It starts with defense: EWU has questions on offense, special teams, but the top priority is getting stops

The questions around the Eastern Washington football team have been the same now for the last couple of years.

They’re not so much about the offense, which is, admittedly, replacing its entire offensive line.

They’re not really about the special teams, either, though it’s unclear how successful the Eagles will be in replacing the program’s all-time leading kick returner.

Really, the most crucial questions are once again about the defense, and they can be boiled down to just one: Can the EWU defense hold up against what Big Sky teams throw at it?

“I think we have a lot of special players on the team, especially on the defensive side,” EWU redshirt junior safety Drew Carter told reporters during camp. “I think we’ll do something really special this year. I am excited to see how that plays out for sure.”

Offense

Throughout camp, Eastern Washington head coach Aaron Best has reiterated that Jared Taylor is going to be a throw-first quarterback in his new role as QB1.

As a change-of-pace quarterback the last two seasons, Taylor was used as a run-first counterpoint to Kekoa Visperas, who transferred to Tennessee Tech in the offseason. Taylor, now a senior, will be relied upon to throw the ball downfield, just as he did in the Eagles’ first scrimmage when he threw for 148 yards and rushed for 21.

Last season, Taylor threw for more yards than he gained on the ground in just two games.

In the backfield behind Taylor, the Eagles will rely primarily on senior Malik Dotson, Taylor’s childhood friend and college teammate each of the last three seasons, dating to their time together at Feather River College.

Dotson missed three games last year but ran for 505 yards on 85 carries. That gave him the 10th highest yards-per-carry average among Big Sky players with at least that many rushing yards.

He’ll be joined by redshirt juniors Marceese Yetts, Amir Dendy and Talon Betts, as well as redshirt freshman Kevin Allen III.

The blockers in front of those position players don’t yet appear to be settled, and Best said throughout camp that they may regularly play more than the usual five starters on the offensive line.

Defense

It was telling that during Eastern’s first drive of its first preseason scrimmage – a drive that lasted 20 plays – the Eagles rotated in nearly an entire two deep on defense. It’s something coordinator Eric Sanders did plenty last season and looks to be comfortable doing again.

Many players said later last season and during this preseason that the defense remains the same, but it’s been simplified in an effort to make players faster, less hesitant.

They have also emphasized the importance of takeaways. The last time Eastern finished in the top half of the Big Sky in either interceptions or fumble recoveries was in 2022, though even that could only do so much to counterbalance the 504 yards per game the defense allowed that season.

“We want to have a good defense this year,” sophomore defensive end Tylin Jackson said. “We want to dominate the Big Sky.”

Special teams

Eastern fielded the Big Sky’s most dangerous kickoff return game last year with Michael Wortham setting a new program record for kickoff return yardage in a season (1,093). But Wortham, granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to his time spent in junior college, transferred to Montana.

That leaves the Eagles with the more traditional candidate in senior receiver Noah Cronquist and a less conventional one in backup quarterback Nate Bell.

Bell has assumed the No. 2 quarterback role behind Taylor, but Best said recently that he’s open to finding other ways to get the 5-foot-9 Bell on the field.

“I never would have thought in a million years as a head coach we’d have kick returns or punt returners as former quarterbacks, or current quarterbacks for that matter, the last two years running, but that’s certainly a possibility,” Best said. “It’s at least something we’re going to look at. He’ s a tough tackle. … he’ll find himself in games at multiple positions, to be determined.”

Gone is special teams coordinator Danny McDonald, who is now the assistant tight ends coach at Boise State. The Eagles did not directly replace him with a new coordinator.

Redshirt junior Soren McKee is in line to handle kicking duties again this season; Landon Ogles, a senior, is back at punter.