Transfer Qb On Display As Eagles Open Spring Ball

Mike Kramer will begin putting his Eastern Washington Eagles through, perhaps, the most important spring football practice of his coaching career on Monday.

Kramer, who will open his sixth season as the Eagles’ head coach next fall, took an immense gamble during the off-season, voluntarily gutting his quarterback ranks in the wake of last fall’s disappointing 5-6 finish.

Griffin Garske, who started 10 games for the Eagles last year, was informed he would not be allowed to compete for the starting job as a senior. And sophomore backup Scott Mitchell, who started the other game, transferred at the end of winter quarter after being asked to move to defensive back.

All this was done knowing that Fred Salanoa, a junior transfer from Snow Junior College, in Ephraim, Utah, would sign a national letter of intent with Eastern and be eligible to compete next season.

And now, Kramer must hope that Salanoa, his preordained starting quarterback, can stay healthy and learn the Eagles’ offensive system during spring drills.

“He’s a player we’ve been enamored with since we saw him on film,” Kramer said of Salanoa, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound native of Aiea, Hawaii. “Even without him playing a down of football for us, we consider him our top quarterback.

“Signing him is one of the biggest recruiting victories we’ve ever had. Obviously, we’re pretty confident in his ability.”

Salanoa, who threw for 3,400 yards and 38 touchdowns as a freshman then split time as a sophomore with Weber State transfer Josh Heupel, will be one of 97 players - including 39 returning lettermen with 17 returning starters - expected to turn out.

Along with preparing Salanoa, Kramer must also develop a solid backup from a trio of quarterback hopefuls that includes Samms, junior Lance Hattemer and walk-on freshman Eli Walsh.

In addition, he must find a replacement for second-team All-Big Sky Conference tailback Mike MacKenzie, who rushed for 1,396 yards and 18 touchdowns last fall, and all-conference offensive lineman T.J. Ackerman.

Otherwise, the Eagles should be deep and talented - a situation that has Kramer speaking highly of his team’s potential.

“With as many starters as we have returning, this team has no limits,” he said. “We expect to contend for the Big Sky championship and we expect to be in the (NCAA Division I-AA) playoffs.”