Depth a difference on first day of Vandal camp

Depth and experience make a difference and in just one day of fall camp, coach Paul Petrino can see it in the Idaho Vandals.

“They were excited to be out here,” Petrino said. “They definitely wanted to get out here; get after it.”

It was sense of energy and excitement as soon as the players took the field.

“It’s a more confident vibe,” Petrino said. “The expectations are higher. The players are more confidence. They know what to expect. They know how to do things.”

The surge in confidence is a by-product of the returning experience and enhanced depth. The experience comes in the form of one of the best offenses in the Sun Belt Conference with some of the league’s top players. Four starters return to the offensive front to protect quarterback Matt Linehan, who has a fleet of receivers and tight ends returning – notably Buck Cowan, Deon Watson and Callen Hightower. Add in the return of now healthy Jacob Sannon and David Ungerer and Linehan’s options expand.

“We have more weapons and more big-play guys,” Petrino said.

Defensively, the experience that returns in the front seven — lineman Tueni Lupeamanu and linebackers Kaden Elliss, Ed Hall and Tony Lashley, provide the base for a much improved unit. Petrino and his staff have experience with the return of Jordan Grabski, Jayshawn Jordan and Russell Siavii and depth with younger players developing and promising newcomers.

“We’ve improved our talent,” Petrino said. “We need to make sure we’re dominant up front.”

Fall camp continues for the Vandals until classes begin Aug. 22. They open the 2016 campaign on Thursday, Sept. 1, against Montana State at 6 p.m. in the annual Tackle Cancer game.

Twenty-four football players earned recognition from the Sun Belt Conference for their academic performances last year. Eleven are on the Commissioner’s List, which honors players with grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher, and another 13 are on the Academic Honor Roll for players with averages from 3.0-3.49.

On the academic honor roll is and freshmen Zion Dixon (Exercise Science and Health), a former Lake City High standout who redshirted last year. Dixon is among those fighting for a spot on the offensive line.