Chad Chalich and Deon Watson watched Friday night's Silver and Gold Scrimmage at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow with more than just a casual eye.

This fall - this summer, actually - the Coeur d'Alene High stars will look to start making their mark in college, as members of the Vandal football team.

"I'm ready for the college experience, and for football," said Chalich, the quarterback who could be competing for a starting job as early as this fall. "It's the same (as high school) - just bigger people."

Watson, who is being considered as either a defensive end or wide receiver, took in his first Vandal scrimmage Friday night.

"It makes me feel like I need a lot of work in all aspects of my game," he said. "It makes me realize how much more growing I need."

Watson admitted that "it doesn't completely shorten my ego," but watching the scrimmage was a little bit of an eye-opener.

"A little motivator, which is always nice," he said.

The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Watson said he'll need to get bigger and stronger. Also, the offense is different than the no-huddle, fast-paced offense the Vikings ran the past couple of seasons.

"They play a different speed than what we played in high school, so switching back to a slower-paced offense, yet a high-powered offense," will be an adjustment, he said.

AT THIS point in sixth-year Vandal coach Robb Akey's program, the Vandals should have enough depth where all the incoming freshmen can redshirt - unless one of them comes in and wows the coaches enough to earn playing time right away.

The competition for Idaho's starting quarterback is mostly between juniors Dominique Blackman and Taylor Davis. But that doesn't mean that Chalich and Austin DeCoud, the other high school quarterback signed in this year's recruiting class, won't be considered for the job when fall camp opens.

“If there is no separation (between Blackman and Davis), and the freshmen that are coming in, if they show up in the fall and they start producing, hey, I’ve got no problem at all with playing a young guy, playing somebody that can run our offense, do the right things, get us going and move the ball and put it in the end zone,” Vandal offensive coordinator Jason Gesser said. “I have no problem with that at all.”

Chalich and Watson will join their new Vandal teammates in summer conditioning, then start classes in the fall.

“I’m just going to go with the flow,” Chalich said. “I would like to redshirt just to get the extra year, but you never know what will happen ... we’ll see this summer how I pick up on things.”

Chalich says he’s enjoyed getting to know Gesser, the former Washington State quarterback.

“I like him,” Chalich said. “We’re similar, same height (roughly 6-foot-1), same character. I think his experience will rub off on me.”

PERHAPS SOME of the winning ways of the Viking recruits will rub off on the Vandals.

After Idaho won the Humanitarian Bowl in Akey’s third season, the Vandals missed qualifying for a bowl game by one victory in 2010. Last fall, Idaho stumbled to a 2-10 season, and the natives were getting a little restless.

Judging from Friday’s scrimmage, Blackman would appear to be the front-runner for the quarterback job, but if Vandal coaches have made a decision, they’re not saying — and the quarterbacks have been off-limits to the media all spring.

And the coaches agree that they need to decide on one starter — a rotating quarterback system seldom works.

Whoever gets the job, the Vandals need better quarterback play than they got last year. They need their linemen to get healthy so they have some stability up front, and are able to protect the quarterback and open holes for the running backs.

The defense has talent and experience, and played well most of last year, but they can only do so much.

“To say the least, (last year) was an embarrassing year,” senior defensive end Benson Mayowa said. “We don’t want that to happen again. We sent last year’s seniors out kinda sad. We’ve got to get better.”

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.