BOISE – Two more freshmen have decided to transfer from the Boise State football team.

Quarterback Kaiden Bennett and running back Keegan Duncan both entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Friday and were removed from Boise State’s online roster. A third freshman, wide receiver DK Blaylock, transferred from the program last week.

Bennett was facing an uphill battle for playing time the next several years with a pair of potential four-year starters in Chase Cord and Hank Bachmeier already ahead of him on the depth chart.

“I just felt it was the best thing for me,” Bennett told the Idaho Press when reached by phone. “I love Boise State and I love the people and my teammates. They were like brothers. I loved everybody. I just felt it was the best decision for me.

“It wasn’t about the depth chart or the competition or anything. … I just wasn’t having as much fun as I wanted to and I wanted to get closer to home and my family.”

Bennett’s commitment was somewhat puzzling in the first place given Bachmeier was already committed to Boise State and seen as the better prep quarterback. Bennett passed for 3,993 yards and 60 touchdowns to just four interceptions last year as a senior at Folsom (Calif.) High. He also rushed for 431 yards and 12 touchdowns.

But with the redshirt sophomore Cord and Bachmeier battling it out for the starting spot this fall, Bennett likely would have struggled to see the field anytime soon.

“The plan was for me to redshirt and develop, but it wasn’t really about that,” Bennett said. “I just wanted to come home.”

Duncan, a graduate of Declo High School, also had multiple players ahead of him on the depth chart. Fellow freshman George Holani has impressed enough that he’ll likely earn immediate playing time this fall, and two other running backs ahead of him - Andrew Van Buren (sophomore) and Robert Mahone (redshirt junior) – both have multiple years of eligibility left.

Duncan was thought to have a chance to compete for playing time this fall, but was seen with crutches and a knee brace during the team’s gathering at the top of Table Rock on Sunday.

He was the top-ranked recruit from Idaho and a four-star prospect from 247Sports in the 2019 recruiting class. He played both linebacker and running back and was the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year after rushing for 2,041 yards and totaling 3,620 all-purpose yards and 51 total touchdowns.

An attempt to reach Duncan for comment wasn’t immediately successful.

Bennett, Duncan and Blaylock join junior college tight end Austin Griffin as members of the highly-ranked 2019 recruiting class not to make it to the first day of school. Griffin, the No. 1 ranked junior college tight end, didn’t qualify academically.

Boise State coach Bryan Harsin is scheduled to meet with the media Saturday after Fan Fest.