As he prepares for his senior season, Iyan Bosket has already reached one of the biggest milestones in any student-athlete’s career. The standout linebacker has verbally committed to San Diego State University after receiving multiple NCAA Division I scholarship offers, earning a full-ride opportunity through years of steady development, determined work and an increasingly impressive recruiting journey.
Although he still has one final football season to play at Pahrump Valley High School, Bosket expects to officially sign his National Letter of Intent in February and said he already feels confident he has found the right fit.
“I am verbally committed to San Diego,” Bosket said. “I haven’t signed the paper yet, but I’m super satisfied with my decision. I’m happy with the coaches, the staff and everything about the program.”
The commitment is the culmination of years of work, both on and off the field, and a recruiting process that required persistence, strategic planning and a willingness to market himself beyond the small-town limits of Pahrump.
“I kind of started the recruiting process at the end of my sophomore year,” he explained. “One of the biggest things I used was social media. Twitter was really my main tool for getting my film out there because so many coaches are on that platform.”
That online presence helped open doors, but Bosket quickly learned that attracting college attention required much more than simply posting highlight videos.
“It’s about trusting the process,” he said.
Football itself came later than many might expect.
Unlike athletes who begin playing tackle football in elementary school, Bosket didn’t step onto the field until his freshman year of high school.
The inspiration came from watching his older brother compete.
“My brother kind of kickstarted us with sports,” Bosket said. “Watching him play football made me want to do it.”
Although his father played Division I basketball, football became the sport that captured Bosket’s passion.
As a freshman, he played junior varsity and admitted he spent much of the season simply trying to understand the game.
“I didn’t start or anything like that,” he said. “I really had to figure out football.”
By his sophomore year, he had earned a starting role at linebacker on the varsity team and began developing into one of the top defensive players in the region.
His understanding of the game continued to evolve.
“I was really just playing the game and not fully understanding it,” Bosket admitted with a laugh. “I think my growth has really come from spending time studying the game.”
That growth translated into college interest.
Bosket’s first scholarship offer came from Colorado State, followed by a whirlwind summer of camps and unofficial visits that dramatically expanded his recruiting profile.
He attended camps at UNLV, San Diego State and several schools throughout Oregon and California, learning valuable lessons along the way.
At his first major camp, he realized he still had work to do after struggling during one-on-one drills. Rather than becoming discouraged, he used the experience as motivation before heading to San Diego State’s camp.
“There were schools like UCLA and Nebraska there,” Bosket said. “I had a really great camp.”
That performance resulted in scholarship offers from both San Diego State and Sacramento State.
The momentum continued almost immediately.
After returning home, Bosket boarded a plane for Oregon, where he visited Oregon, Oregon State and Portland State before competing in another camp.
He was named the camp’s Most Valuable Player, earning additional scholarship offers from Idaho State and Portland State. Later, Northern Arizona and Oregon State joined the growing list.
In all, Bosket received full-ride scholarship offers that covered tuition, housing and other educational expenses.
“Every single offer that I had was a full ride,” he said.
Despite the growing list of opportunities, Bosket approached the process thoughtfully.
During the NCAA recruiting dead period, scholarship spots become increasingly valuable, making timing an important part of the decision.
“Schools only have so many spots in each position room,” he explained. “It was about making sure I had a place where I wanted to be.”
Following his official visit to San Diego State, the decision became clear.
“The coaching staff is practically like a family,” Bosket said. “It’s a really great environment, the weather is nice, and it’s a place where I feel like everybody can succeed if they really want to.”
He committed shortly after returning home.
While Bosket is already a Nevada state wrestling champion, football has become the path he intends to pursue at the collegiate level. Even so, he recognizes the importance of preparing for life beyond athletics.
At San Diego State, he plans to study finance along with coursework centered on criminal justice and law.
“If football wasn’t to work out, that’s something I can fall back on,” he said. “Maybe become a lawyer.”
He also sees the education as beneficial if football does take him to the professional level, providing knowledge about contracts and financial management.
Bosket’s recruiting journey also taught him valuable lessons he hopes other young athletes can learn from.
One of the biggest, he said, is choosing camps wisely.
“I only think you should go to camps if you’re ready,” he said. “If you don’t perform well, you can take yourself off a coach’s list. You want to make sure you’re prepared when you get those opportunities.”
He also believes athletes from smaller communities should never assume their location will prevent them from reaching the next level.
“Not many people know where Pahrump is,” Bosket said. “But if you’re good enough, they’ll find you. You just have to put in the work and trust the process.”
Although the recruiting process often highlights the athlete, Bosket is quick to credit the people working behind the scenes.
He thanked linebacker trainer Les with Linebacker University in Las Vegas for helping refine his technique and understanding of the position, along with Michael Waters and the staff at Phase One Training for improving his speed and athletic development.
Most importantly, however, he points to his family.
“My sisters and my mom—they’re really what keeps this show going,” Bosket said. “I’m just the actor. They do everything else. Without them, I really wouldn’t have any of this.”
He also acknowledged his father, who has spent countless hours filming games and supporting his football career from the sidelines.
With one final high school season ahead, Bosket knows the physical nature of football always carries the possibility of injury. Still, he refuses to let that concern distract him from enjoying his senior year.
“Injuries are part of the game,” he said. “That’s kind of what you sign up for. There’s no need to stress over something you can’t really control.”
Instead, his focus remains exactly where it has been throughout his football journey—continuing to improve, helping Pahrump Valley High School compete this fall, and preparing for the next chapter of his career at San Diego State.
