In what could potentially be a significant blow for No. 7 Boise State in their “neutral” field matchup with No. 19 Georgia, the Broncos announced Friday that three players will be sidelined for tomorrow’s game while their eligibility is being reviewed.
Geraldo Boldewijn, listed as a co-starter at the X wide receiver spot on BSU’s most recent depth chart; Cedric Febis, one of the two starting safeties; and Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, a backup defensive tackle, did not accompany the Bronco football team to Atlanta for the opener and will be held out of the contest.
While the cause of the eligibility review is unclear, the release does state that it’s not due to “academic or violation of team rules"; therefore, it wouldn’t be a stretch to surmise that the eligibility issues likely have something to do with the players running afoul of NCAA bylaws. BSU appeared in front of the NCAA Committee on Infractions recently to answer allegations of violations committed by a couple of their athletic programs, including football, so there’s little doubt the university is being extra vigilant on the compliance front.
With Boldewijn out, the other co-starter at the position, Matt Miller, will likely get the call in the nationally televised primetime affair. Another redshirt freshman, Jeremy Ioane, is listed as No. 2 on the depth chart behind Febis, who has played in 26 games the past two seasons without a start.
Even as Tjong-A-Tjoe is listed as a backup, he’s expected to play a significant role in BSU’s defensive line rotation.