Braxton Fely: A Senior Day that Almost Wasn't
The senior defensive tackle has turned in an inspired season after entering the transfer portal but returning to Boise State in April
Chris Kutz
The weight room line within Boise State football tells a story of hierarchy. Veterans at the front, underclassmen behind them, everyone assuming their place in the order that comes with hard work and dedication to the program.
But when Braxton Fely returned to the Broncos last spring after a month in the transfer portal, the senior defensive tackle made a deliberate choice: he walked to the back of the line.
“I wanted to gain the trust of my (teammates) back,” said Fely.
When Boise State faces Colorado State on Saturday at Albertsons Stadium (5 p.m. MT, FS1 and Bronco Radio Network), Fely will be among 20 seniors honored on Senior Day. But this celebration almost never happened. The journey from April’s momentary exodus to November’s everlasting gratitude reveals a story of redemption, growth and the pull of “home.”
In between the seventh and eighth practices of Boise State football’s spring practice this past spring, Fely elected to go into the transfer portal. It stunned those around him in the program as well as Bronco Nation. The 6-1 defensive tackle from Orem, Utah, who has not missed a game since arriving as a true freshman in 2022, entered the portal on April 2.
“That was hard,” said Boise State head football coach Spencer Danielson in a message posted on social media addressing the situation. “Braxton is like a son to me. He’s family here, and a part of our brotherhood. When he left, that was tough.”
A whirlwind process ensued, as Fely and his wife, Kelly, made a couple visits to other schools. However, after the trips were over, the couple called the man who officiated their wedding in the summer of 2024. The emotional conversation between the Felys and Danielson went into why they had a desire to come back to Boise State.
“I want to come home,” Fely told Danielson.
On April 28, Braxton Fely made the announcement on his social media accounts he was returning to the Broncos.
“Boise State, the culture here is completely different. It’s second to none,” said Fely. “The people, the coaches, the players, are amazing. It’s really like a family here, and that’s what ultimately decided for me to come back.”
The decision also reconnected Fely with assistant defensive line coach Frank Maile. Maile was the primary recruiter of Fely to Boise State in Maile’s first stint on the Bronco coaching staff. They also share a Polynesian and faith background that helped forge the early bond.
But returning wasn’t as simple as walking back through the door. Fely knew he had to rebuild relationships and prove his commitment. That is why he decided to go to the back of the line.
“You got to gain trust back, that’s mainly why I did it, but I also wanted to take that freshman mentality going into my last year,” said Fely. “You have to beat everybody that’s in front of you to get that top spot.”
That “freshman mentality” became his guiding philosophy for this season.
“I took it more as it’s my last year, and you got to take as much as you can and grow,” he explained. “You go back to being a freshman, you want to learn as much as you can in a fast amount of time.”
The approach extended beyond football. Fely overhauled his daily routine, focusing on what he calls “the small things that people don’t watch.” He and his wife moved their bedtime from 10 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., waking at 5:45 a.m. He became meticulous and mindful about nutrition and recovery and everything in between.
“As I’ve gotten older being here, I’ve noticed that the small things really do add up,” said Fely. “Just focusing on little things that make big things, and that’s what makes you grow.”
The transformation showed immediately. Fely eventually worked his way back to the front of the line and earned a post on the leadership team composed of players that meets weekly with Danielson.
What has resulted from the April exodus has brewed a season inspired. Fely has been a relentless force for the Broncos since game one.
Against South Florida in the season opener, Fely had two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and seven tackles. But it was the game against Air Force in mid-September, where he managed only one tackle, that best illustrated his impact.
“Braxton Fely, in my opinion, had one of the best games as a defensive tackle I’ve seen,” said Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander. “Stats not going into the stat book, but when you go watch that film, and you watch centers, guards and tackles getting knocked back… you’ll understand why he’s so important to this football team.”
Danielson was even more direct in his postgame comments at Air Force: “He’s an absolute war daddy.”
Fely’s leadership has extended throughout the defensive room, where he’s leaned on veterans like Marco Notarainni and Jayden Virgin-Morgan while mentoring younger players. But he describes the relationships as more familial than hierarchical.
“It’s not like they’re coming to me to ask what’s going on, or what’s right or wrong,” said Fely. “It’s kind of like a friendship or a brother asking, ‘How are you doing?’ Or, ‘What can I do to help?’ In our room, we’re really close, and we all have each other’s backs.”
The growth has been personal as well. Fely credits his time at Boise State with shaping him beyond football.
“I see myself as a better husband. I’ve grown a lot, learned a lot from the coaches that I’ve had here,” said Fely. “A better person in general, brother, friend, because of the people and friendships I’ve made here.”
As Saturday approaches, the emotions are beginning to hit Fely.
“It’s starting to hit me now this week and last week, I kind of realized that this could be my last game here on the Blue at Boise State,” said Fely. “Time flies, and you don’t realize it until you’re at the end of the road.”
Danielson writes letters to each senior and puts them in their lockers on Senior Day. It’s his way of communicating the impact the player has had on him and the program as they wear the Blue and Orange one final time in a regular season home game.
If he could write a letter to Boise State football, Fely says it would focus on one thing: gratitude.
“They’re one of the schools that took me last second (out of high school), and I appreciate them for that, and I don’t know where I’d be without all of the people that I’ve met here and built relationships with,” Fely said. “They’ve built me up as a man and as a future father and a husband.”
Around 4:50 p.m. on Saturday, Fely will make one final jog to this family during Senior Day ceremonies. They will embrace, as Bronco Nation has embraced since he returned. For a player who almost wasn’t there, who had to earn his way back from the back of the line to the front of the leadership team, it represents the completion of a journey that began with doubt and ends with gratitude.
The player who once went to the back of the line had found his way back home.
