Boise State begins spring football practices March 1 and, from the start, no position will be scrutinized more than quarterback.

With Brett Rypien having graduated, the job to replace him is wide open, with four scholarship players taking part in spring ball, two of them true freshmen. A fifth, sophomore Chase Cord, is rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered in October, with a return for fall camp targeted.

“It’s an exciting time,” offensive coordinator Zak Hill said. “… They’re all hungry.”

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We will take a look at the competitors as the start of practices draw near, from the eldest to the youngest.

Other QB profiles: Chase Cord, Riley Smith, Hank Bachmeier, Kaiden Bennett.

Jaylon Henderson

Vitals: 6-foot-1, 211 pounds, redshirt senior

Stats: Played in three games last season, rushing for 54 yards on eight carries. Completed his only pass attempt for 14 yards. At Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College in 2017, completed 100-of-187 passes for 1,081 yards with one INT and nine TDs. Rushed 85 times for 382 yards and three scores.

Analysis: Henderson started the season as the Broncos’ No. 3 quarterback, but Chase Cord’s torn ACL in October moved him to the backup role. Last spring, Henderson looked far behind the others in terms of his passing, but he seemed to improve in fall camp. Still, he is seen as and has mainly been used as a running threat. His experience will help, and Boise State hasn’t been afraid to make a senior a first-time starter (Taylor Tharp in 2007). However, he must make take another major leap as a passer to be the sort Boise State seeks as its QB1.

Quotable: “Jaylon’s ahead of the game a little bit. He got a chance to play a little bit more and be a part of last year’s team.” – Boise State coach Bryan Harsin