Impacts to Idaho 2019 recruiting

[VandalBasher]

A total of 28 players from our 2018 roster won't be on this year's roster due to graduation, transfer and grades. This seems to be a lot more than previous years. Our 2019 recruiting appears on paper to be solid. A lot of that is probably from a possibility of "play right away" chance for recent commits.


Moscow Daily News story concerning this matter:
Idaho football starters Ty Graham (linebacker) and Denzal Brantley (safety) are two of 28 players from the Vandals’ 2018 roster to not be included with the spring 2019 personnel.

“I made the decision to be closer with my family and to transfer to (Eastern Washington),” Cheney High product Graham posted on Twitter on Friday. “I can’t thank U of I enough for everything they have done for me. I will forever be grateful for the last 3 years spent as a Vandal.”

Graham, the son of former Eagles defensive coordinator John Graham, had 133 career tackles for UI, including a team-high 12 for the Vandals in their 38-14 loss at EWU in October.

The elder Graham coached at UI during 2018 spring football, but left in June, citing personal reasons.
Per the school, Brantley left without declaring transfer. Brantley and Graham each had 71 total tackles in UI’s 2018 campaign, tying for second on the team. Brantley recorded one interception during the Vandals’ return to the Big Sky Conference, where they went 4-7.

Other notables absent from the 2019 roster include Tyrese Walker and Aarron Boatright.
Walker — along with quarterback Dylan Lemle, who was suspended in 2018 for academic issues — has been removed from the school due to academics, and cannot return. Boatright, who started four games on the defensive line, is reportedly on an academic suspension, and will have a chance to return to the team.
Tight end Joseph Wysocki was noted as a probable transfer and freshman tight end Harrison Ashby announced his transfer to Pearl River Community College (Miss.) over Twitter.

The list of those absent from the 2019 roster includes nine juniors, two sophomores and 17 freshmen. These four juniors decided to retire early: receivers Josh Ellingson and Micah Hamilton, linebacker Aaron Pue and punter Zach Charme.

NOTE — UI officials reported that somewhere between five to eight scholarship players leave the school each year for various reasons. The Vandals had their largest class of walk-ons under coach Paul Petrino in 2018. UI has signed 15 during the early signing period, a class that’s ranked No. 2 in the FCS outside of the Ivy League (247Sports).... Inside linebackers coach Adam Breske has taken over special teams coordinator duties and Steve Oliver, the former director of football operations, will coach tight ends.

[ST_Lawson]

“I made the decision to be closer with my family and to transfer to (Eastern Washington),” Cheney High product Graham posted on Twitter on Friday. “I can’t thank U of I enough for everything they have done for me. I will forever be grateful for the last 3 years spent as a Vandal.”


Uh....I mean, I get that EWU is closer to Cheney than Idaho is, but they're not really that far apart. It's not like we're talking about a kid from California going to Harvard or Maine or something.

[Grizalltheway]

Uh....I mean, I get that EWU is closer to Cheney than Idaho is, but they're not really that far apart. It's not like we're talking about a kid from California going to Harvard or Maine or something.
I mean, it wouldn't be very polite to say "I've had enough of this dumpster fire. Peace."

[ST_Lawson]

I mean, it wouldn't be very polite to say "I've had enough of this dumpster fire. Peace."

Ha...fair enough.

[VandalBasher]

I mean, it wouldn't be very polite to say "I've had enough of this dumpster fire. Peace."


The first phase of the dumpster fire is completed with the hiring of a new president. This will happen in July of this year. Our current president didn't have his contract renewed. He was not seen as a supporter of the Athletic Department.

Phase II will be the graduation of Mason Petrino. He didn't redshirt his freshman year. If he doesn't take a year off this year, he will play his last season of Idaho Football in 2019. I think this was a deliberate set up by the coach. I get it that Coach Petrino is trying to set up his kid with enough education to become a coach at the D1 level, but it has been at the expense of other QBs.

As for the rebuild, it will take a lot of recruiting to switch from Sun Belt styles of football to BSC football.

[katss07]

Just a question for Vandal fans. What was the reaction like up in Idaho when ISU dominated Idaho? I think people perceived that the team with “FBS” talent would win seemingly 50/50 games, although the Bengals were improved.

[nodak651]

The first phase of the dumpster fire is completed with the hiring of a new president. This will happen in July of this year. Our current president didn't have his contract renewed. He was not seen as a supporter of the Athletic Department.

Phase II will be the graduation of Mason Petrino. He didn't redshirt his freshman year. If he doesn't take a year off this year, he will play his last season of Idaho Football in 2019. I think this was a deliberate set up by the coach. I get it that Coach Petrino is trying to set up his kid with enough education to become a coach at the D1 level, but it has been at the expense of other QBs.

As for the rebuild, it will take a lot of recruiting to switch from Sun Belt styles of football to BSC football.

Whats the Sun Belt style? I think the reputation that the Big Sky has for being such a pass heavy conference is also somewhat unjustified as it currently stands. There have been teams with many different styles of play that have been successful. UND won a share of the conference title by doing the opposite, for instance.

[cx500d]

The first phase of the dumpster fire is completed with the hiring of a new president. This will happen in July of this year. Our current president didn't have his contract renewed. He was not seen as a supporter of the Athletic Department.

Phase II will be the graduation of Mason Petrino. He didn't redshirt his freshman year. If he doesn't take a year off this year, he will play his last season of Idaho Football in 2019. I think this was a deliberate set up by the coach. I get it that Coach Petrino is trying to set up his kid with enough education to become a coach at the D1 level, but it has been at the expense of other QBs.

As for the rebuild, it will take a lot of recruiting to switch from Sun Belt styles of football to BSC football.
Football is football. Same rulebook all over.

[PAllen]

Uh....I mean, I get that EWU is closer to Cheney than Idaho is, but they're not really that far apart. It's not like we're talking about a kid from California going to Harvard or Maine or something.

His dad just left for "personal reasons".

[nodak651]

Football is football. Same rulebook all over.

Exactly. Pretty sure NDSU would do fine in the Big Sky, while having a different "style". Don't get that argument at all. xconfusedx

Don't tell the Idaho fans that the FBS Sun Belt just isn't as good as they think it is.

[Iridebikes]

That was the biggest surprise to me when Idaho came back to the BSC. I really thought that they would be able to compete. Turns out otherwise. It appears the conferences such as the Sun Belt are upper middle of the pack FCS

[Anthony215]

Honestly how many kids left Idaho in between the 2017 and 2018 seasons when they were transitioning to FCS football. If the number of kids on the 2 way depth chart who left were high then that explains their huge drop off in wins.