‘This decision was not easy.’ Idaho football loses four starters to transfer portal

Two days after falling in the FCS quarterfinals, four starters for the University of Idaho football team put their names in the transfer portal.

Quarterback Gevani McCoy, running back Anthony Woods, wide receiver Terez Traynor and cornerback Marcus Harris each announced their decision Monday on social media.

“I have entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility,” McCoy wrote on Instagram. “I know I am leaving the University of Idaho a better quarterback and man because of the experiences, challenges and lessons I’ve learned along the way.”

McCoy, the 2022 Jerry Rice Award Winner for FCS National Freshman of the Year, played in 26 games for the Vandals over three seasons. He totaled 5,834 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, while also rushing for 301 yards and five more scores. He made the Big Sky first team at quarterback this season, completing 229-of-354 passes for 2,910 yards and 15 TDs.

A first-team selection in the Big Sky, Woods ran for 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns this season, which ranks 10th on Idaho’s single-season record list. In 24 games for the Vandals, he contributed 2,027 career rushing yards and 19 TDs.

“To my teammates, thank you for sticking by my side,” Woods wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “The bond we share is unbreakable. Know that we’re brothers for life, and I can’t wait to see y’all do great things.”

Traynor, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound redshirt junior, finished third in receiving yards for the Vandals this season with 370 yards and two touchdowns on 24 receptions. He began his career at Western Kentucky but transferred to Idaho in 2021, so now he’ll be heading to his third school in four years. Over three seasons, Traynor hauled in 79 receptions for 1,158 yards and five TDs.

“This decision was not easy,” Traynor wrote on Instagram. “However, I believe that this next chapter will allow me to further grow as an athlete and individual as I continue to pursue my ambitions.”

Harris enters the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining. He played in 40 games for the Vandals, amassing 154 tackles, 35 pass breakups and six interceptions. Harris earned first-team Big Sky honors this season after collecting 51 tackles and three interceptions.

“Moscow is a place that will always be home, and I want to say thank you to the University of Idaho and Vandal Nation,” Harris wrote on Instagram. “The hospitality and support that I have received over the last few years has been great. The memories and relationships that I’ve created with my brothers are ones that will last forever.

“To my coaches, I thank you all for believing in me and pushing me to be the best I can be.”

Idaho finished the 2023 season with a 9-4 record and back-to-back FCS playoff appearances for the first time since 1994-95.