The arrival of August means that we are officially in the month when USF’s football season begins.
The August 28 game against Boise State is the Bulls’ chance to show a national TV audience that they can compete with a team that had a first-round bye in last year's College Football Playoffs.
Like USF, Boise’s fall practice is well underway. Probably the most noteworthy thing so far was the absence of running back Sire Gaines from the Broncos’ first two practices.
Gaines is widely expected to keep Boise’s ground game humming after Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty’s departure to the National Football League.
Gaines has reportedly sustained a “mild soft tissue injury,” which isn’t considered serious. However, he is coming off a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery in Boise’s third game last season.
Even a mild injury can be a concern. During winter workouts, Gaines reaggravated the injury and missed all of spring practice.
Otherwise, the Bulls should keep an eye on redshirt junior receiver Chris Marshall, a former four-star recruit. Like Gaines, he is recovering from injuries that derailed his 2024 season, limiting him to three catches for 13 yards.
"I'm very hungry and very motivated. I don't need any motivation from anyone. I'm as motivated as can be. And I'm ready."
— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) July 29, 2025
Chris Marshall is healthy and hopes to finally show his five-star potential this fall for Boise State:https://t.co/HvisnHDD4W
Marshall severely twisted an ankle in the Broncos’ second game, essentially costing him the rest of the season. He also missed spring practice.
However, the Idaho Statesman newspaper reported that “The 6-foot-3 receiver has looked imperious during one-on-one action and team drills, running fluid routes and using his size to win contested catches.”
“A healthy Chris Marshall can be very, very, very dangerous,” quarterback Maddux Madsen told reporters. “Talent-wise, he’s one of the best I’ve ever been around. He can do a lot of things that most people can’t.”
The newspaper also focused on the Broncos’ offensive line. The team must replace several key contributors from that unit. Defensive tackle Braxton Fely is the only returning starter.
Pro Football Focus gave his overall defensive grade last season at 55.7, which ranked 814th among college defensive linemen.
Fely said that despite inexperience on the rest of the line, he believes the unit will be “great.”
Junior defensive end Max Stege, who will be replacing one of the key departed linemen, said he isn’t worried about a dropoff in production.
“We did lose a couple of seniors, definitely a couple of leaders. But we have people stepping up,” Stege said. “Everybody knows that we lost a lot of guys last year, and everybody knows their part and their roles.”
Still, that could be an area for the Bulls to exploit with their running game, and it could give quarterback Byrum Brown more time to throw the ball.