Boise State Roster Filled With Arizona Ties

Some of Boise State’s most memorable moments have been in the state of the Arizona. In 2007, Boise was a David to Oklahoma’s Goliath in the Fiesta Bowl. In this case the slingshot was a hook-and-ladder and then a statue of liberty play to win over the #8 team in the country.

A few years later, the Broncos beat TCU to win the 2010 Fiesta Bowl, and most recently did the same thing against the Arizona Wildcats in 2014 Fiesta Bowl. Time and time again, Boise comes to Arizona and experiences the “Bronco Magic” as redshirt senior offensive lineman Mario Yakoo puts it.

They are hoping the same can happen on Tuesday against Baylor in the Cactus Bowl.

Regardless of Tuesday’s game, these big moments have helped create a recruiting pipeline to Arizona. There are currently five players with Arizona ties on the Broncos roster:

• Redshirt junior tight end Jake Roh (Chaparral HS)
• Junior wide receiver Austin Cottrell (Scottsdale CC)
• Redshirt freshman tight end Matt Pistone (Yuma Catholic HS)
• Freshman wide receiver Julian Carter (Saguaro)
• Freshman offensive lineman Austin Dixon (Corona del Sol HS)

Roh was one of the top tight ends in his class from Chaparral High School. Roh comes from a family full of athletes and has 72 receptions for 724 yards and three touchdowns in his career with the Broncos.

Former Scottsdale Community College wide receiver Austin Cottrell has seen most of his action with the Broncos in the special teams unit. With a fearless approach when he takes the field, the JUCO transfer has made plays for the Broncos in coverage. The former Artichoke wide receiver is in his second year with the Broncos and has three years of eligibility.

Pistone, along with Montana’s Donovan Rooks, was the first Yuma Catholic player to sign with a Division I football program. The 6-foot-3, 249-pound tight end was the Arizona’s top tight end in the 2015 class.

Carter was the model of consistency in his junior year at Horizon High School and then Saguaro High School his senior year. He had near identical numbers his last two years of high school – 49 catches, 701 yards and 7 touchdowns his junior season and 41 catches, 626 yards and 7 touchdowns his senior year. The big play threat has been sidelined with a shoulder injury for a significant portion of this season.

Former Corona del Sol offensive lineman Austin Dixon was one of the hottest recruits in the 2016 class, picking up offers left and right as signing day approached. The 6-foot-6, 264-pound tackle grew into his body his senior year and has been on the scout team in his first year with the Broncos.

The 2017 class is also full of Arizona prospects, including two quarterbacks :

• Quarterback Chase Cord (Sunrise Mountain HS)
• Offensive tackle Mike Young (Queen Creek HS)
• Offensive tackle Isiah Moore (Mesa CC)
• Quarterback Rathen Ricedorff (Mesa CC)

If things keep going this way, expect to see plenty of Arizona players on the Smurf Turf for years to come.