Eagles excited to kick off spring football

The Eastern Washington football players will hit the ground running even faster this spring, coach Beau Baldwin believes.

His players got bigger after another winter of conditioning – no surprise there – but they also got quicker, Baldwin said as the Eagles prepare for a month of spring camp.

“It’s not just the (weightlifting) numbers … it was how they moved,” Baldwin observed.

To a man, the Eagles are ready to move into spring, said Baldwin, who is coming off a third straight Big Sky Conference title but also one of the most eventful offseasons in recent history.

It began with rumors that other programs were wooing Baldwin; the first major shakeup of Baldwin’s staff since he arrived in Cheney in 2008; and finally, the departure of All- America quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. for Oregon.

Now it’s time to get back on the field.

“We laugh and joke about the winters in Cheney, but it’s always nice for the guys to feel like that after all the hard work, they finally get the taste of playing,” Baldwin said.

The first taste comes Thursday at 4 p.m. at Roos Field; the pads will go on on Tuesday in the third of 14 practices that include the Red-White Spring Game on April 25.

Fans can expect the Eagles to focus on several key areas this month as they blend roughly 90 returning lettermen and newcomers:

• Rekindling the competition at quarterback, where the early departure of Adams leaves opportunities for others, although Jordan West is the favorite;

• Finding quality backups at running back, where the Eagles return only two players with experience, in Jabari Wilson and Jalen Moore;

• Building for the future on the offensive line, where the Eagles could field an all-senior lineup this fall but need to build depth for the future;

• Sorting through a small army of defensive backs, including several who were injured last year but expect to compete for starting positions.

The Eagles will do all that with a veteran staff, although the assignments have changed. The biggest is at defensive coordinator, where Jeff Schmedding takes over.

Said Baldwin, “He’s one of those coaches who sees all 22 guys on the field. He can take that picture. He can see it … it’s something that comes natural to him.”

Former defensive coordinator John Graham will oversee tight ends and Brian Strandley will work with defensive linemen. Ryan Sawyer will have wider responsibilities with the front seven, and a variety of coaches will be in charge of special teams. Schmedding will continue to coach safeties.

The most intriguing storyline comes at quarterback, where West, a redshirt junior, is the favorite to start after posting solid numbers and helping the Eagles win three of four games while Adams was injured last season.

However, Baldwin said it’s important to “create a sense of competition,” whether Adams was returning or not.

The Eagles return three other quarterbacks, including redshirt sophomore Conner Richardson and redshirt freshmen Reilly Hennessey and Gage Gubrud.

The Eagles are coming off an 11-3 season, their 17th winning season in 19 years. They went 7-1 in the Big Sky, taking the title outright for the second straight year. The season ended with a 59-46 loss to Illinois State in the FCS quarterfinals.

Along the way, Eastern led the nation in scoring (44.1 points per game) and set school and Big Sky records for points (618), touchdowns (84) and total offensive plays (1,079).

Eastern averaged 513.4 yards of offense per game to rank third in FCS, however, Eastern also allowed 31.4 points and 441.8 yards per game.

Eastern opens the season Sept. 5 at Oregon.