When Boise State opens its 2016 season in a little over a month, the Broncos could do so with a very depleted secondary.
An unspecified violation of team rules prevented Dylan Sumner-Gardner from playing in or even traveling to BSU’s Poinsettia Bowl win over Northern Illinois in late December. Chanceller James (pictured, No. 29), meanwhile, did not participate in the annual spring game for an unknown reason.
Both players are starting safeties for Bryan Harsin, and the head coach declined to state with any certainty whether one, both or none of the defensive backs would be on the field when they open the season Sept. 3 against Louisiana-Lafayette.
“It’s where it is right now, just with our team,” Harsin said according to the Idaho Press-Tribune when asked if the players would be facing any type of punitive measures for the start of the season. “I’ll kind of leave it at that.”
James started nine of the 13 games in which he played last season as a redshirt junior, finishing fourth on the Broncos in tackles with 55. All told, he’s started 12 games the past two seasons.
Sumner-Gardner started the first four games of 2015 before sustaining a season-ending injury. The junior played in 13 games as a true freshman in 2014.