Idaho’s young defensive line ‘grown tremendously’ entering spring camp
LEWISTON – Last year, Idaho’s starting defensive line was made up almost entirely of upperclassmen. Three of the Vandals’ starting four have graduated, leaving Idaho with several holes to fill.
The good news is plenty of Vandals underclassmen showed up big during the latter half of last season.
With most of Idaho’s big boys in their second year under defensive coordinator Rob Aurich’s guidance, here’s what to expect:
A full rotation
The Vandals’ sack leader in 2022 was Great Britain native Kemari Bailey. Bailey was primarily a reserve last year and finished with five sacks. He also notched 22 tackles, eight for a loss.
Bailey picked up where he left off during spring practice and will likely have a starting spot once the season begins. He’s also been using the spring to fulfill more of a leadership role.
“He’s grown tremendously since I’ve been here,” outside linebacker/edge coach Kapono Roy Asuega said. “He’s starting to buy into coach (Jason) Eck and our vision as a program. He’s good in the classroom and now he’s becoming a good leader on the field.”
The Vandals are as deep as they’ve been on the line of scrimmage. They have about eight players who could see some playing time in 2023.
On the edge, Bailey and redshirt sophomores Sam Brown and Malakai Williams should all see some action.
Brown brings some size on the edge, standing at 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds. The Central Valley High graduate found a home on the inside in 2022, appearing in five games. He finished the year with seven tackles.
“I love Sam Brown,” Asuega said. “He’s the king of Spokane. He’s a Vandal through and through. Him knowing the area and helping lead the guys has been awesome.”
Williams earned the Battle Ax award after Idaho’s practice last Saturday for his performance. Like Bailey, Williams was also a reserve in 2022, finishing with 13 tackles, one for a loss and a sack.
When Williams received the ax award, Eck remarked that he didn’t necessarily live up to his potential last year. Not just on the field, but in the classroom. Now Williams is maintaining a 3.5 GPA and has been a standout on defense. During the first week of spring practice, he used his 6-5 frame and speed to get around the edge .
“He’s embraced the process,” Asuega said. “Him elevating his work ethic off the field has been able to clear space in his head in order for him to perform on the field.”
Where’s the beef?
If there’s one noticeable thing about defensive line coach David Lose’s group in the interior, it’s their size.
Last year, Idaho’s interior players weighed an average of 261.1 pounds. This year, the defensive tackles weigh an average of 272 pounds.
“As coach Lose would say, ‘There’s a lot more junk in the trunk,’ ” Asuega said. “Credit to Lose and what he’s been able to do with those guys.”
Helping to raise that average significantly is Lincoln University (Missouri) transfer Jahkari Larmond. The 330-pounder played in 11 games as a sophomore and was a bright spot for a 0-11 Blue Tigers team. He finished with 29 tackles, one for a loss, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Larmond isn’t a pass-rush specialist, but his size makes him hard to push back in the run game. He’s shown his ability to plug up running lanes throughout spring practice. He’ll be a welcomed addition to a rush defense that ranked third in the Big Sky last season, giving up 145.4 yards per game.
Larmond also makes the defensive line room more fun, according to Asuega.
“He’s got a great personality,” Asuega said. “Last practice, he got an interception, he ran up to coach Eck and said, ‘I like pepperoni, baby.’ So today, Eck got him a pepperoni pizza. Having that personality improves the room.”
The weight distribution is also helped by Abe Christensen, who made the move from offensive guard to defensive tackle.
The N.C. State transfer was originally recruited to play defense but didn’t get any playing time during his time there. The last time he played on for the opposite side of the ball was his senior year of high school when he finished with 69 tackles, 18 for a loss and seven sacks.
The transition has been seamless for the junior; he hasn’t lost a step and is looking natural in the position so far in practice.
Still more to come
There are eight players on the roster who should get playing time when the season starts, but that’s not including the six incoming freshmen.
There is a lot of excitement for the youngsters. It grows even more considering five of the six are from the Pacific Northwest.
“I’m excited to see what value they add to this room,” Asuega said. “Them being local guys is huge. They’re going to show out for Idaho.”
The one player who isn’t a native of the Pacific Northwest is at camp and is an international recruit from Australia, Malakai Railton-Stewart.
With Bailey, the Vandals have had success with international recruits along the defensive line, and Railton-Stewart looks no different. The 6-5, 260-pounder has shown off his quick hands and feet throughout camp, even against the upperclassmen.