Outgoing Boise State coach says Oregon Ducks offered Broncos player $700K to transfer

Dirk Koetter says Boise State’s NIL ‘salary cap’ is $2 million

Jayden Virgin-Morgan opted to stay at Boise State instead of entering the transfer portal. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

In a wide-ranging interview on KTIK with Mike Prater and John Mallory, outgoing Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter spoke candidly about the Broncos’ NIL situation and the transfer portal. 

“Let’s get some numbers out there. Our salary cap is $2 million,” Koetter said during Monday’s radio interview. “And that’s up from maybe something like $1.6 million last year, but it’s around $2 million. Every calendar year, that’s what it is right now, and trying to grow it. But the people we’re competing against, maybe not in our current conference, but where we’re going and who we’re expected to compete against, it’s as high as $20 million.

“One of our quality control coaches recently took another job at a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team,” Koetter elaborated. “He was down there for a week or so and he called me and goes ‘Yeah, we just got our NIL budget. … In 2024 it was $9 million, 2025 it’s $12.5 million.’ It is what it is.

“I know for a fact that just last week, after the Fiesta Bowl, one of the key starters on defense got a call from the Oregon Ducks offering him $700,000. (Offensive tackle) Kage Casey, Casey’s probably going to be a first-round pick. He would’ve probably been a high pick this year, but I do think he needs another year to develop … I’m sure he could’ve got close to a million dollars in the portal.”

Casey, a redshirt sophomore, has not publicly declared whether he will enter the NFL Draft or remain at Boise State. 

The Broncos lost 12 players to the transfer portal during the winter cycle, but just one starter — wide receiver Prince Strachan.

Late last week, Koetter wrote in a Facebook post that Boise State’s top players are getting offered “between 2 and 10 times what we can offer.”

“I’m not privy to how exactly they divide it up, but when I said that part about guys are getting offered two to 10 times more, that same coach told me that every starter that started significant games for Boise State would be able to get at least $200,000 a man on the open market,” Koetter said on KTIK. 

Head coach Spencer Danielson was able to retain several key players last offseason including star tailback Ashton Jeanty, who went on to place second in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting. Casey, tight end Matt Lauter, linebacker Marco Notarainni, defensive lineman Jayden Virgin-Morgan and others likely turned down big paydays to remain with Boise State for the 2025 season. 

Koetter believes it will only going to get harder for Boise State to retain its top players in future years. 

“The other thing is, now these teams can fund 105 scholarships,” Koetter said. “Boise State’s not going to fund 105. They’re going to continue to fund 85, which is great, but that’s still (20) more full scholarship players. So to bring these guys in, develop them, redshirt them, put 20 pounds on them, get them in the weight room, that’s how it’s always been here. That’s just going to get harder and harder to do because teams are going to let the Boise States of the world do it, and then they’re going to try to (pay them to transfer).”

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• Boise State OC Dirk Koetter on NIL: ‘Our best players are getting offered between 2 and 10 times what we can offer’

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