Gatlin Bair shines in football debut on future Boise State University home field
BOISE — Gatlin Bair’s debut on "The Blue" couldn’t have gone any better.
Playing at Albertsons Stadium for the first time, Bair - a four-star Boise State commit - showed off his blazing speed in all three phases to close Friday’s "Battle In Boise" tripleheader.
Led by Bair and quarterback Mack Jensen, Burley rolled past Vallivue, 65-30, before a large crowd on Boise State’s campus.
"It’s awesome, an early opportunity to come (here) and put up some points, score some touchdowns," said Bair, a senior wide receiver who caught six passes for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Bair committed to Boise State coach Andy Avalos in early August and will join the Broncos after serving a two-year LDS Church mission.
"Being able to play on 'The Blue' is a super cool experience, and I’m excited for the future."
The top wide receiver recruit west of Texas for the Class of 2024, Bair is the country’s No. 35 overall prospect, and No. 9 wideout, according to 247Sports.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound speedster is the highest-rated prospect ever from Idaho.
Bair became a national football recruit during his junior season and won the Class 4A state title in the 100 meters with a time of 10.15 seconds. He chose Boise State out of a group of finalists that included Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon and TCU.
"That process was extremely stressful to say the least," Bair said. "My phone was always blowing up. Once I committed, I still had other coaches connecting with me all the time. It’s been much less (recently) and my answer has always been the same: my mind’s not changing."
Burley (2-0) scored 10 touchdowns on 12 possessions during Friday’s blowout win. The other two drives were ended by the clock in the second and fourth quarters.
The Bobcats, who scored 78 points in their opener against Mountain Home, have yet to punt this season.
"Our offense is efficient," Burley coach Cameron Andersen said. "And when you’ve got a guy that they’re devoting two or three people to, that means a lot. But those plays the other guys are making are pretty impressive."
One of the other guys Friday was Jensen, who completed 21 of 23 passes for 462 yards and seven touchdowns. The junior also carried it 10 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns in his second varsity start.
"He played lights out, phenomenal," Bair said of Jensen. "I don’t know how many rushing yards he had, he ran some dudes over tonight. I would be surprised if he didn’t get some offers after that. That was an incredible performance."
Added Anderson: "Mack is special. He’s a (NCAA) Division I quarterback, there’s no doubt about it."
Jensen’s favorite target — as usual — was Bair, whose first touch of the evening was a 30-yard kickoff return. He then caught a screen pass that was negated by a holding penalty before wowing the crowd with his breakaway speed.
On fourth-and-4, Bair split a Vallivue (0-2) double-team with a post route and cruised into the end zone for a 59-yard touchdown to cap Burley’s opening drive. Later in the quarter, he caught a 44-yard score on a go route in a rare single-coverage matchup.
"It was funny, the corner was pressed up and the safety was supposed to come up over the top," Bair said. "(The corner) turned and looked and said a couple swear words where he knew it was going to be a bad deal for him."
Bair finished the opening half with five catches for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also added an 11-yard rush, a two-point conversion run as a wildcat quarterback and two quarterback hurries on defense, including a speed rush that led to an intentional grounding penalty.
"It’s very nice having him," Jensen said of Bair. "I love his ability to track the ball and go up and get it. His height really helps him."
Burley led 40-21 at the break and poured it on in the second half.
