If there is anything new Idaho coach Paul Petrino knows a thing or two about its wide receivers. Prior to coming to Idaho he spent the better part of his coaching career working closely with receivers, from Louisville to Arkansas to Illinois and even the Atlanta Falcons.
His resume includes coaching current NFL receivers such as Harry Douglas, A.J. Jenkins and likely 2013 draft pick Cobi Hamilton and coached Atlanta’s Roddy White during his breakout campaign in 2007.
The man whom Petrino tapped to be offensive coordinator, Kris Cinkovich, was the receivers coach at Arkansas when the Razorbacks had three receivers selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Now at Idaho, it just so happens receivers seems to be one of the deepest position groups that they’ve been able to inherit.
“It’s been a good group. They’ve bought into what we’re teaching and they have a good work ethic, we’re getting them to bring some spirit now to the organization, to bring some fire, and that’s what we need out of these guys,” Cinkovich said. “But pretty much they’ve done what we’ve asked them to do and hopefully they’ll continue to do so.”
Idaho has lost its leading receiver from 2012, Mike Scott, to graduation, but brings back its second and third leading receivers — junior Jahrie Level and senior Najee Lovett.
The two were much welcomed junior college additions last season, combining for 96 catches, 1,186 yards of offense and eight touchdowns. The unit also returns promising senior Roman Runner and sophomore Marquan Major, both extensively used with first and second team units during spring practices.
“It’s real good, we get a lot of competition,” Lovett said. “It keeps us going hard in practice and you know, we’re real deep at the position, it’s basically keeping us all getting better, we’re all pushing ourselves.”
With the unit, the offense has been expanding. Last season the bane of the offense was quick underneath passing and yards after catch. This season Petrino is looking to up the tempo, use receivers in the run game and take the occasional shot down the field.
“It’s been different, like bonded to a new system even though I came last year and had to get to a new system,” Level said. “It’s different. It’s more studying, more reps, I’ve had that experience coming in, it’s more high tempo, we gotta go, gotta go.”
Compared to other position groups, aside from perhaps quarterback, the receivers get more face-time with Petrino and Cinkovich, even with extra after-practice work. “You learn from him, you learn from him, it’s a different type of experience we get each day. We’ll be with coach Petrino one day, be with coach Cink the next, so it’s different type of knowledge to be soaking in altogether, so great experience,” Level said. In terms of chemistry with quarterbacks it hasn’t been easy for the receivers. Since the beginning of the 2011 season they’ve seen four different starting quarterbacks. During Friday’s spring game it’ll be mainly two they’ll be working with, redshirt freshman Chad Chalich and senior Taylor Davis.
The two will vie to be named starter heading into the summer and will be leaning heavily on the receivers to make plays.
“On Friday they got to make plays, they have to play hard, they have to play with great energy and enthusiasm and make plays when the opportunity comes and we expect that they’ll do that,” Cinkovich said.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]
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The Vandals conclude the spring season with the Silver and Gold game at 6 p.m. Friday in the Kibbie Dome.