Gallery: (3-31-2026) 2026 Spring Football #3
POCATELLO, Idaho — Idaho State football was outside on the ICCU Practice field for day No. 3 of spring ball on Tuesday, marking the first session in shells and the introduction of light contact as the Bengals continued to build momentum early in camp.
With pads beginning to come on, the energy and intensity took a noticeable step forward, particularly within the cornerbacks group, where competition and camaraderie have set the tone through the first week of spring.
Cornerbacks coach Devin Holiday said the early returns have been encouraging, especially with a veteran-heavy room.
"Man, I love it. I'm enjoying being back, being around the guys, spending time with the guys," Holiday said. "We returned a lot of guys in the group, so guys have a lot of camaraderie together. It has been a fun spring ball so far."
That continuity has translated into a fast start, but the focus remains rooted in the details.
"The main focus for us is always gonna be the fundamentals, the techniques and the details," Holiday said. "We play a lot of man, so we're on islands. We gotta make sure we're doing a good job consistently with our technique day in and day out."
That emphasis on consistency has been echoed throughout the room, including by returning cornerback Noa Calaycay, who highlighted daily competition as a driving force behind the group's early progress.
"Iron sharpens iron. We are just competing every day trying to get better," Calaycay said. "Just pushing each other every single day to the limit."
Coming off a strong finish to the 2025 season, where Idaho State closed the year on a high note, the expectation entering spring is to build on that foundation. Holiday pointed to confidence as one of the biggest areas of growth from a year ago, while also identifying communication as a key point of emphasis moving forward.
"The biggest thing is the guys' confidence. The confidence grew throughout the season," Holiday said. "Now we've got to clean up the communication so we're never busting coverages."
For Calaycay and the rest of the unit, the message is simple, consistency and playmaking must go hand in hand.
"I think just making plays. We all playmakers in our group," Calaycay said. "But what we need to work on is just being consistent, showing up every single day and doing the right things."
That standard becomes even more critical in a conference known for explosive offenses, where one mistake in the secondary can change a game. Holiday emphasized that reality when discussing what he expects from his group over the remainder of spring.
"Consistency, consistency, consistency," Holiday said. "We can play good for 99 plays, but if that 100th play is a touchdown, that's all people remember."
The addition of several new faces to the room has only heightened the level of competition. Transfers like Kai Callen, KJ Johnson, and Tre Parks have already made an impression, integrating quickly into the system and pushing returning players for reps.
"It's been, really well," Holiday said of the newcomers. "Those guys are running well, getting reps, and there's going to be a lot of competition in this room."
Calaycay echoed that sentiment, noting the immediate impact of the new additions.
"Kai, KJ and Trey were great additions to our corner group," he said. "I feel like they're going to play a bigger role this year."
As Idaho State continues through spring ball, the focus for the cornerbacks remains clear, sharpen technique, improve communication, and compete at a high level every day.
Idaho State will continue spring practice this week inside the vas the Bengals build toward their  Spring Game in April 11 at 2:00 PM
