Boise State Football: 5 breakout candidates for the Broncos in 2017

Last year, Boise State’s defense ranked among the worst in the country at generating turnovers. The Broncos picked off just seven passes all season and managed to recover only two fumbles. That put a premium on the offense to perform at a nearly perfect level, and it came back to bite Bryan Harsin’s team several times.

A rebuilt secondary will hope to restore the Broncos among the best defenses in the country. Its rapid development hinges on the breakout potential of players like safety Cameron Hartsfield. The redshirt senior enters his final year of eligibility in Boise with 39 appearances and nine starts so far in his college career.

With increased playing time last year, he quickly asserted himself as one of the most promising yet underutilized talents in the defensive backfield. Hartsfield finished 2016 with 65 tackles and three pass knockdowns in the course of the season. He played in all 13 games, but put up his worst performance of the season in the Cactus Bowl loss to Baylor.

Hartsfield will need to rebound quickly from that flat effort to lead the Broncos secondary in 2017. If he can build on his 2016 campaign, the veteran could break out as one of the top safeties in the entire Group of Five.