When the last letter came in — hours after Idaho’s fax machine went cold — Paul Petrino and his coaching staff knew exactly who they were getting.
Theo Lawson | Argonaut
Alfonso Hampton, one of the nation’s top junior college defensive tackles, capped off Petrino’s second National Signing Day in style. A 4-star prospect according to ESPN’s Recruiting Nation, Hampton, at 6 feet 4 inches and 310 pounds, was one of 17 junior college players to commit to Idaho — a clear signal that the second-year coach wants Sun Belt championships, and he really doesn’t want to wait.
Though some would argue that the JC approach doesn’t represent vision for the long-term goals of the program, a team that has two wins to its name in two years should redirect its vision to the immediate future.
“I’m getting the very best guys I could get that could come in here and compete to start and either be the starter or make the guys that are here better by the competition of starting,” Petrino told the media during his press conference Wednesday.
And a program that prides itself on “getting better” every day appears to have done that with a JC-heavy class with lots of starting potential.
The JC route certainly has its cons — Petrino, by making so many short-term investments, will be expected to win right away. If these players come in and do just that, it will give the program some leeway. Then, as 4-8 turns into 5-7 and 6-6, the coaching staff will be able to target younger talent.
That is assuming everything goes according to plan, while understanding that not much has for this program since that ever-so-distant bowl victory in 2009.
Yet at this point, two days after college football’s Christmas, it’s OK to speculate.
Petrino and his staff loaded up on defense, bolstering the defensive line, while filling in some holes in the secondary. Hampton will more than fill a void left by graduating seniors QuayShawne Buckley and Vince Keener. Hampton, the San Diego, Calif., native is likely Petrino’s best get yet. ESPN ranked Hampton as its ninth-best junior college prospect and he is the lone top-50 player to commit to a non-BCS conference. Players ranked below him committed to Alabama, Florida State and USC among others.
The area most desperate for a facelift — the Vandal secondary — received some much-needed aid with a trio of signees. Dorian Clark, a cornerback from Florida, leads the pack and is listed at 6-feet. It’s clear Petrino felt the need to add height to a group that allowed 315 yards per game, second-worst in the Football Subdivision, and 40 passing touchdowns, worst in the FBS.
“If it starts with a six and they play corner, that’s exciting to me,” Petrino said referring to Hampton’s height.
Clark is joined by safety Chris Edwards and defensive back Dennis Rufus, both junior college prospects.
With Clark and running back Aaron Duckworth, it appears that the Florida/southern pipeline continues to build momentum for Idaho and it should only get better as the team plays more Sun Belt games there.
Petrino, it appears, got most of the presents on his list this year, and while the Vandals were by no means stellar with this class, the acquisition of Hampton deserves a thorough round of applause.
Idaho, it appears, got better Wednesday.
Theo Lawson can be reached at [email protected]