Idaho roster looks deep, but Linehan's health is key

It's taken Paul Petrino four years to build across-the-board depth at Idaho and now that he has it, the Vandals' coach can't stop raving about it.

For the first time under Petrino, Idaho enters fall camp three-deep, if not four-deep, at nearly every position. And finally, the Vandals feel they have quality to match quantity.

That should sharpen Petrino's team throughout the month of August, but it could really pay dividends down the road, in late-game scenarios where last season the Vandals often lacked the stamina to finish off opponents after securing an early lead.

"There's just going to be a lot of depth and a lot of competition, so I look forward to them all getting after each other," Petrino said Wednesday during a news conference.

Idaho opens fall camp at 6 tonight on the SprinTurf and will hold several more practices before an Aug. 20 scrimmage that will signal the end of the two-week period. The Vandals will then have two more weeks to prepare for their Sept. 1 season opener against Montana State.

Depth is certainly a strong suit when it comes to Petrino's fourth batch of Vandals - albeit with one glaring exception: quarterback.

After spending spring camp in a walking boot, incumbent starter Matt Linehan has been cleared by doctors and expects to be a full participant this fall. So long as Linehan can protect his left foot, the UI offense will be in good hands.

"We've seen him move around in the weight room and I think he's doing really well," Petrino said. " I think as the summer went on, he got to do a little more each week in the weight room and I think he's good to go."

But in each of Petrino's first three seasons, the Vandals have been forced to go to their cupboard because of an injury to the starter. Last season, the strong-armed Jake Luton filled in admirably in Linehan's absence. Making his first collegiate start against Arkansas State, Luton completed better than 50 percent of his passes and rushed for three touchdowns.

But Luton's recent decision to transfer to California's Ventura College, a move that took Petrino "by surprise," leaves the Vandals with zero game experience behind their junior starter.

"In this day and age, you see it all over the country," Petrino said. "A lot of guys don't want to be backup quarterbacks. You just see it happen throughout the country, guys transfer and move."

Coeur d'Alene High product Gunnar Amos and Petrino's son, Mason, are the only scholarship QBs remaining on the UI roster. Amos gained experience in the spring, taking many of the reps that Luton didn't take, but hasn't played in a game since the 2013 Idaho Class 5A playoffs. Petrino, a 2016 graduate of Pullman High, had planned to redshirt and spend his fall with the wide receivers, but instead will work with the QBs.

"His ability to play both will help us with depth there," the Idaho coach said.

With four returning offensive linemen who have 82 combined starts, Linehan's safety may end up being an afterthought.

The front line will be led by All-Sun Belt honorable mention guard/tackle Jordan Rose and Rimington Award watch list center Steven Matlock. Matlock, Petrino said, has been cleared to partake in fall camp after an alleged theft citation in June.

The Vandals have no shortage of receivers, returning three players who posted at least 40 catches in 2015 and three or four more who the coach thinks could make major contributions in 2016.

Idaho could take some initial lumps in the run game without 1,000-yard rusher Elijhaa Penny, who's currently training with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, but will hope to have clarity in the backfield by the season opener.

Aaron Duckworth, Denzal Brantley and Isaiah Saunders will all split first-team reps.

"As you left the spring, I would say Duckworth had the lead," Petrino said. "He probably had the best spring of all of them. But Isaiah did a really good job, Denzal did a good job."

The defense loses four of its top six leading tacklers, but Petrino says the Vandals have generally gotten faster and longer on that side of the ball and expects better continuity now that defensive coordinator Mike Breske and position coaches Aric Williams and Kenny Holmes are all entering their second season.

"I think when you can get longer and faster, that gives you a great opportunity to get in passing lanes and make things happen," Petrino said.

NOTES - Athletic director Rob Spear confirmed that both Nevada and Wyoming have backed out of nonconference games with the Vandals in 2017 and '18, respectively. Spear said the Vandals have replaced Nevada with a home game against a Big Sky opponent he couldn't name. As an FCS member in 2018, Idaho would've needed to drop one game to accommodate an 11-game schedule, "so removing Wyoming will work well," Spear said.

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Lawson may be contacted at tlawson@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2260. Follow him on Twitter @TheoLawson_Trib.