“We have a very good class,” Head Coach Jason Eck said during an early signing day press conference. “A number of kids from the Northwest, which is where we really want to be our home base.”
After losing nine players to the transfer portal and a handful more to graduation, the University of Idaho football team has revamped their roster for 2024.
The Vandals added 45 total players, including nine from Idaho and 12 from Washington. Of the 45 players, 37 are true freshman with the other eight transferring in. Only one transfer student, redshirt junior wide receiver Orion Peters, comes from the FBS. The NAIA level is also represented on the transfer list with redshirt sophomore linebacker Cruz Hepburn coming up from Lewis-Clark State.
Hepburn has a different story than most transfer athletes. The linebacker from Lewiston originally committed to play football at UI before deciding to play baseball for a year at LCSC.
Another signee from Idaho, freshman offensive tackle Jaxon Peterson, will also take some time before arriving at UI. The Kuna native is going on a two-year mission before starting his collegiate career.
While the Vandals only added seven more players on National Signing Day, they made two big splashes with connections to new coaches. Both also had offers from Power 5 schools.
Freshman wide receiver Marquawn McCraney joins his former head coach Deaontae Cooper, who will coach the running backs.
Meanwhile, freshman linebacker Braxton Lawrence, who had an offer to Vanderbilt, will be coached by Idaho’s new Defensive Coordinator Dan Jackson. Jackson was the former linebacker coach at Vandy.
Outside of these two signings, Idaho made additions to fill prevalent holes on last year’s squad. The Vandals added eight new players to the offensive line, which let up 28 sacks for 145 yards. Eastern Washington was the only team unable to get to the quarterback.
Idaho will also welcome in nine new wide receivers. After losing Hayden Hatten and Jermaine Jackson, who are now pursuing the NFL, the Vandals will have a lot of evaluating to do in the WR room.
The Vandals also took big hits to the defensive back room with Murvin Kenion III, Ormanie Arnold and Marcus Harris transferring to other schools. Idaho added seven new DBs overall, with three coming in from the transfer portal. However, it’s likely that the most recently signed DB, senior Abraham Williams from Weber State, will be utilized more as a returner.
Back on the offensive side of the ball, the Vandals also lost running back Anthony Woods, who rushed for 872 yards in 2022 and 1,155 yards in 2023.
While the Vandals return five RBs in 2024, only two of them played minimal minutes last season. This led Idaho to pick up redshirt junior Nate Thomas from South Dakota, who rushed for 398 yards and five touchdowns in 2023.
“I’m really excited about that group,” Cooper said about the seven running backs in the locker room. “Coach Ford did a good job recruiting those young guys, but also leaving that group in a solid place.”
Overall, the Vandals made huge moves in the offseason. The coaching staff made much needed additions on both sides of the ball, and rebuilt positions that took hits after a 9-4 (6-2) season.
All seven transfers, along with eight early enrollee freshmen, can be seen in action when spring football starts on March 26. The annual spring game will be held on April 26 in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome with a time yet to be announced.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jamesaldrich25