No shortage of hands for Idaho

MOSCOW - In case anyone in Vandal territory still needs proof the Idaho football program is on the ascent under fourth-year coach Robb Akey, just take a look at the last time the team lost a 1,000-yard receiver.

That was in 2005 when D.J. Smith caught 67 passes for 1,001 yards. The next two years the leading receiver failed to break 500 yards.

Last season Max Komar pulled in 63 passes for 1,052 yards and 11 TDs. In 2010 the Vandals have a veteran core of proven pass catchers ready to build on the success of 2009.

"Our wide receiver corps has the makings of being the best unit on this team," offensive coordinator Steve Axman said.

Despite losing Komar, the Vandal wide receiver unit will be even more diverse and deep than last season.

"In the past I had to put guys in at their positions," wide receivers coach Luther Carr said. "Now we have a lot of guys playing a lot of positions, so I feel comfortable putting those guys in at multiple positions."

Junior Preston Davis and seniors Eric Greenwood and Maurice Shaw each had 32 catches last season - until Davis hauled in a crucial 50-yard bomb from Nathan Enderle late in the Humanitarian Bowl to set up the winning touchdown.

"It was spread out pretty evenly last year," Carr said. "The system we ran last year really did a good job of getting Max (Komar) the ball, but we had a lot of passes go to several other guys too."

While spreading passes out evenly is a nice option for the QB, inevitably one receiver will emerge as a top threat, and right now that appears to be the 6-foot-7 Greenwood.

"Greenwood is having a great camp, and we'll see what happens when the season starts," Carr said.

One thing Vandals fans can be assured of is, according to Carr, the ball will be there for the receivers.

"Enderle does a good job of finding the open receiver, and he does a good job of getting the ball to the receiver that is going to get us a first down too," Carr said.

Junior-college transfer Armauni Johnson has looked good in camp also, and at 6-foot-4 he should provide another nice target for Enderle.

Other players who will likely get opportunities to catch passes are junior Marsel Posey and sophomore Justin Veltung.

The Vandals' top returning pass catcher is senior tight end/H-back Daniel Hardy, who snagged 39 receptions for 691 yards and three TDs in 2009.

"Hardy is a natural athlete," first-year tight ends coach and former San Diego Charger tight end Al Pupunu said. "He is valuable to the offense on both runs and pass plays with his size and ability."

Hardy (6-4, 242) averaged 17.7 yards per reception last season, and his presence gives the Vandal offensive another level of complexity.

As for who will start at the other offensive end, that is still up in the air.

"We have one senior, and a lot of freshmen," Pupunu said. "So starters-wise it could be anyone."

Clayton Homme, Michael LaGrone and Daniel Micheletti are all redshirt freshmen, and junior Derek Wieting transitioned to tight end last spring from a defensive line backup role.

"The young guys are quick learners, it is almost natural for those guys," Pupunu said. "Once you throw them in there they pick it up."

As for Hardy's role in the offensive scheme, well, don't expect too many passes to go toward any other tight end.

"Coach Axman will add wrinkles to what we did last year, especially at the tight end position," Hardy said. "The fact that our main group of pass catchers have been together for most of our careers here will help the offense run smoothly.

"Things are getting done right. A lot of times it is because a receiver runs the right route that a play succeeds, even if the ball doesn't go to that player. Everything clicks into place."

Shaw, who is the leading returning receiver with 666 yards and six touchdowns last season, believes the team that will take its cue from what the seniors bring to the table.

"This is coach Akey's senior class, we have all grown up together," Shaw said. "What a team does on the field is always based off the seniors and how they do things."

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Strong may be contacted at dstrong@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2277.