Top wide receiver not ‘part’ of Boise State this week after disciplinary issue

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Boise State football will be without leading wide receiver Chris Marshall for this weekend’s game against Fresno State.

Head coach Spencer Danielson said Monday that Marshall “will not be a part of the team this week,” and that he will rejoin the team next Monday.

“(Marshall) is a huge part of this team, but he’s not going to be part of this week,” Danielson said during Monday’s press conference. “The standards that we have here, and how you act and how you interact with coaches and players, matter.”

Danielson would not delve into what happened with Marshall, but he said the incident led to him not playing nearly as much in the second half of Boise State’s 24-3 win over Nevada this past weekend.

Marshall was targeted six times in the first half of the Nevada game, making two receptions for 27 yards. He was targeted just once in the second half — an incompletion 85 seconds into the third quarter — and didn’t see the field much more after that moment.

Marshall leads Boise State with 467 receiving yards on 24 receptions. He’s made at least one catch in every game this season, has five games of at least 50 receiving yards and has two touchdown catches.

The redshirt junior wide receiver is a former four-star prospect and started his college career at Texas A&M. He spent his sophomore season at Kilgore Community College in Texas before transferring to Boise State for the 2024 season. He played in four games in 2024 but missed most of the season through injury.

“… I hope that he uses this time to learn and grow,” Danielson said. “And when he does come back next Monday as a part of this team, he will be even better for it.”

Who will step up at wide receiver?

With the absence of Marshall, Boise State (6-2, 4-0 Mountain West) heads into this weekend’s home game against Fresno State (5-3, 2-2) without two of its top three receivers. Redshirt senior Ben Ford suffered a season-ending injury in Boise State’s 56-31 win over UNLV on Oct. 18. Ford, a former Eagle High standout, has 325 yards on 21 receptions this season and leads the team with five receiving touchdowns.

That leaves the ever-reliable Latrell Caples, who leads the team in receptions (25) and has the second-highest receiving yards (334), and whichever underclassman is ready to fill the WR2 spot.

The player best positioned to fill that role? Sophomore Cam Bates. Bates has been used sparingly yet effectively so far in 2025. He has 72 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just four carries this season, and an additional 146 yards on eight catches. The speedy wide receiver scored on a 35-yard end-around against UNLV earlier this month, and scored on a 20-yard run on a similar play against Eastern Washington.

“The opportunities (Bates) gets, if it’s fly sweep, if it’s fade balls, if it’s wheels, if it slants … he’s about the team,” Danielson said. “And he’s a weapon now. He’s tough, he’s hard to bring down, and he is a great teammate.”

Offensive coordinator Nate Potter agreed that Bates is someone the Broncos will have to “rely on” moving forward, but also mentioned freshmen receivers Quinton Brown and Qumonte Williams as underclassmen who could step up.

Williams is yet to make a reception this season, while Brown has four receptions for 51 yards. Brown made a gasp-worthy touchdown catch against App State in late September, climbing the ladder to reel in a pass, before slamming into the turf and breaking his nose as his helmet popped off.

“The whole group is primed and ready to take that next step,” Potter said, “because of the experience they’ve been getting game in and game out throughout the start of the season.”

Boise State vs Fresno State

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Albertsons Stadium (32,796, turf)

TV: Fox Sports 1 (Noah Reed, Robert Smith)

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

Records: Boise State is 6-2, 4-0 Mountain West; Fresno State 5-3, 2-2

Series: Boise State leads the series 17-9

Betting line: Boise State by 17.5

Weather: 65 degrees, partly cloudy, 12% chance of rain