BOISE — Roman Caywood’s first two years at Boise State were far from what he had expected when he first stepped foot on campus.

A back injury kept him out his first season with the Broncos in 2024, and when he returned from the 2025 season, he found himself back on the scout team.

But Caywood wasn’t going to let a couple of roadblocks stop him. Instead, he let them mold him into the player he is today.

“It’s been a ride, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” the edge rusher said.

This spring, the redshirt sophomore has put himself in position to see a lot more of the field this season. With Max Stege missing spring practices due to injury, Caywood has been seeing first-team reps and developing himself as someone who can be a key part of the Bronco defense in 2026.

“I’m just competing for that No. 1 spot,” Caywood said. “When Max comes back, he’s obviously established himself as a very great player here and I want to compete with him and (Jayden Virgin-Morgan). Whatever my roll ends up being, I know if I work my hardest and do everything I can, from this winter, spring and summer, I’ll end up exactly where God has planned for me to be.”

Additionally, Caywood has taken on a leadership role this spring. On early mornings inside the Bleymaier Football Center, he can be found leading stretching and mobility sessions. He organizes these sessions through a group chat and makes them open to any teammates who want to come in, often as early as 5 a.m.

“It’s dark in there, and I see like 40 players stretching with Roman Caywood to get ready for spring ball,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “He just wants to help the team and he’s going to do it, because he’s on a mission to be an elite football player, so he’s going to bring people with him.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Caywood is doing everything he can to capture the moment that’s been presented to him. If the last two years have taught him anything, it’s that the moment can be fleeting.

Coming in from Corner Canyon High in Draper, Utah, where 247Sports rated him the fourth-best edge rusher recruit in Utah, Caywood was an early enrollee in Spring 2024 and after a strong spring practice and looked to build upon that entering fall camp.

He went down with his injury early into fall camp, ending his freshman season before it truly began. The diagnosis was a herniated disk and a couple of fractures in his spine. Being just 18 years old at the time, he was advised against going the route of surgery, due to potential long-term complications that could have on his back.

At one point, Caywood said, it was uncertain if he would be able to return to the football field at all. He credits a renewal of his faith with helping him get through those times.

“There was a question mark there in terms of being able to play again,” said Caywood, who was raised Catholic, but admitted he ‘kind of took it for granted’ prior to the injury. “But I always leaned back to God. That injury, it forced me to lean back into my relationship and re-strengthen it. I was kind of fading away from it. So that was the main takeaway from that injury, off the field I strengthened my relationship with God and being able to lean on him, I had all the hope I needed.”

He returned for fall camp last season but quickly realized that taking a year to recover from the injury had taken a toll. It took him a while to get back into the swing of things, and that showed up in practice.

By the time the Broncos opened the season at South Florida, Caywood had been relegated to the scout team. But he didn’t make excuses. He didn’t get deterred. He owned up to it. He took advice from coaches on how to improve.

He vowed to make his way up the depth chart.

“I think it was just a mental shift that I had in terms of focusing on me one day at a time,” Caywood said. “I needed to get back into that groove of paying football after not playing for a year and I think I did so.”

As the season went on, he continued gaining more and more momentum. He played in 13 games for the Broncos, making 11 tackles. Arguably, his strongest game came in the regular season finale against Utah State. Caywood finished with a season-high four tackles, including two for a loss and his first career sack in a 25-24 come-from-behind victory.

That set him up for an offseason where he’s looking to make a big leap for the 2026 season and beyond.

“His future here, not only as a football player, but a leader, is through the roof,” said Danielson. “I am so proud of that young man.”