Boise State plans to start true freshman QB vs. UCLA

Fighting the current of the transfer portal while preparing for the LA Bowl on Saturday, Boise State decided on a starting quarterback between true freshman and walk-on options in the matchup with UCLA.

CJ Tiller is taking the first-team practice reps and will likely get the start on Saturday, head coach Spencer Danielson said Tuesday. If Tiller, who enrolled last January and participated in spring practice, falls flat during preparation in Los Angeles this week, the Broncos are leaving open the option of reversing the decision.

"As of right now," Danielson said of the qualifier placed on Tiller as the starter. "But I promise you, me and Coach (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks head coach Bush Hamdan) talked this morning, just going through who has the best week of practice and right now CJ will be getting the majority of the one reps, but just like every position, we have to create competition all the way up until kickoff."

Tiller and walk-on Colt Fulton are the only available options for the Broncos. Taylen Green transferred to Arkansas, and Maddox Madsen is out with a knee injury.

Neither quarterback has attempted a pass in a game for Boise State.

Fulton is a redshirt sophomore but spent the season behind Tiller on the depth chart. Tiller was elevated to the backup QB job when Madsen was injured against New Mexico. The southpaw stands 6-foot-4 and was used on some two-point conversion tries this season, but never threw the ball.

"CJ is a smart football player, a great kid to be around but he preps his tail off," Danielson said. "There have been guys in that room that have helped him learn what it takes to play quarterback here. Obviously, we all know the importance of that position across the entire team, and so he's stepped up in a big way in regard to how he preps.

"...This is obviously a huge week. Practice today is a huge practice for him, for Colt, for our whole team, and we'll be evaluating throughout the whole time."

—Field Level Media