-down marker and seven yards from the end zone. With a field goal doing little good for the Broncos, Wagner said Wednesday that he remembers looking at the personnel on the field and figuring his big moment was coming up. Lining up in the slot, he twitched as he waited for the ball to be snapped.

“I knew what the play was going to be,” Wagner said. “You hear Maddux (Madsen) say the formation, I didn’t need to hear the rest of the play. I knew exactly what play we’re running, and right then and there, I knew I needed to go make a play.”

Wagner wasn’t the first read based on the man-coverage look the Oregon defense gave, but that didn’t matter. He beat Ducks defensive back Koi Perich on the release and was open to make a diving catch between two DBs to silence the 57,000-plus screaming Oregon fans.

“He showed what he’s capable of doing. He’s a very talented player,” Boise State offensive coordinator Nate Potter said Monday. “He deserved what he did in that game because he’s been working for not just a year, but since he’s been here.”

Wagner looks poised to hold down the starter spot at tight end for the next two seasons, with little in the way of serious competition for his job. That doesn’t mean the future of the tight end room is bleak.

Freshman Keawe Browne impressed throughout fall camp and played meaningful snaps against Oregon, including throwing a big block that opened the lane for running back Sire Gaines to score a 38-yard touchdown in the first half.

“Every guy has a skill set right now,” Potter said. “Every guy needs to continue to grow that skill set to help the team. But I think there’s a good balance, and that’s an unselfish group that’s willing to do a lot of dirty work.”