Boise State football loses fan favorite — another starter — to transfer portal

Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Stateman) — Boise State football lost a fan favorite Tuesday morning when soon-to-be senior James Ferguson-Reynolds announced his intention to enter the transfer portal.

The Australian has been at Boise State for all three years of his collegiate career and was considered among the top punters in the nation.

“After an unforgettable and incredible 3-year journey with BoiseStateFB, I’ve decided to enter my name into the transfer portal with 1 year of eligibility remaining,” Ferguson-Reynolds wrote in a social media post.

As a sophomore, Ferguson-Reynolds led the country in yards per punt (49.7) in 2023. He was named an American Football Coaches Association second-team All-American and Associated Press third-team All-American, among other honors.

Ferguson-Reynolds is the third Boise State starter in recent weeks to announce plans to enter the transfer portal, which opens Wednesday.

Lineman Braxton Fely and linebacker Andrew Simpson also plan on leaving the program. Boise State will now have to decide whether to enter the portal itself for a punter or trust an incoming freshman.

Ferguson-Reynolds was the only returning punter listed on Boise State’s roster this spring. During a brief injury in 2024, kicker Taren Schive filled in at punter for two games, but he has also left the team because of graduation. Incoming freshman Roland Podesta, also from Australia, is listed as a kicker and punter. Podesta is already at Boise State but has been limited during spring practices with a leg injury.