Even though the Boise State football season is in the books with a bowl win and conference Title. The Broncos already hit the ground running with recruiting and saying goodbye to one of their star defensive players.
“We are sitting there going into spring recruiting and we are talking about how we need to have a 6’2 plus linebacker that's long and can run and Leighton was nicknamed baby giraffe and so I’m kinda sitting there looking at the board its that guy right there,” said Head Coach Bryan Harsin.
From Riggins Idaho to possibly the NFL, he will carve his name into other small town school players that play on Sunday like Shea Mcclellin from Marsing and Matt Paradis from Council. Only time will tell but Vander Esch is already with some good company.
“I don’t know all the guys in this class at Linebacker. I don’t know what he is stacked up against I have no idea but the way he played and you guys watched that game he is a first round guy in my opinion. I don’t know what coach in the NFL is not sitting there going how do we get that guy in our organization,” said Harsin.
On the early signing period Coach Harsin was able to ink nineteen players. Of the nineteen. Nine of them are on the defensive side of the ball. The work to replace Vander Esch will be tough but the Broncos have plenty of optimism.
“I think you have to go chase when it's your time. Every year is different it's hard for me to answer. I know that we have guys that played at a high level this year and will find out when we go out there and get a chance to play Troy,” said Harsin.
Leighton Vander Esch will now head to Arizona where he will train for the NFL Combine which begins in February.
