Strong ‘coopetition’ between receivers, DBs at Vandal camp

Aug. 15—”Coopetition.”

Definition — collaboration between business competitors, in the hope of mutually beneficial results.

That is the perfect word to describe how the Vandal wide receivers and cornerbacks have looked at fall camp. The cornerbacks have the edge on experience, but are not using that experience to just shut down their teammates on the opposite side of the ball, but to raise them up.

“You know, when we see them out here and they make a play and we see them kind of turn it up, we kind of be like, yeah … like it’s time to go,” junior wide receiver Michael Graves said. “So definitely just part of the competing aspect of it and you know, that’s how we grew up playing.”

Graves played in eight games last season with one catch for 1 yard in a 42-14 win against Cal Poly. The Sacramento, Calif., native had a more successful 2022 season when he collected 15 receptions for 194 yards and scored his lone touchdown against Indiana. Orion Peters — a Washington State transfer — is the only other upperclassman in the 13-player wide receiver room.

Redshirt sophomore Jordan Dwyer, who has not been on the field for recent practices due to an injury that coach Jason Eck does not believe will keep him out of the first game of the season, and redshirt freshman Mark Hamper are the only other two returning Vandal receivers who saw the field last season.

Dwyer had 20 receptions for 328 yards and was second on the team with four touchdowns. Hamper played in just five games and had four receptions on the year. Both Dwyer and Hamper had season-best performances in a 63-21 victory against Idaho State, the lone start for current starting quarterback Jack Layne in 2023.

In that blowout win, Dwyer had three catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Hamper had three of his four catches on the year for a total of 23 yards.

“This year,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/strong-coopetition-between-receivers-dbs-131100847.html

Author : Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho

Publish date : 2024-08-15 13:11:00

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