Although the offense got in the endzone once, the defense shined in the first scrimmage of spring practice. Defensive lineman Jahkari Larmond received the battle axe while multiple other defenders put up solid state lines.
Larmond has proven to be one of the strongest additions to the defense so far, but a more recent addition has also been crucial. With Tyler Yelk leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles early in spring ball, there was a glaring hole on the defensive staff. Head Coach Jason Eck tied in the West Coast and Idaho to land Bobby Jay as the new safeties coach. Jay originally hails from Boise but comes to the Vandals from San Diego State.
Defensive backs Murvin Kenion III, Ormanie Arnold and Tommy McCormick were a few of the players that shined the most. McCormick forced multiple misses deep while Kenion III and Arnold were dominant in the middle. Marcus Harris has also been a huge presence down field during practices, snagging multiple interceptions in the first three weeks. Looking closer to the ball, defensive lineman Zach Krotzer also had a big day as he got in the backfield for the first scrimmage sack.
“I thought the defense was good, they were aggressive,” Eck said.
On offense, it was slants and short runs that got the bulk of the work done. Anthony Woods ran in for the sole touchdown of the scrimmage, getting into the endzone from a few yards out. Woods and Nick Romano may be taking most of the snaps come fall, but it was a back deep in the rotation that stood out on Saturday. Trent Elstad hails from Coeur D’Alene and played in one game for the Vandals last season. He may be at the end of the rotation, but he has proven to be a solid player during spring ball.
As practice has progressed and spots have gotten figured out, there’s one thing that has continued from last year. During both fall practice and the regular season, Eck was adamant about the team not beating themselves. Despite position changes and player additions, that sentiment hasn’t changed.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re really good with playing hard and doing our assignments when we’re supposed to do,” Eck said. “If you don’t do that, you beat yourself. After that, you’ve got to make some plays.”
The team has just over a week to round out the edges and build their chemistry before the spring game on April 28 at 7 p.m. in the Kibbie Dome.
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jamesaldrich25