Vandal sophomore running back, Deonte’ Jackson from Warren, Ariz., runs through a hole made the offensive line during practice on the SprinTurf Wednesday afternoon. Nick Groff/Argonaut

The Vandals’ running game led by Deonte’ Jackson has carried the team in the past, but this year Idaho fans have something more to look forward to with four back-up running backs competing for the ball.
Jayson Bird’s transfer to Idaho State University thrusts the young running backs into a position where they will see increased playing time and will play a prominent role in keeping Jackson healthy.

Running back coach Jeremy Thielbahr said the younger players know they’re going to play and are eager to do so. He said they’ve gotten a lot of reps in practice and are ready to show what they can do on Saturday.

“Deonte’s been out quite a bit which has really allowed our younger backs to flourish and get some great reps,” Thielbahr said. “Princeton McCarty, Corey White, Troy Vital and Kama Bailey are all guys that we’re going to look to this year.”

White is a redshirt freshman from Las Vegas where he was the three-time all-Sunset League all-conference selection as running back and had 2,875 career rushing yards.
He has hopes of becoming a key player in the Vandals’ offense
this season.

“I just want to develop a major role on the team as a go-to guy, a big play maker,” White said. “I like to make
big plays.”
The sole reason White chose UI was Idaho coach Robb Akey. He said there were multiple offers on the table but when it came down to the head coach Akey was his man.
White will be on the Idaho roster as the No. 2 running back followed
by McCarty.

McCarty, also a redshirt freshman, comes from Bakersfield, Calif., where he was the Southwest Yosemite League Offensive Most Valuable Player as well as second-team All-State.
McCarty knows he has talent and hopes that this will be the season that he can go out there and show that to the fans.

“I just want to do the best I can do and let my talent finally get out there,” McCarty said. “I want to get out there and let my talent speak
for itself.”
True freshman Kama Bailey and Troy Vital also bring high school honors, including Bailey’s Honolulu Star Bulletin Offensive Player of the year honors and Vital’s First-team Class 4A Associated Press All-State selection.

The players agree that there is some competition for playing time but mostly they’re competing against themselves to get better and make the team more successful.
“We all just basically battle against ourselves. We aren’t looking at the next guy,” White said. “We’re not in a big competition. The talent level’s pretty much equal, we’re all just battling for that role.”

Jackson, who was Idaho’s 2007 Offensive Player of the year, said with these men eager to compete, it’ll take a lot of the focus off him and give the team more options.
“We have a wide variety of running styles, you just never know who could play,” Jackson said. “You can’t focus on one guy anymore. We’re going to hit you from the air and we’re going to hit you on the field in many different ways.”

Knowing what makes a good team, Jackson said it’s not necessarily a bad thing to lose playing time. He’s got confidence in the younger guys and will now be able to sit out and rest knowing the ball is in good hands.
“There’s definitely going to be a great rotation of backs,” Jackson said. “It can be any of us back there and you better be on your heels, because we all can go. We’re all going to bring something, we’re going to bring it
100 percent.”

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