POCATELLO — Halfway through spring camp 2018, many of Idaho State’s big-name players are stuck wearing bright orange jersey tops — or street clothes.

The highlighter orange pinnies, while eye-catching, aren’t worn to signify a star player, but an injured one. ISU’s sidelines are getting more and more crowded with orange-clad players, who are generally not allowed to be touched during drills. Players practicing at full strength wear either black or white tops.

The Bengals ran through a series of situational 11-on-11 drills Friday and Saturday in lieu of an officiated, full-contact scrimmage originally slated for Saturday. While well-known players like Michael Dean, Mitch Gueller and Scooby Reynolds practice in varying capacities while they nurse assorted ailments, their backups have been getting a bulk of the practice reps.

“That’s one of the things where you’re kind of angry about a guy being hurt because you want your top guys to be in there,” ISU head coach Rob Phenicie said after Saturday’s practice. “But you look on the bright side and you’re building depth.”

Gueller and Dean participated in Saturday’s abbreviated scrimmage, as did orange-topped safety Brock Davis and cornerback Trey Green. Reynolds has worked individually on the sidelines to rehab a knee injury, and he’s joined by fellow receiver Matt Peterson, who was taking first-team reps until Friday. Other players being held out or practicing on a limit basis are linebacker Kody Graves, cornerback Justin Dorsey, long snapper Ryan Gray, running back Nehemiah McFarlin and cornerback Caleb Brown. Linebackers Joe Martin and Luke Holloway and defensive back Zach Wright have not dressed for a practice this spring.

The dwindling numbers at wideout have already prompted one position switch. Redshirt freshman Jrue Perkins made the change from defensive back to wide receiver. Senior running back Kieran Yancy has worked with the receivers and running backs to provide depth at both injury-hindered positions.

At corner, unavailabilities to Dorsey, Brown and Green have at least partially resulted in constant shuffling within the first-team unit.

The limited availability isn’t a death sentence for the upcoming season, nor is it out of the ordinary. Players with minor nicks are often held out to avoid further injury, especially in wet conditions like Pocatello saw this week.

“At some point, you don’t know where it’s going to be, but you’re one play away from playing the guy behind that guy,” defensive coordinator Roger Cooper said Saturday. “So it does help with depth. But it’s also fun to have the shiny toys out there.”

Saturday’s practice pitted the offense against the defense, with plays ran at full speed up until the point of tackle, when they were blown dead. ISU’s offense showcased its uptempo, no-huddle pace, while the defense worked out of its 3-4 base defense. Both units are headed by a new coordinator and have adjusted to changes and subtleties both have installed over the first seven practice sessions.

“We’re going to watch their feet, watch their assignment, alignment, effort,” Phenicie said of situational team drills. “These last two days were really good for us, our two best days. That’s about where you want to be this time in spring ball. The insertion, installation is pretty much done.”

While any offensive alterations made this spring by first-year offensive coordinator Mike Ferriter have been referred to as “nuances,” Cooper on Saturday said his defensive adjustments are much more radical.

ISU has operated strictly out of a 3-4 base this spring, with no noticeable emphasis on a fifth, or nickel, defensive back. Under former defensive coordinator Spencer Toone, the Bengals reverted from a 3-4 to a 4-3 and back over the last two seasons and heavily utilized a nickel safety.

“We’re changing a lot of what we’re doing,” Cooper said. “We have a whole bunch of different checks and different formations that we’ll see a ton of, and they’re picking those up. … There’s some stuff that’s very similar, but it’s not going to be who we are, per se. We’re carrying over some stuff that was good to us. We threw away stuff that wasn’t good to us, and we’re just working hard, hard, hard on the stuff that we’re changing.”

PLAYERS LEAVE PROGRAM/RETIRE

Multiple players are not with the team this spring and will not return to the football program.

Quarterback Anthony Posada, safety Tucker Louie-McGee, defensive end/linebacker Tate Razor, offensive lineman Chris Miedema, wide receiver Tracey Reynolds, running back Lonell Woodhouse and defensive lineman Clark Jeppesen are no longer with the program.

Louie-McGee and Razor are the most significant losses. Louie-McGee recorded 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception in 11 games last season. Razor was limited to six games, in which he tallied eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one blocked kick.

Earlier this offseason, ISU lost tight end Nate Page and wide receiver Taylor Pearson to retirement, while quarterback Robert Kvinsland transferred to Carroll College. Cornerback Brandon Monroe also left the program.