Because of the transfer portal, the “our guy” concept is fading.

As it turns out, I don’t enjoy flipping through media guides to figure out where that missed tackle came from, and where he played the year before landing a scholarship spot on my alma mater’s roster. One should, more importantly, ask which in-state prep star got passed up?

The validation of name, image and likeness, and the liberal conditions of the current portal, empower student athletes as independent decision-makers. The issue lies in the investment, sought more often monetarily than on the field, and it’s turning off the generation of superstars.

Returning Davis High senior and Boise State quarterback commit Tradon Bessinger isn’t a fan.

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On the road to Orem, Bessinger is traveling to watch the Davis baseball team compete with Lehi in the state semifinals. It’s a rare occasion when Bessinger’s found in the crowd; last fall, Bessinger led the state with 3,670 passing yards and 42 touchdowns, and in February, Bessinger lent two 3-pointers and five rebounds toward the Darts’ latest state basketball championship.

Bessinger’s dual-threat nature anchored him to guys like Bode Sparrow, a sophomore wideout who led Davis with 994 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. On the ground, Bessinger made plays the same way Doug Flutie, Steve Young, or Todd Reesing did: Make space where none exists.

“We like to go, go, go,” Bessinger said following a 39-37 win at Weber in September. “Stops aren’t normal for us and we just gotta know. We’ve got some humble guys and we’ve just gotta put our heads down and keep going.”

Davis split its final six games 3-3 to finish 8-4 overall, falling short of Skyridge 49-32 in the 6A state quarterfinals. Bessinger rivaled a state-record 10 single-game passing touchdowns held by Cammon Cooper (Lehi), passing for seven touchdowns vs. Copper Hills on Aug. 23, 2024.

But Bessinger, as a playmaker, stood out on the tape the junior reviewed with Boise State quarterbacks coach Zak Hill during an official visit in May.

ISAAC FISHER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

“A lot of them were plays of me, like, breaking four or five tackles in the backfield to go make a 40-yard pass down the field,” Bessinger said. “They all are saying like, ‘Tradon, this is what you can’t really find in a quarterback nowadays. They all throw a perfect (ball) but not a lot of people can do this.”

Digging himself out of holes is how Bessinger caught Boise State’s attention, which could’ve easily never arrived without three-star defensive lineman Lopeti “Juni” Moala, who’d shared the same weight room with Bessinger during a visit from the Broncos earlier this year.

A three-star recruit himself, Bessinger carried a couple of other offers with him to San Francisco for the Elite 11 quarterback competition in May following an unofficial visit to Boise in April. He’d return to campus for an official visit, committing shortly thereafter on May 19.

Bessinger attracted offers from as far as Hawaii and as locally as Weber State, but his decision ultimately came down to shared values. Talks with Hill and Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson warmed the Davis Dart toward the program’s reflections of his high school team.

It was especially difficult finding someone who matched the influence of Davis’ head football coach Scott Peery, Bessinger said.

“We’d hang out on the weekends if we wanted to,” Bessinger said of Peery. “And I know all those (Boise) coaches are really good coaches. Zak Hill, he’s got a great history at Boise, he was at Arizona State, and he was with the Seahawks before coming back to Boise, which is great for a developing quarterback because they believe in me a lot to get to the NFL and stuff.”

A lengthy discussion with Davey O’Brien nominee and Utah County native Maddux Madsen, now a Boise State QB, was also included for Bessinger, who came away reassured about his place in college football and the possibilities existing just a few hours north.

Madsen, rated a three-star quarterback and one of the nation’s top-100 pocket passers by ESPN while at American Fork High School, made his first appearance at Boise State in 2022 and started all 14 games as a sophomore this past season, including a 31-14 loss to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

“I had like an hour conversation just about why he chose here and what attracted him the most, and why he’s staying here,” Bessinger said. “He obviously got a lot of other great places offering him a ton of money. … They’re actually going to develop a high school kid and believe in a high school kid instead of just risking it for a transfer portal kid.”

With Bessinger’s commitment, Boise State can expect one of Northern Utah’s top returning quarterbacks to report early next spring following basketball season. They’ll also get another full prep season to evaluate their newest quarterback commit in the months ahead.

At the same time, Boise State is spotting deserving prep quarterbacks and investing the time and resources into uncovering area recruits that’ll undoubtedly outlive the next portal grab.

Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.