Idaho football regroups for 2024 season after departures on offense

MOSCOW, Idaho – It’s easy to see how potent Idaho’s football team was in 2023.

The Vandals reached the quarterfinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Three players on the roster are in National Football League preseason camps.

But Idaho coach Jason Eck is not mourning the departure of All-Big Sky Conference wide receivers Hayden Hatten and Jermaine Jackson, who signed as free agents with the NFL’s Seahawks and Saints, respectively, or long snapper Hogan Hatten, now with the Lions.

The loss through the transfer portal of starting quarterback Gevani McCoy to Oregon State; 1,000-yard rusher Anthony Woods to Utah; wide receiver Terez Traynor to Tulane; linebacker Xe’ree Alexander to Central Florida; and starting cornerbacks Marcus Harris and Ormanie Arnold to California and Cincinnati, respectively, can also be overcome, Eck said.

The Vandals are still loaded, Eck points out. Preseason camp that begins Wednesday won’t be a frantic search to replace those stalwarts as much as it will an audition for talented understudies to step up and take starring roles.

Here are three things to watch as Idaho prepares for its nonconference season opener at Oregon on Aug. 31.

1. “The first 10 days, we want to be able to settle any position battles,” Eck said.

Redshirt sophomore Jordan Dwyer, who caught 20 passes last year for 328 yards and four touchdowns, and redshirt freshman Mark Hamper, who had a breakout spring, are Idaho’s top two receivers. Eck said the Vandals need to find a third receiver and settle on a rotation. Looking to stand out are redshirt freshman Emmerson Cortez-Menjiver and transfer Orion Peters, from Washington State.

Redshirt sophomore Jack Layne is set to succeed McCoy at quarterback. Redshirt freshmen Jack Wagner and Nick Josifek, and freshmen Holden Bea and Rocco Koch will compete to back him up.

Idaho has four returning offensive linemen in Nate Azzopardi, Layton Vining, Ayden Knapik and Charlie Viem. Eck said he wants to expand the offensive line rotation leading up to the season opener.

“We may never get to 10, but maybe seven, eight or nine,” he said. “Our work ethic is where we want it to be on the offensive line.”

On defense, the Vandals need a pair of starting cornerbacks to team with returning safeties Tommy McCormick and Kyrin Beachem. Sophomore Andrew Marshall and transfers K.J. Trujillo, Corry Thomas and Abraham Williams are expected to be the main contenders to start at corner. Williams, who played at Weber State last year, is also an FCS Central preseason All-America as a kick returner.

2. “Who are the young guys who are going to play?” Eck asked.

The Vandals have 38 true freshman this year, and Eck expects several will make their way onto the field. Among them are Nathan Knapik, a three-star offensive line recruit from Kennewick, and Diezel Wilkinson, a 6-foot, 188-pound defensive back from East Valley High School, whose elite speed could get him into the lineup early in the season.

3. The unit Idaho may rely on most this year is its defensive line.

Dallas Alafava is an FCS Central second-team All-America and was named one of the top 25 interior defensive linemen by Hero Sports. He and all-conference edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby anchor a front featuring returning starters Sam Brown, Aamari Notice, Jahkari Lamond and Malakai Williams.

That group made 66 tackles for loss last year and 24 sacks. During spring practice, the group still looked to be on an upward trajectory.

“The defensive line has a chance to be really, really good,” Eck said. “It has a chance to be the best defensive line in the conference.”