New play for Idaho: Lob to Moore

Every once in a while, a University of Idaho quarterback will drop back, scan the field and see an apparent mirage over the middle: a slender 6-foot-6 tight end, closely covered, yet nonetheless tantalizing.

He’ll lob the football, and Alex Moore will catch it like a giraffe grabbing a clump of leaves.

“Even when he’s not open,” UI tight ends coach Tyler Sutton said, “he’s still open, because he can play at a different level of the atmosphere than everybody else.”

According to the roster, the sophomore Moore weighs only 216 pounds, so he’s many protein shakes away from being an ideal fit for the position. But the converted receiver is getting plenty of reps in the new offense being installed by first-year coach Jason Eck.

“We want to be an offense that features tight ends,” Sutton said Tuesday after the Vandals’ 10th practice of spring drills. “To do that, you’ve got to have a lot of quality guys. So we felt like, with his athletic ability, his frame, his developable body, we could increase muscle mass, put on some good solid weight, and make him a pretty dynamic player for us.”

Said Moore, “I’m trying to put on weight to get my blocking right. I’m slowly progressing, hoping to make an impact this season. I’ve been pass-catching since I was a little kid, so it comes pretty naturally to me.”

Moore never previously played tight end, and no other schools offered him a scholarship out of Del Norte High School in San Diego. But he has gained an inch-and-a-half since arriving here, and so far his weight-gaining campaign hasn’t hampered his mobility. It jogs the imagination.

“The quarterbacks, I encourage them to overthrow him — throw it as high as you can,” Sutton said. “Let’s see what he can go get and what he can’t.”

Making mistakes is part of the luxury of spring drills, and Moore is being allowed to make many, as long as he’s correcting as he goes.

“He’s got really good instincts,” Sutton said. “The nice thing about him is, when he’s making mistakes, it’s all for the first time, so we can go in the film room, watch it and get it fixed. Then we come out here and walk through it before practice, and he does a really good job of not making the same mistake twice.

“I tell him every day, let’s find a new mistake to make, since you’re still a first-year player. As long as we’re not going back and making the same mistakes, which I’m pleased to say he’s doing a good job of avoiding that.”

Among quarterbacks, Gevani McCoy looked sharp amid cool but relatively dry conditions as coaches continued to evaluate McCoy, CJ Jordan, Macloud Crowton and Tyler Webb.

Defensive back JaShon Williams pulled off a slick interception during team period, and the Battle Axe Competitor of the Day award went to defensive end Leo Tamba.

Grummert may be contacted at daleg@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2290.