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Sep. 4—Talk to any coach in the country and one of the first things they say when a player goes down with an injury is “next man up.”
That is the mentality that the Idaho Vandals have going into the second game of the season against Wyoming at 12:30 p.m. Saturday (TruTV) without starting quarterback Jack Layne.
Layne suffered a collarbone injury late in the 24-14 loss to then-No. 3 Oregon that required surgery and will miss some time recuperating. With one Jack going down at quarterback, another Jack takes his place.
New starter Jack Wagner is a redshirt freshman from Tualatin, Ore. Wagner has a lot of football experience, but has not had a lot of time as a starting quarterback, playing just one season at the helm in high school. However, when he has been able to take the field, he has been fantastic.
“He has a lot of ability; it is a great opportunity for him,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “We are very excited to see him in action and have the utmost confidence in what he can do.”
Eck said that Wagner was the first scholarship quarterback that he and his staff recruited after coming to Idaho.
Wagner was a three-year starter on defense for his high school team as four-star recruit Jackson Jones held the quarterback position. When Jones committed to the University of Washington in 2022, Wagner finally had his chance to shine and that is exactly what he did.
In his one year at quarterback for Tualatin, Wagner was named an all-league quarterback and led his team to the Oregon 6A semifinals. In that season, Wagner threw for over 2,800 yards and had 29 touchdowns.
Like Layne before him, Wagner saw his only action last year against Idaho State. In his short appearance in the 63-21 blowout, the 6-foot-4 quarterback went 4-for-5 for 41 yards with an interception and touchdown pass. Wagner also used his legs to gain 42 yards on…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/idaho-qb-wagner-ready-opportunity-121600064.html
Author : Lewiston Tribune, Idaho
Publish date : 2024-09-04 12:16:00
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