Akey talks spring football

The Vandals will be outside tomorrow for the first of 15 spring practices. Robb Akey spoke about the team and what he wants to get out of spring. We’ve got details below.

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Here a few highlights from Akey’s teleconference:

• The Vandals start tomorrow at 3 p.m. at their outdoor practice facility (the whole spring will be outside with the Kibbie Dome closed for construction). They’ll go on Friday and Saturday morning (10 a.m.), and then do a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule for the rest of spring. The first two practices will be no-pad sessions and Saturday morning’s session will be the first with pads.
• Akey said he wants to use spring to stress fundamentals. The coaches spent the winters adding wrinkles to the playbook, but those wrinkles, he said, won’t work without a solid base.
• Idaho starts the spring without lots of familiar faces and leaders, most notably Shiloh Keo and Nate Enderle. Akey expects QB Brian Reader and lineman Tyrone Novikoff to be leaders on offense, and LB Tre’Shawn Robinson to be among the leaders on defense.
• As far as the starting QB spot, Reader is the clear favoriate. Behind him will be Taylor Davis and Logan Bushnell, with redshirt freshman Justin Podrabsky also in the mix. “I would expect Brian Reader to be our guy,” Akey said.
• Akey said redshirt freshman Jayson Washington, a Moscow product, is moving from running back to receiver to take advantage of his speed. Also, DT Larry Dugan is moving to the offensive line.
• No major injuries to report heading into spring, though a number of players will be limited. That includes WR Marcel Posey, recovering from knee surgery, center Mike Marboe, OL Guy Reynolds and CB A.J. Annelus (shoulder).
• Akey mentioned three players — receivers Mitch Crockrom and Demetrius Williams and CB Shawn Tucker — who won’t see as much time because of suspensions.