Jayden Virgin-Morgan was so close to recording the first sack of his career last season he could almost taste it.
The Boise State edge rusher played in all 14 of the Broncos’ games and started six, and he almost had four or five sacks, but the redshirt sophomore opened this season still in search of that elusive first sack.
It didn’t take him long to check that box, though. Virgin-Morgan recorded his first career sack in the Broncos’ season-opener at Georgia Southern, and he called it one of the most rewarding moments of his career.
“It was like I could finally take a breath,” Virgin-Morgan said. “It feels really good to see all the time and hard work I’ve put in finally pay off.”
He didn’t stop after that first sack. Virgin-Morgan leads the Broncos with nine sacks this season, and he’s a big part of the reason Boise State ranks No. 2 in the country with 40 sacks.
He’ll lead the Broncos’ pass rushers against San Jose State at 7 p.m. ET Saturday on CBS Sports Network. Boise State is a 13.5-point college football betting odds favorite, and the Over/Under is 61.5 points.
Saturday’s game in San Jose, California, is another chance for the Broncos to pad their lead in the Mountain West title race and move one step closer to a College Football Playoff berth. It’s also another opportunity for Virgin-Morgan to enjoy his favorite pastime – putting quarterbacks on the ground.
“In my opinion, it’s the closest thing to a touchdown for a D-lineman,” Virgin-Morgan said.
Jayden Virgin-Morgan Developing Into A Sack Artist
How did Virgin-Morgan go from a promising but unproven pass rusher to one of the most feared edge rushers in the Mountain West? He said he put in the work to perfect all the little things that go into winning at the line of scrimmage.
“I grew in the film room, grew on the field, and took practice a lot more seriously,” the former four-star recruit from Mt. Carmel High in California said. “I was hungry for that first (sack). Now I can’t get enough.”
Virgin-Morgan said he spent a lot of time adding to his arsenal of pass rushing moves since last season. He spent extra time after practice to make sure he had a second and third move to turn to if the first one didn’t work.
He also worked one-on-one with Boise State EDGE coach Jabril Frazier to study the tendencies of offensive tackles and how to exploit them.
“Jayden has been working nonstop since last season because he’s determined to be great,” Frazier said. “He’s bigger, faster, and stronger than he was, but he’s also a smarter football player because he’s put the time in.”
One of the biggest changes Virgin-Morgan made this offseason was committing to the weight room. He put on 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason and is up to 253. He also focused on building strength so he could explode off the ball.
“A lot of being a good pass rusher comes down to reading your keys and understanding what’s happening before the snap,” Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said. “Then you have to win at the snap, because whoever gets off the ball first is going to win on that play nine times out of 10.”
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Boise State Pressuring QBs From Everywhere
Boise State has already surpassed the 36 sacks it racked up last season, and the Broncos still have three regular season games to play.
A big reason why is they aren’t relying on just one pass rusher this year. Defensive end Ahmed Hassanein posted 12.5 sacks last fall, becoming the first Boise State player to finish a season with more than 10 since 2019. But only one other player on the team had more than three – linebacker Andrew Simpson, who finished with 6.5.
This year, 14 Boise State players have recorded at least one sack, and four have more than four: Virgin-Morgan (nine), Hassanein (7.5), safety Seyi Oladipo (4.5), and defensive tackle Braxton Fely (4.5).
Virgin-Morgan said the Broncos coaches have also been more aggressive when it comes to calling blitzes, especially from the secondary. Four Boise State defensive backs have recorded sacks this year, including Oladipo and fellow safety Rodney Robinson, who has three.
“That helps a lot because it confuses the offensive line and the quarterback,” Virgin-Morgan said.
If the Broncos can keep pressuring quarterbacks the way they have, they’re going to be tough to beat, even against the elite teams they’re sure to face if they make it to the CFP.
