Idaho 2012 Recruiting

2012 Idaho Vandals ... Head Coach: Robb Akey

Idaho Vandals

2011 Record: 2-9

Sept. 1 Bowling Green L 32-15
Sept. 10 North Dakota W 44-14
Sept. 17 at Texas A&M L 37-7
Sept. 24 Fresno State L 48-24
Oct. 1 at Virginia L 21-20 OT
Oct. 8 Louisiana Tech L 24-11
Oct. 15 at NMSU L 31-24
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Hawaii L 16-14
Nov. 5 at San Jose State W 32-29
Nov. 12 at BYU L 42-7
Nov. 19 Utah State W 49-42 2OT
Nov. 26 OPEN DATE
Dec. 3 at Nevada

2010 CFN Prediction: 3-10
2010 Record: 6-7

Sept. 2 North Dakota W 45-0
Sept. 11 at Nebraska L 38-17
Sept. 18 UNLV W 30-7
Sept. 25 at Colorado St L 36-24
Oct. 2 at Western Mich W 33-13
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at La Tech L 48-35
Oct. 23 NMSU W 37-14
Oct. 30 at Hawaii L 45-10
Nov. 6 Nevada L 63-17
Nov. 12 Boise State L 52-14
Nov. 20 at Utah State W 28-6
Nov. 27 at Fresno St L 23-20
Dec. 4 San Jose St W 26-24 OT
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Vandal Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. S Ma’ne Manaea
5-11, 175, Scout.com 78th ranked, three-star safety.

2. RB James Baker
6-2, 225, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer

3. WR Najee Lovett
5-9, 170, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer

4. WR Kyren Watts
6-2, 187, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer

5. OT Nick Von Rotz
6-5, 270, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... The Vandals need to get the passing game going again, and fast. Last year’s class brought in a slew of receivers and quarterback prospects, and next year will be Round Two. The receivers should be one of the biggest strengths of the class, and more quarterbacks are coming in for developing by 2014 and beyond. The new-look WAC isn’t going to be like the old school shootout version, but Idaho is trying to become equipped to put more points on the board.

Team Concerns For 2012: The defense needs better playmaking linebackers. Tre’Shawn Robinson is gone from the middle and Korey Toomer is done from the outside, and the depth isn’t exactly deep. Three starters have to be replaced from an offensive line that wasn’t consistent, but this year’s class won’t bring any instant solutions.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: Can head coach Robb Ikey get the program back to bowl form after a disastrous 2011? The offense has to be far better in all phases, and it starts with QB Taylor Davis needing to grow into the job. Three starters are gone off a line that didn’t do anything for the running game that needs former JUCO transfer Ryan Bass to produce. The defense that finished 101st in the nation has to replace six starters including leading tackler, MLB Tre’Shawn Robinson.

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 113. That Class Was Heavy On ... the passing game. The Idaho defense has been a mega-issue over the last several years, and after loading up on defensive tackles last year, more were brought in with JUCO transfers Aaron Lazaro and Dontae Scott providing two 300-pound rocks for the middle. Looking to get more pop to the passing game, the Vandals got a few strong prospects with 6-6, 250-pound JUCO transfer Dominique Blackman in to challenge for the starting job right away, and big MarQuan Major and speedy Cameron McKernan in to take over the receiving corps.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 102. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive tackles. Head coach Robb Akey brought in a varied, diverse class with a little something for all spots, including center with Sam Tupua possibly the next great Vandal lineman now that Mike Iupati is gone and Mike Marboe the anchor for the future. But the bulk stars are on the defensive front, especially at tackle with big, big bodies being brought in with 285-pound JUCO transfer Ben Swarts, and 290-pound JUCO star Aaron Strumski to fill in right away.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 114. That Class Was Heavy On ... Variety. What do you get for the team that needs everything? The class is spread out over all the positions with enough JUCO players here and there to provide a few more options, while the top position might be linebacker with Jared Heston and Conrad Scheidt arguably the team’s best recruits. The junior college players help boost this class, only because the team needs players. CB Kevin Williams and WR Michael Lindsey will almost certainly play right away.

Nov. 19 Utah State 49 … at Idaho 42 2OT

Nov. 12 at BYU 42 … Idaho 7

Nov. 5 Idaho 32 … at San Jose State 29

Oct. 29 Hawaii 16 … at Idaho 14  

Oct. 15 at New Mexico State 31 … Idaho 24
CFN Analysis: It’s the same problem week after week; the offense can’t find anything that consistently works down the field. Brian Reader got a little time against New Mexico State, but he doesn’t have the deep threats to open things up, throwing for just 167 yards with a pick. Princeton McCarty ran for 116 yards and a score, but he wasn’t enough in the second half and the receivers couldn’t do anything with the ball in their hands. Reader spread the ball around to eight different targets, but he needs a No. 1 receiver. On a five game losing streak, the Vandals get two weeks off to prepare. To have a chance, Reader and the air attack have to be more effective. 

Oct. 8 Louisiana Tech 24 … at Idaho 11
CFN Analysis: The offense just isn’t working. The ground game was never going to be a plus, and now the passing game is getting worse. Brian Reader isn’t hitting on enough big plays down the field; there’s no pop or explosion. There were two big plays, connecting with Justin Veltung for a long gain and finding Armauni Johnson once to stretch the field, but that was about it. With New Mexico State up next, the Vandals need come up with a win or else the season is basically over. At 1-6 and with four road games after next week, all bowl hopes would be gone with a loss.

Oct. 1 at Virginia 21 ... Idaho 20 OT
CFN Analysis: Idaho played poorly and Virginia played worse, and there was still a chance to pull off the win on the road. The offense that can’t seem to move the ball a lick came to life when it absolutely had to on a two-point conversion to tie it up late in the fourth to force overtime, and then Brian Reader came up with one of his best plays of the year on a 23-yard touchdown pass to Armauni Johnson. The two point try for the win was a gutsy one, but it should’ve been made with the head. Virginia’s offense was sputtering, and while it scored in overtime, it was making mistakes and wasn’t sharp. Reader was just starting to get hot and the Vandal offense was working, and while it would’ve been a terrific move had he hit on the two point conversion, it might not have been necessary. Bobby Cowan kept the Cavs pinned deep all game long, averaging 51.2 yards per kick, and the defensive line had one of its best games of the year. It wasn’t enough.
 
Sept. 24 Fresno State 48 … at Idaho 24
CFN Analysis: No pass rush means no pass defense for Idaho, and the lack of pressure on Derek Carr meant Fresno State was able to win in a blowout. Brian Reader wasn’t awful, connecting on 22-of-38 passes for 235 yards and two scores, but once again the running game was non-existent and Reader couldn’t do it all by himself. TreShawn Robinson made ten tackles and two tackles for loss, but that was the only positive for a defense that got picked clean way too easily. Against Virginia, Reader and the passing game has to be far more efficient. 

Sept. 17 at Texas A&M 37 ... Idaho 7
CFN Analysis: Idaho is supposed to be able to throw against anyone, and it wasn’t even close to making it interesting against A&M. Brian Reader had a pedestrian 131-yard passing day, and as always, there wasn’t any ground game to throw a scare into the Aggie defense. The lines continue to be a problem with little pass rush over the first three weeks and awful pass protection, but more than anything else, there’s no pop to the attack. The passing game should be good enough to throw for 300 yards a game, and the team is only averaging 297 yards per outing. The run defense hasn’t been bad, and that’ll be a must against Fresno State up next week. 

Sept. 10 at Idaho 44 … North Dakota 14
CFN Analysis: That’s the Brian Reader the coaching staff was hoping for. After an awful opener against Bowling Green, Reader settled down and connected on 27-of-39 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns. There isn’t much of a running game to count on, and the line needs to be more physical, but the Vandals needed and easy blowout win, and got it before having to deal with Texas A&M. The pass rush came up with just one TreShawn Robinson sack, and he was the star of the D with eight tackles getting all over the field against the run. He’s about the only aggressive producer so far on a defense with just two sacks and six tackles for loss; the lines have to be far, far better. 

Sept. 1 Bowling Green 32 … at Idaho 15
CFN Analysis:  The Idaho offense was a nightmare at home. This was a game the Vandals had to have to get off to a decent start, and while North Dakota is a winnable game, it’ll be tough sledding for a while if the O continues to be so awful. Bowling Green doesn’t have a killer D, but QB Brian Reader couldn’t figure it out completing 19-of-43 passes for 177 yards and two scores. There wasn’t any running game, and the receivers didn’t step up to help the cause with way too many dropped passes. The one positive was safety Gary Walker, who came up with 13 tackles and was all over the field. Now the defensive front seven has to start doing more.  

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … the passing game. The Idaho defense has been a mega-issue over the last several years, and after loading up on defensive tackles last year, more were brought in with JUCO transfers Aaron Lazaro and Dontae Scott providing two 300-pound rocks for the middle. Looking to get more pop to the passing game, the Vandals got a few strong prospects with 6-6, 250-pound JUCO transfer Dominique Blackman in to challenge for the starting job right away, and big MarQuan Major and speedy Cameron McKernan in to take over the receiving corps.

Five Idaho Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Dominique Blackman
6-6, 250, JUCO transfer

2. S Peni Vea
6-0, 175, 108th ranked safety

3. WR MarQuan Major
6-2, 175, Scout.com’s 179th ranked receiver

4. DT Aaron Lazaro
6-4, 300, Two-star JUCO transfer

5. CB A.J. Annelus
5-10, 190, Two-star JUCO transfer

2011 Entire Recruiting Class
A.J. Annelus, CB, Grandview High School, Santa Monica College, Grandview, Mo.
Dion Bass, CB, Centennial High School, Corona, Calif.
Dominique Blackman, QB, Carson High School, Los Angeles Harbor, Old Dominion, Carson, Calif.
Quinton Bradley, DE, Roosevelt High School, San Antonio, Texas
Solomon Dixon, CB, McKinley High School, Honolulu, Hawai`i
Ryan Edwards, DT, Long Beach Poly High School, Long Beach, Calif.
Cody Elenz, OL, Copperas Cove High School, Copperas Cove, Texas
Ryan Ena, DE, El Camino High School, Oceanside, Calif.
Todd Handley, RB, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside, Calif.
Camryn Harris, WR, Valley Christian High School, Dublin, Calif.
A.J. Jones, OL, Chico High School, Butte College, Chico, Calif.
Jared Klingenberg, TE, Cedarcrest High School, Carnation, Wash.
Aaron Lazaro, DT, Otay Ranch High School, Southwestern Community College, Chula Vista, Calif.
Brady Lisoski, OL, Redmond High School, Butte College, Redmond, Wash.
Marquan Major, WR, Las Vegas High School, Las Vegas, Nev.
Cameron McKernan, RB, Kentridge High School, Kent, Wash.
Bradley Njoku, S, Leander High School, Leander, Texas
Elan Richard, LB, Bellevue High School, Bellevue, Wash.
Ian Silbernagel, WR, McKay High School, Salem, Ore.
Dontae Scott, DT, Leilehua High School (Waianae, Hawai`i), Golden West College, Kileen, Texas
Sua Tuala, LB, Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco City College, San Francisco, Calif.
Jeremiah Walters, LB, McClymonds High School, Oakland, Calif.