Holt fills some holes

Idaho, which has lacked team speed and healthy running backs in head coach Nick Holt’s first two seasons, appeared to address those shortcomings with its latest recruiting class.

The Vandals announced Wednesday the addition of 20 players, a list that includes five running backs, some of whom could move to receiver or defensive back.

Area recruits included Mead linebacker Paul Senescall and Riverside safety Adam Anderson, whose brother, Aaron, will come to UI as an invited walk-on.

Idaho’s biggest catch could be running back Brian Flowers, who set single-season and career records at El Camino (Calif.) Junior College. He was a Junior College Gridwire All-American last year after rushing for 1,618 yards. He’s expected to challenge incumbent Jayson Bird for the starting job.

Andre Harris, who had 932 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior at Taft High in Woodland Hills, Calif., should help soon.

The Vandals, who lost Bird to injury early in the 2005 season and were forced to move several players from other positions to compensate, also signed Raymond Fry, an all-state running back from Mariner High in Everett, who had 12 touchdown runs of 50 yards or longer.

Idaho concentrated on bolstering its team speed. Several additions, such as Princeton McCarty and Terrance McCoy, are in the mold of productive, smaller ex-Vandal receivers David Griffin and Kyle Gary. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound McCarty ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at a Nike camp.

“When we got some guys hurt on special teams late in the year and in the fourth quarter of games, that (lack of speed) showed up quicker than anything else,” Holt said.

Idaho added a pair of prep quarterbacks who are expected to contend for the No. 2 job behind Steven Wichman. They are Nathan Enderle, a 6-5 Nebraskan who is on campus; and 6-4 Jonathan Tobin, who led Cactus High (Glendale, Ariz.) to a 14-0 record and a state title.

Other JC additions include Stanley Franks, slotted to replace receiver Daniel Smith, who opted to bypass his senior season. JC defensive lineman Jon Dominguez and George Fa’avae should challenge for playing time immediately.