Vandals announce signing 10 JC players

From news services

MOSCOW -- Idaho football coach Paul Petrino and his staff sought speed, and found it -- often with the bonus of height.

"We got a lot of the guys we really wanted," Petrino said. "Speed was a big emphasis."

In announcing the 2014 mid-year signing class, which consists of 10 junior college transfers Petrino mentioned four cornerbacks -- Willie Fletcher (Orange, Calif.), D.J. Hampton (Glendale, Ariz.), Isaiah Taylor (Sacramento, Calif.) and Kendrick Trotter (Patterson, Calif.) -- who he expects to have an immediate impact.

So, too, can the giants signed in the offensive line -- 6-6 Darius Peterson (Salina, Kan.), 6-7 Devin Wiltz (New Orleans) and 6-2, 324 Andrew Erbes (Scottsdale, Ariz.) -- who comes in as a sophomore.

Rounding out the initial group are running back Matt Donaldson (Tallahassee, Fla.), who will be a sophomore in the fall, and defensive ends Leonard Hazewood (Antelope, Calif.) and Kevin White (Philadelphia, Pa.). Hazewood and White both are 6-4.

"A head coach told me a long time ago," Petrino said, "if you want to get faster, then recruit faster. If you want to get bigger, then recruit bigger. I thought that was something we did. We got taller. We got longer. We got faster."

The 10 will be joined by grayshirts Gunnar Amos, a quarterback and Coeur d'Alene High graduate in 2014, along with Michael Garner and Kaden Elliss when winter conditioning begins in January. High school players will sign their letters of intent in February.