Eck leaving Idaho to coach New Mexico; 4 Vandal stars hop into portal

“We are grateful for everything that Jason has done to elevate Vandal football, Idaho Athletics, the University of Idaho, our community and state,” Idaho athletics director Terry Gawlik said in a statement. “We wish Jason, Kimberly and the entire Eck family the best of luck. Jason took over a struggling team and built a culture, brought excitement and winning back to the dome immediately. We now look to the future to find the next leader of the Vandal football program. The foundation for success has been laid and we will look to the future with the goals of winning Big Sky and national championships.”

Four key Vandals enter transfer portal

In the hours following Eck’s departure, at least four Vandals put their names in the college football transfer portal, including Layne and star wide receiver Jordan Dwyer.

Layne and Dwyer made their announcements on social media.

Layne started eight games for the Vandals over the past three seasons, beating Idaho State three times and leading the Vandals to a 6-2 record with him under center. His two losses were to Oregon and Montana State, the current No. 1 teams in the FBS and FCS, respectively.

The sophomore from Lake Oswego, Ore., passed for 1,477 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions through six starts in 2024.

Dwyer, a sophomore from Puyallup Wash., entered the portal with two years of eligibility remaining. In three years at Idaho, Dwyer played two full seasons after playing just four games as a true freshman, making 109 catches for 1,651 yards and 18 touchdowns total.

Dwyer broke out in ‘24, making 78 catches for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns in a season that saw him become a feature of an Idaho offense that lost two star wideouts to NFL training camps in Hatten and Jermaine Jackson.

He wasted little time Saturday in announcing offers from Eck’s New Mexico, Nevada, Montana and Washington State among others.

A pair of Idaho All-Big Sky-Conference defenders also hit the portal on Saturday in defensive lineman Dallas Afalava and defensive back Dwayne McDougle.

The pair also made their announcements on social media.

Afalava anchored a dangerous unit and accounted for 31 tackles and 4.5 sacks through each of Idaho’s 14 games this season.

The Rainier Beach High School (Seattle) alumnus spent two years on the Palouse, accounting for nine sacks and 56 total tackles.

After three years in Moscow, McDougle also hit the portal on Saturday. McDougle redshirted in 2022, then played in 26 total games over the next two seasons, including each of Idaho’s 14 games in ‘24. The sophomore from Oakland made 87 total tackles with two interceptions and 11 passes defensed.

More Vandals could hit the portal in the coming days as Idaho searches for its next coach.