Last year’s Eastern Washington redshirts are ready to prove themselves on the field

Conner Crist is ready to get back in the game.

It’s been two years on the game-day sideline for the all-state offensive lineman from Tigard, Oregon, who redshirted last year at Eastern Washington.

“I’m excited to get back, because it’s been a long time,” said Crist, a three-star recruit who until last year had played every season since the third grade.

Crist is one of 14 Eagles who redshirted last year as freshmen, a college football rite of passage that Crist calls “part of my due diligence.”

It’s still hard on the ego.

“We have a lot of depth on the O-line, but now I hope to give these guys a run for their money,” said Crist, who’s listed as a backup at both guard spots.

For quarterback Eric Barriere, the year off meant a chance to learn a complicated offensive system as well as how starter Gage Gubrud handled the pressure of being a first-time starter.

“I learned a lot seeing Gage in a game, how much he progressed and how much he competed,” Barriere said.

“I took it real seriously,” said Barriere, also a three-star recruit, possessing arm strength and mobility that reminded some of Eagles great Vernon Adams Jr.

“But I knew that nothing was going to be handed to me,” said Barriere, who emerged from spring ball as the number two quarterback.

Then he spent the summer “mentally preparing myself.”

Much of Barriere’s summer was spent throwing balls to other promising redshirts, including receiver Xavier James, who had a strong spring and is expected to get significant playing time this fall.

Looking back, James – a two-star recruit from Goodyear, Arizona – admitted that “not playing last year was the best move for me.”

It gave James chance to learn from the best, including Cooper Kupp, Kendrick Bourne and Shaq Hill, all of whom are in NFL camps.

James learned something from each: discipline, film analysis, and the minute mechanics that separate average receivers from all-stars.

Eastern also expects big things from linemen Keith Moore and Nicholas Blair and tight end Talolo Limu-Jones, who’s already second on the depth chart.

It’s the same story on the defensive secondary, where the Eagles welcome several potential stars in Joe Lang, Calin Criner and Kedrick Johnson. Playing time will be scarce – the Eagles are loaded in the secondary – but expect them to see plenty of action on special teams.

At linebacker, former Gonzaga Prep star Connor McKenna is trying to move up the depth chart on the strong side.

Based on that same depth chart, redshirt freshman Rudolph Mataia Jr. is second behind all-Big Sky Conference pick Jay-Tee Tiuli at nose tackle.