Idaho Signs 26 Prospects, Including A Lot It Wanted
Idaho football coach Chris Tormey compares recruiting to an actual game.
“It’s kind of like a game. You enjoy a game most when it’s over and you’ve won,” Tormey said. “In recruiting, you just don’t know if you’ve won.
“But we got a lot of guys we wanted.”
The Vandals got a lot of guys, period. Idaho signed 26 on Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period, and it hopes to land a couple more in the next few days.
Idaho can bump up its scholarship offerings because it is moving from Division I-AA into the Division I-A Big West Conference next season. Hence the large class, which Tormey said addressed immediate and long-term needs.
“When you bring in 29 kids, you have a little of everything,” he said.
Area players bound for Idaho are Cheney’s Rick DeMulling, University’s Mike Roberg and 1995 Gonzaga Prep grad Anthony Parson. In-state additions were Boise lineman Jake Wimer and Nampa running back Willie Alderson, the A-1 player of the year.
Tormey foresees DeMulling, 6-foot-5 and and 240 pounds, playing on the defensive line. DeMulling was a tight end/linebacker at Cheney. He also played quarterback after an injury to the regular quarterback.
Roberg (6-4, 260) will begin his UI career at tight end, “but who knows how big he can be? We’re really impressed with his body control and movement,” Tormey said.
Parson missed part of his senior season at G-Prep due to a shoulder injury. He has been taking classes at Spokane Falls Community College. “He long-jumped over 22 feet,” Tormey said. “He’s a really good athlete.”
Idaho signed 10 linemen, a mix of junior-college transfers and freshmen. Four of UI’s five starting offensive linemen graduated last year. And, Tormey said, UI’s defensive front will be senior dominated this fall so reinforcements were necessary.
At wide receiver, it appears UI will have nine scholarship athletes for spring football. That compares with just three at the position last spring.
Tormey said nine transfers, including previously reported UCLA quarterback Ryan Fien and Pacific defensive back Ryan McGinnis and wide out Deon Price, could have an immediate impact.
Some freshmen might be pressed into duty on the offensive line and in the secondary.
No decision has been made on Robert Scott’s status. Scott played receiver as a freshman last year after taking a run at the starting quarterback job. With the addition of Fien, and the return of junior-to-be Brian Brennan, the quarterback position is bolstered, but uncertain.
“I see him (Scott) as being a ‘slash’ guy,” said Tormey, referring to Pittsburg Steeler Kordell “Slash” Stewart, who played both positions last season. “Robert likes that idea. Maybe in special situations, he can run the option or a sprint-out pass. With Ryan here, we don’t have to move him (Scott) to quarterback certainly, but Ryan knows he needs to get the job done.”
Tormey is scheduled to speak today at a noon luncheon at Steve’s Sports Dugout in Post Falls.
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