Energetic Weber State football team opens fall camp for 2024 season
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- Weber State linebacker Alema Tupuola (6) leads a run during the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State offensive lineman Jason White cools off with a spray of water on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State receiver Tajon Evans sees in a catch on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State quarterback Richie Muñoz throws a pass on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State head football coach Mickey Mental directs action on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State cornerback Jalon Rock (0) runs a drill as teammates watch on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State receiver Peyton Beck (26) hauls in a pass on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State football players run the field during the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State receiver Marcus Chretien (87) catches a ball on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State players Davion Godley (27) and Chauncey Sylvester (5) grab a drink on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- A Weber State receiver, left, attempts a catch as safety BJ Carey (3) reaches to defend on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State tight end Noah Bennee snags a pass on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- A Weber State player cools off with some water on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State receiver Mason York looks in a pass on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
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- Weber State receiver Jayleen Record (4) tries to secure a reception as Logan Mackey defends on the first day of fall camp Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
OGDEN — A newly made roster several rows deep on the turf at Stewart Stadium circled around their head ball coach who, despite 100-degree weather, was clad in his usual black hoodie.
Position battles, X’s and O’s and well-defined roles come later, so Mickey Mental praised his Weber State players for “staying up” throughout their first of many fall practice sessions in the August heat.
“The urgency between drills … I like where the focus and mindset is at,” Mental said.
The Wildcats head into 2024 with a streak of nine straight winning seasons but aim to return to the FCS playoffs after a 6-5 record last year.
Then-freshman Richie Muñoz took over at quarterback and piloted WSU to three straight wins, capping the season with a 329-yard, five-touchdown effort at Cal Poly — perhaps part of why Hero Sports slotted Weber at No. 22 in its preseason Top 25.
Wearing a brace after tweaking his right knee in the offseason — which Muñoz says “hasn’t hindered me at all” as he “feels 100%” — the sophomore signal-caller provided one highlight of practice, connecting with Jaden Thrower on 45-yard touchdown during a passing drill.
“I’m just looking for this team to go and play the best we can,” Muñoz said. “I truly believe we’re going to surprise a lot of people … take care of the ball, play great defense.”
The way Muñoz took over at QB late last season brings a world of potential to this year’s offense if the rest of the pieces come together. Akron transfer Dijon Jennings and Snow College transfer Donovan Smith join Creyton Cooper and Dylan Gutierrez behind Muñoz.
That group has plenty of talent with it in the backfield, led by the return of senior Damon Bankston. He rushed for 263 yards through the first two games last year but hasn’t participated in this setting since late September 2023 when he lost his season to a leg injury.
“Just gaining trust back in my legs, getting my body feeling back to football shape,” Bankston said after Thursday’s practice. “It’s about time I get to play with Richie. … At the end of last year he was doing his thing and I was like ‘man, I can’t wait to play with him.'”
Mental said Adrian Cormier, Clarence Butler, Major Givens and Colter May are all ready to give positive contributions behind Bankston.
Two other areas of strength are the defensive line and defensive secondary. In the trenches, Brayden Wilson returns on the edge after leading the Big Sky in tackles for loss last season. Wilson said negative-play-creator Steven Bryant has made himself into a leader, and sixth-year senior Zeke Birch joins Bryant at tackle for his final campaign.
Add in Matt Herron and Ben Beecher up the middle, and a more seasoned Keahnist Thompson and Fresno State transfer Kemari Munier-Bailey on the edge, and Mental said expectations are high for the D-line.
“With them, it’s the same as Richie: how do we take that next step?” the head coach said.
Same goes for a talented defensive secondary: Jalon Rock and Tre Parks-Vinson lead the corners (Parks-Vinson snagged an interception Thursday) with Montae Pate, Toddrick Dixon, Logan Mackey and more ready for time.
At safety, Trevian Tribble returns from injury to rejoin EJ Evett and BJ Carey, along with Kao Hansen, Pierre Hunter and physical Colorado State transfer Angel King.
There’s not nearly the experience WSU has enjoyed in its secondary recently, but the general sentiment is that the talent is there and can match what the recent outgoing guard (Eddie Heckard, Marque Collins, Maxwell Anderson) started to create as freshmen in 2019.
“If you’re coached by (Joe) Dale and (Andre) Dyson, two guys who have done it at a high level, these guys are going to play well,” Mental said. “Those guys are all vocal and have taken a good step this summer.”
The most lost experienced is at offensive line, a group saying goodbye to Noah Atagi, Ethan Atagi and Jordan Lutui, with senior center Andrew Carter having also finished his career last season. But Mental says the current O-line has “worked their butts off, tremendous offseason, and put their bodies in a position to be successful.”
Mental said leading returners there are Gavin Ortega, Cole Casto, Lavaka Taukeiaho and youngster Vae Soifua.
Soifua is part of a growing group of recent power-conference FBS offensive linemen who have transferred to Weber State with several seasons of eligibility left after not seeing playing time at their previous schools. Soifua came last year from BYU with Zoom Esplin; this year’s additions are Jason White (Oregon State), and Hunter Deuel and Jacob Edmonds (Utah).
Two-year Cornell starter and center Terrance Caldwell also joins that group of transfers.
“I think the mindset right now is just about playing hard, and being fast and physical,” Mental said of his O-line.
Questions remain at linebacker, receiver and tight end and linebacker, where WSU loses stalwarts like Winston Reid, Jack Kelly, Haze Hadley and Hayden Meacham,
Garrett Beck is the most experienced returning backer, with easy focus also going to Alema Tupuola and Jayden Ah You as leaders in the clubhouse for starting jobs. Mental pointed to Elijah Teriipaia and Mayson Hitchens as some who have played well on special teams and are solidifying themselves at LB.
The receivers group also lost Treyshun Hurry to transfer, so they’ll look to Thrower, Jacob Sharp, Marvin Session, Tajon Evans and Jayleen Record, among others.
“A lot of that wideout room is redshirts and this is their third year … we’ve got a lot of young talent starving to play,” Mental said.
The season-opener at Washington is set for Aug. 31. The Wildcats take just eight seniors to Seattle for the program’s first-ever game against a Big Ten school (a sentence that will take some time to make sense), but preseason All-American Wilson isn’t worried.
“Last year people were worried about the defensive ends, even I think some of the D-tackles were worried, but we stepped up and played a major role,” Wilson said. “We’re all college football players. We’re all going to step up.”
