Boise State nose tackle Scale Igiehon is rocking a slimmer, sleeker build as the Broncos take the field for practice this fall, and he can feel the difference.
“I feel way faster, and I’m definitely stronger and quicker,” said Igiehon, who credited new strength coach Reid Kagy and staff with transforming his body. “I kind of describe it as unlocking my potential as far as speed and quickness and strength. I feel great.”
At his peak, Igiehon weighed 348 pounds as a senior at Del Valle High in Texas, and he weighed a little over 300 during his first two years at Boise State. He slimmed down to 293 last season and checks in at 290 this fall, but he spent the past year not just focused on losing weight, but also on becoming more explosive.
“It’s going to help me in the pass-rush game and in run game,” Igiehon told reporters on Saturday after the Broncos’ fourth practice of fall camp.
Igiehon’s physical transformation couldn’t come at a better time for him or the team.
The 6-foot-2 Texas native is in his senior season — although he’ll have the option of returning next year thanks to the NCAA’s offer of extra eligibility because of the impact COVID-19 had on last season.
After struggling to dress enough defensive linemen to meet the Mountain West’s requirements at times last year, the Broncos are now poised to be flush at the position this fall. A healthy rotation should help keep all the big men up front fresh, and staying on the field later in games means more opportunities for Igiehon to make game-changing plays.
“This has to be my best season yet,” Igiehon said. “There’s a bunch to prove. … There’s a lot of boxes I have to check off. So it’s important for me to improve, take it day by day and keep grinding and working on my craft so I can dominate.”
Igiehon was a highly sought after recruit when he joined the Broncos in 2018. He was a three-star prospect, according to 247Sports, and he had scholarship offers from programs such as Purdue, Houston, Rice, UCF, Tulsa, New Mexico and Colorado State, to name a few.
He was ranked No. 56 at his position nationally by Rivals, and Igiehon made an impact as a true freshman at Boise State, appearing in 11 games, starting three and recording 1.5 sacks in the first game he started — a 21-16 win over BYU.
He was overshadowed in 2019 by veteran defensive linemen David Moa, Sonatane Lui and Chase Hatada and pass rusher Curtis Weaver. Moa and Weaver have since moved on to the NFL. Weaver is with the Cleveland Browns, while Moa initially signed with the Minnesota Vikings last year as an undrafted free agent and is now with the New York Giants.
Last season was supposed to be Igiehon’s breakout year, but he suffered an ankle injury in the season opener against Utah State, which he struggled with most of the season. He still appeared in six of the Broncos’ seven games and started four, but he finished the season with just nine tackles and one sack.
Igiehon doesn’t just look like a different player this year, though. He also feels like one, and it shows on the field, defensive line coach Frank Maile said.
“He’s done a great job staying focused on what he needs to put in his body to perform at a high level,” Maile told the Idaho Statesman. “He’s really lean, especially for the position he plays. It has really helped him become more explosive. It’s really made his speed increase and his strength levels are through the roof.”
In the Broncos’ spring game, Igiehon showed off his new form, collecting two of the Broncos’ seven sacks as the defense forced 11 three-and-outs, nine false starts and three interceptions. His play had teammates on both sides of the ball talking.
“Scale, he’s a dog, like, I don’t even know how to explain it,” Boise State running back George Holani said after the game. “He’s been doing this since day one. He’s consistent, he shows up, he puts in the work and he’s a hell of a player. I’m really proud of that guy.”
Maile, who joined the Broncos this year after 10 years at Utah State, has seen pictures of Igiehon from when he arrived as a freshman, and he said the transformation is impressive.
One such picture is from Igiehon’s official visit to Boise State in 2017. He’s wearing jersey No. 73 and posing with former Boise State defensive line coach Steve Caldwell. Igiehon looks every bit of the 305 pounds he weighed in that picture, and when he looks at it now, he said he looks sloppy.
“I’ve come a long way. I’ve learned a lot about nutrition and how to build the body,” said Igiehon, adding that cutting certain sugars and not eating late at night played roles in his weight loss. “That Scale was kind of sloppy and just big.”
Boise State football coach Andy Avalos — who was the Broncos’ defensive coordinator and Igiehon’s primary recruiter in 2018 — pushed him to lose weight in high school, but Igiehon didn’t need motivating this time.
Igiehon made the change for himself, and when he looks in the mirror these days, even he’s impressed with what he has accomplished. But he knows it’s not enough.
“I’m like, ‘that’s awesome.’ I’m glad I was able to do this, but the competitor inside me is like: ‘You’ve got to do better,’ ” said Igiehon, adding that simply losing weight wasn’t the ultimate goal. “As long as I can play my position, be at the right weight and do it efficiently, I’m happy.”
Igiehon is heading into his fourth season at Boise State, and he is eligible for the 2022 NFL Draft. Maile said he’s “absolutely talented enough to play at the next level,” and Igiehon admitted playing in the NFL has crossed his mind — as he said it should for every college player.
His focus isn’t on his pro career right now, though. He’s focused on the here and now and the Broncos’ season opener on Sept. 2 at UCF.
“This year is the focus. UCF is the focus,” Igiehon said. “I try not to look too far ahead in the future, because you might get caught up in all that and not perform to your best in the present.”