BOISE, Idaho – Eleven former Boise State Broncos earned spots on 53-man rosters for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. With rosters officially finalized Tuesday, Boise State boasts the most NFL players on active rosters among Mountain West programs. Below are the 11 Broncos who represent the Blue and Orange in the NFL.
John Bates, Washington Commanders
Ezra Cleveland, Jacksonville Jaguars
DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys
Scott Matlock, Los Angeles Chargers
Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas Raiders
Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders
John Ojukwu, Tennessee Titans
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
JL Skinner, Denver Broncos
Avery Williams, Atlanta Falcons
Cedrick Wilson Jr., New Orleans Saints
John Bates, Washington Commanders (TE)
Bates will embark on his fourth season with the Commanders. He has appeared in 50 games, making 19 starts at tight end. He has 508 yards and two touchdowns on 53 receptions. In five seasons at Boise State, Bates caught 47 passes for 579 yards and two touchdowns. He was a two-time All-MW selection and helped the Broncos win two MW championships.
Ezra Cleveland, Jacksonville Jaguars (OL)
Cleveland enters his sixth professional season after signing a three-year contract extension with the Jaguars, who traded for him on Oct. 31, 2023. He started six games for the Minnesota Vikings and five for Jacksonville last season. The former Bronco spent his first three seasons with the Vikings, appearing in 47 games and making 43 starts. In 2021, he played all 1,082 offensive snaps for Minnesota.
Cleveland was a three-year starter at Boise State, earning All-MW honors all three seasons. The Broncos had a 1,000-yard rusher in all three seasons. The second-round draft pick helped the Broncos to a pair of MW titles (2017, 2019) and notched two Academic All-MW recognitions.
DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys (DE)
Lawrence returns for his 11th season in Dallas, making him the longest-tenured active Bronco in the NFL. He has 435 total tackles and 58.5 sacks in 137 games. He earned second team All-Pro honors in 2017 after registering a career-high 14.5 sacks. Lawrence has also notched 20 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. The former Bronco is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was the Cowboys' Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee in 2023.
Lawrence spent two seasons with Boise State and recorded 20.0 sacks, tying for eighth in school history. He was tabbed to the Walter Camp All-America second team in 2013 after collecting 10.5 sacks (eighth in program history) and 20.5 TFLs (ninth in program history). In both seasons, the second-round draft pick earned first team All-MW honors.
Scott Matlock, Los Angeles Chargers (DL)
Matlock will stay on the West Coast for his second season with the Chargers. His rookie campaign featured 15 total tackles in 12 games played. The sixth-round draft pick spent five seasons in the Treasure Valley, earning three All-MW selections and an invite to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. He totaled 115 tackles, including 19.5 TFLs and 11.5 sacks, while catching two touchdowns.
Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas Raiders (RB)
Mattison signed with the Raiders in March, marking his sixth pro season and first away from the Minnesota Vikings. In 75 games with the Vikings, he carried the ball 584 times for 2,370 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching 100 passes for 718 yards and six touchdowns. Last season, the third-round draft pick set single-season career-highs in rushing attempts (180) and yards (700).
Mattison was a three-year letterman at Boise State, earning All-MW selection twice. In 2018, he won the MW rushing crown with 1,415 yards, ranking sixth in school history. He ranks eighth in program history with 33 rushing touchdowns. In 2017, he totaled 242 rushing yards and 286 all-purpose yards against Colorado State, ranking fourth in single-game school history in both categories.
Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders (RB)
McNichols is an eight-year veteran of the NFL, with Washington marking the fifth professional team to add him to its active roster. His previous stops include the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans. In 37 career games, he has 90 rushing attempts for 364 yards and one touchdown. The former Bronco has also tallied 40 receptions for 295 yards and one touchdown.
McNichols played three seasons at Boise State and remains one of the most dynamic players in school history. He is tied for third in program history with 55 total touchdowns, including 44 rushing scores, which ranks fourth in program history. In 2016, he ran for 1,706 yards (third in school history) and 23 touchdowns (fourth in school history). The fifth-round draft pick was a two-time All-MW selection.
John Ojukwu, Tennessee Titans (OL)
Ojukwu returns to the Titans for his sophom*ore campaign. Last year, he appeared in three games, all as a starter. He spent six seasons at Boise State, starting 51 games on the offensive line. He earned All-MW honors three times and helped the Broncos to a pair of MW crowns. The Boise native was also a five-time Academic All-MW selection and participated in the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl.
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills (WR)
Shakir is set to start his third season with the Bills after a successful end to his 2022 campaign. The receiver caught 10 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs, capping a year that saw him collect 611 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 39 catches in the regular season. The Boise State product has also contributed in the return game, registering 182 yards on 14 total returns.
As a Bronco, Shakir totaled 2,878 receiving yards, ranking fourth in program history. The fifth-round draft pick led the team in yards and receptions as a junior and senior, finishing his career with six 100-yard performances. He was a three-time All-MW selection and earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in 2022.
JL Skinner, Denver Broncos (S)
Skinner remains with the NFL's Broncos for his second season. As a rookie, he appeared in two games, primarily on special teams. The hard-hitting safety was picked in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft after playing four seasons in Boise. He was a two-time All-MW selection, tallying 133 tackles and seven interceptions in 44 games.
Avery Williams, Atlanta Falcons (RB/KR/PR)
Williams will begin his fourth season in the NFL, all with the Falcons. The running back and return specialist has played 32 games, starting four. The former Bronco has returned 39 kicks for 803 yards and 38 punts for 445 yards in his career. In 2022, Williams carried the ball 22 times for 109 yards and one touchdown while catching 13 passes for 61 yards. He played cornerback in 2021, tallying 15 tackles, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Williams joined Boise State as a walk-on in 2016 before becoming one of the most electrifying players in program history. He was named MW Special Teams Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020, finishing his career with nine touchdowns on returns. The fifth-round draft pick was a consensus All-American in 2020 and earned the Jet Award as the nation's top return specialist.
Cedrick Wilson Jr., New Orleans Saints (WR)
Wilson Jr. signed with the Saints during the offseason, marking his third NFL team and sixth professional season. He played his first three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, catching 67 passes for 837 yards and eight touchdowns in 38 games. In 2022, he signed with the Miami Dolphins, where he collected 432 yards and three touchdowns on 34 receptions.
Wilson Jr. played two seasons for Boise State and compiled some of the most impressive receiving statistics in school history. In 2017, he set a single-season program record with 1,511 receiving yards, accumulated on 83 catches, which ranks third in single-season school history. He averaged 19.0 yards per reception as a Bronco, ranking third in program history. The sixth-round pick is one of four players with multiple 200-yard efforts as a receiver and was an All-MW honoree as a senior.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets are still available and can bepurchased online or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 208-426-4737.
FLEX PASSES
For $199 fans can get access to areserved ticket for each of Boise State's six home games during the 2024 season. Seat location will be assigned in one of Albertson Stadium's reserved sections and tickets will be delivered via email 48 hours prior to kickoff, allowing fans to experience The Blue from a new perspective each game. Fans wishing to purchase their flex passes for the 2024 season can do so online atboi.st/24fbflex or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 208-426-4737.
THREE GAME MINI-PLANS
Boise State's Athletic Ticket Office hasthree great options as part of the 2024 football mini-plans. Each option includes three home games for one low price starting at $99. One package includes home games against Oregon State, San Diego State and Portland State, another includes Washington State, Oregon State and San Diego State while a third option includes home games against Washington State, San Diego State and Nevada. Fans wishing to purchase their mini-plans for the 2024 season can do soonline by clicking here or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 208-426-4737.
SINGLE GAME TICKETS
Haven't found a ticket package that suits your needs yet? Fans can now get their single-game tickets for the highly anticipated 2024 season now for as low as $25. While the season ticket packages, flex passes and mini-plans offer the best seats available, single-game tickets are still a great option to get out to see the Broncos on The Blue this fall. Fans can purchase single-game tickets online atBroncoSports.com over the phone with the Boise State Athletic Ticket Office at (208) 426-4737, or in person at the Boise State Athletic Ticket Office located at the southwest corner of Albertsons Stadium.
Led by Spencer Danielson in his first full season, Boise State looks to become the first Mountain West program to win back-to-back championships since San Diego State did so in 2015-16. Achieving such a feat will put Boise State in the discussion for the new, expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff format beginning this fall. Last year, Danielson became the first coach in college football history to win a conference championship with an interim title.
For complete coverage of Boise State Football, download theBronco Sports App or follow the team on social media onInstagram,Facebook andTwitter/X.
--BroncoSports.com--
