Jul. 23—AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — The 2024 Big Sky Kickoff media day brought lots of excitement, lots of anticipation and plenty of questions Monday at Northern Quest Resort and Casino.
For the Idaho football team, there are a lot more roster questions going in than last year, but the team is eager to prove itself and anticipates another strong season.
“Last year, we were coming into this event where we had a bunch of established first-team all-conference players,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “Now, we have some prospective first-team all-conference players. To me this is fun, this is the development part of coaching.”
The Vandals will enter the season without last year’s leading passer, top-two leading rushers and top-three receivers.
In their place are a bunch of hungry underclassmen ready to prove that they are ready for the opportunity. Wide receiver Michael Graves is the only senior on the offensive side of the ball.
“There’s definitely going to be opportunities for some guys to move into those roles,” Eck said. “I think some guys have really embraced that.”
Redshirt sophomore Jack Layne will take over duties behind center, taking over for departed quarterback Gevani McCoy who is now with Oregon State. And if Layne’s two appearances against Idaho State the past two seasons have proven anything, it is that he is ready for the moment.
“Jack really earned a lot of confidence in his teammates with how well he played in the Idaho State games the last couple years, particularly (last) year,” Eck said.
Layne has completed 49-of-69 passes in his Vandal career for 693 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. He recorded 275 yards and six touchdowns against the Bengals last November when he got the call for an injured McCoy.
Eck pointed out that the tight ends like Jake Cox could be more involved with Layne at quarterback. The coach also believed that receivers Jordan Dwyer and Mark Hamper have put in the work and could have big impact seasons.
“They’re not quite household names with their fans yet,” Eck said. “But hopefully a lot of those guys are going to be household names with their fans by the end of the season.”
One name that senior defensive lineman Keyshawn James-Newby thinks will be a household name is redshirt junior running back Elisha Cummings.
“The kid is unstoppable,” James-Newby said. “I struggled to tackle him and that’s saying something. He’s fast, he’s low to the ground (and) he’s strong in the weight room and everything else.”
Cummings was a redshirt last season after tallying 429 yards on the ground in 2022 when he scored four rushing touchdowns, had two receiving scores and threw a touchdown pass to McCoy.
On the defensive side, the Vandals bring back eight starters and a lot of senior leadership. Eck hopes that the experience on the defense will not only make them tough to score on, but push their own offense to get better during practice.
“I’m very excited about our defensive line. We have a lot of talent there and a lot of guys who played a lot of football. I think we’re going to make a jump there,” Eck said. “The secondary, I think, is very experienced with guys who (have) played a lot of football. At safety, it’s guys who played a lot of football in Idaho. At corner, it’s some guys who played football someplace else, but they still have a lot of experience at the FCS level.”
Senior defensive back Tommy McCormick, who was dressed in a fancy white suit jacket, was excited for the opportunity to be a senior leader of a defense he called “young and hungry.” He said that the goal is to play fast and physical and to create as much havoc for the opposing offense as possible.
Idaho opens the season on the road against now-Big-10 school Oregon on August 31. The opportunity to play a top-10 FBS team in a wild environment to open the season is one the Vandals are excited for.
“My 13-year-old son Palmer got that new NCAA game,” Eck said. “He said, ‘Dad, just to let you know, I think Oregon’s the best team in that game. They’re really good.’ Thanks, Palmer. It’ll be a fun atmosphere. I know our players are very motivated and excited.”
The home opener is a rematch of the 2023 FCS quarterfinals when Albany returns to the Kibbie Dome on Sept. 14. The Great Danes scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to eliminate Idaho last season. Both teams will look different. Eck believes Albany has zero returning starters on defense.
“I’m definitely excited that we got lucky enough for a chance to get that early season rematch,” McCormick said.
The regular season ends on Nov. 23 in Pocatello where the Vandals will face off with in-state rival Idaho State for the newly created Potato State Trophy that replaces the Battle of the Domes Trophy. The former trophy was introduced in 2018, but was discontinued with the trophy’s sponsor, Idaho Central Credit Union, dropping the sponsorship and not allowing the continued use of the trophy.
Eck created a temporary trophy by putting a Mr. Potato Head atop the previous base, but now the rivalry has a new award that comes in at just under 20 lbs.
“I think traveling trophies are something that’s really unique and special to college football,” Eck said. “I’m excited about that opportunity.”
Isbelle can be reached at 208-848-2268, risbelle@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyIsbelle.
Lewiston Tribune, Idaho
