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Dec. 23—The Idaho football team has lost and added multiple players over the last two weeks and it’s been hard to keep up with all the chaos.
The Vandals suffered another big blow on Thursday as freshman linebacker Xe’ree Alexander entered the transfer portal.
Luckily for Idaho, it made 28 additions during the early signing period amid the mass exodus.
This bodes well for the Vandals, who will have an almost entirely new look in ’24, from their players down to coaching staff.
Here’s a look at how the actions of the last two weeks affected each of Idaho’s position groups:
Wide receiver
The Vandals had their share of pass catchers leave through the portal, including third-leading receiver Terez Traynor and Tommy Hauser. But the losses of Jermaine Jackson and Hayden Hatten, who chose to pursue the NFL, will be the toughest to replace.
It’s impossible to undersell what the pair accomplished over the last two years —combining for 4,082 yards receiving and 31 touchdowns. For perspective, that accounts for 62.8% of Idaho’s receiving yards during that span and more than half of its TD receptions.
That’s some tough production to replace, especially with a new starting quarterback.
Traynor’s departure didn’t do the team any favors, and as of now, the “No. 1” receiver is redshirt sophomore Jordan Dwyer.
Last season, the Puyallup, Wash., native accounted for 328 receiving yards on 20 receptions and three touchdowns. He picked up 100 yards in a 63-21 win over Idaho State on Nov. 18.
Outside of Dwyer, there are not a lot of guys with game experience. Junior Michael Graves is set to return after redshirting in ’23. In ’22, he logged 15 receptions for 194 yards and a score.
Idaho’s headman, Jason Eck, and company have been preparing for the departure of its two all-conference receivers since last season and added five more pass catchers…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/analysis-where-idaho-football-stands-224600985.html
Author : Lewiston Tribune, Idaho
Publish date : 2023-12-23 22:46:00
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