Aug. 2—Having done the hard work of drawing a massive recruiting class to replace the slew of headliners it lost after a historic 2023 football season, the University of Idaho coaching staff is now getting its first chance to bring the entire new roster together and sort things out.
Toward that end, the East Practice Field was bustling on Tuesday morning as the Vandals began their second day of fall camp under a spotless sky while temperatures climbed into the upper 80s.
Big shoes to fill
Particularly in need of shoring up is Idaho’s special teams unit, which lost standouts like kicker Ricardo Chavez and punt returner Jermaine Jackson. Idaho headman Jason Eck and special teams coordinator Tyler Sutton agree that the emphasis this year is on depth and consistency over and above any individual star power.
“I think guys have done a good job stepping up to fill those spots,” Eck said. “It’s going to have to be a team effort, though — we’re going to have to be good with all 11 guys who are out there. Sometimes last year, our specialists were so good they kind of covered up everything else. … You don’t want to put the pressure on one guy of replacing a great player; it’s really a collective effort.”
Sutton likewise expressed his excitement to see “more and more guys that I’m feeling, and our staff are feeling, we’re going to be able to really count on in game situations.”
“The more guys you have that can do a lot of things the way that we’re asking them to, (it) really gives us some flexibility,” he continued. “Make sure guys are fresh, and the guys that are out there are going to be as fast as they can possibly be.”
Leading candidates for the starting positions are emerging.
“Cameron Pope’s doing a great job being a place kicker for us right now,” Sutton said. “I think the punting job is good competition — LJ Harm is…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/special-attention-special-teams-vandal-121600387.html
Author : Lewiston Tribune, Idaho
Publish date : 2024-08-02 12:16:00
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