Bronco Nation News is counting down the 25 most important players to the Boise State football team in 2022. Next up in our series is No. 22, quarterback Taylen Green:
There’s no quarterback battle heading into 2022: fourth-year starter Hank Bachmeier is the obvious choice. But the battle for No. 2 is intriguing – and could have an impact on the Broncos’ season at some point.
Oregon State transfer Sam Vidlak was impressive during spring practice after arriving in January and thrust his name into the conversation. But maybe the most exciting, hyped player on the entire roster is redshirt freshman Taylen Green, who has earned big praise since the day he arrived on campus in January 2021.
Green looks the part – he’s listed at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds – and has a unique combination of size, athleticism and skill. He’s got the strongest arm on the team, drawing the attention of NFL scouts when he subbed in for Bachmeier and threw to Shakir and Octavius Evans at Pro Day in late March.
The Broncos saw enough of Green as a true freshman in 2021 that they designed a package of plays for him to get on the field. He played in two games, at Utah State and at Fresno State, and was able to preserve his redshirt for the year.
Green had one rush for one yard at the goal line against Utah State while also lining up as a decoy on a different play. Against Fresno State he had four rushes for 1 yard, but had an impressive 17-yard run on his first play overshadowed by two big negative plays.
With no four-game redshirt rule to worry about the Broncos likely will expand Green’s role this season. He could be in line to start in 2023 and beyond should Bachmeier not return for a fifth season, so working him into games more for a series or a group of plays would seem to make sense.
Green brings a dual-threat element that Bachmeier doesn’t, and using him in short-yardage situations or near the goal line might be an intriguing thought for offensive coordinator Tim Plough.
He also figures to be an important part of the Broncos this fall due to the chance Bachmeier gets hurt at some point. Bachmeier is as tough as they come but sometimes takes big hits that could eventually lead to an injury. He played through a knee injury for much of last season.
Should Bachmeier miss time, either Green or Vidlak would be called upon to lead the offense. At this point we’ll lean towards Green as the more important player, particularly due to the likelihood he sees the field in some sort of limited role.
Coaches have not been shy about saying Green has a shot to be a good starting quarterback for a long time at Boise State. That opportunity could come as soon as 2023, but he still figures to factor into the offense some in 2022. And that’s why he checks in at No. 22 on our countdown of the most important players to the Broncos in 2022.
Bronco Nation News 25 Most Important Players for the Boise State Football Team in 2022
No. 25: Running back Tyler Crowe
No. 24: Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds
No. 23: Wide receiver Latrell Caples
No. 22: Quarterback Taylen Green
