MOSCOW - You can look at it one of two ways.

From the one angle, Idaho's situation at wide receiver looks pretty grim. Of the four wideouts who expect to line up alongside quarterback Matt Linehan this season, only two logged field time in 2014. And those two, Jacob Sannon and David Ungerer, combined for just 30 receptions last season. Neither has crossed the goal line as an Idaho Vandal.

But from the other angle, the one that coach Paul Petrino will choose to take, the future looks mighty fine.

"I think we're going to be good," Petrino said of his WR corps. "I think it's going to be one of the better groups on our team."

Of course the head coach is confident. He's warped places like Louisville, Illinois and Arkansas into pass-catching factories and is starting to see some of the same results in Moscow.

Consider Josh McCain - quite possibly Petrino's best experiment to date. The quarterback from San Jose, Calif., came to Idaho with soft hands, uncanny speed and a knack for sifting through defenders and finding space.

So Petrino made the team's third choice behind center its first out wide.

McCain's debut season at receiver saw the senior churn out nine touchdowns and 1,162 receiving yards. He was a midseason addition to the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

QB-turned-tight end Justin Podrabsky and tailback-turned-receiver Richard Montgomery are a few of Petrino's other case studies. In each of their final seasons at UI, Podrabsky (380 yards, one TD) and Montgomery (543 yards, one TD) proved to be steady targets for Linehan.

This year, the Vandal wideouts may lack game experience, but all are purebred pass-catchers. Meaning coaches have spent most of their time tweaking rather than teaching.

The group's top dog is senior Dezmon Epps, a slotback Petrino called "a little different breed of cat."

"There won't be many people in our conference that will cover Dez," the coach told reporters after Idaho's spring game, where Epps showcased his zip, hauling in 10 receptions for 240 yards and four touchdowns.

"I love that kid, man," Linehan said. "He comes out to practice with a lot of energy. It's a comfort level with us, we've been together for awhile. The spring, a couple of years ago, we had a really good connection. The kid, he's resilient, he's tough, he's everything you want in a receiver."

In 2013, Epps landed himself a spot on the Biletnikoff watch list thanks to a 980-yard season, before a violation of team rules the following summer forced him to watch the 2014 season from the bleachers.

Epps has cemented a role in the slot, which pushes Ungerer out wide. The Pullman High grad is a more natural fit inside, standing at 5-8, but was one of the team's pleasant surprises coming out of fall camp.

"I think that's Dave's strength," receivers coach Charley Molnar said. "Mentally, he can handle the work of playing two different positions. He's got the quickness to play inside, yet he's a good one-on-one runner that helps him on the outside."

Newbie Callen Hightower and Sannon, a third-year vet, are jousting for the outside receiver spot opposite Ungerer.

A native of Loganville, Ga., Hightower comes to Idaho after spending a season at Scottsdale Community College (Ariz.). He joined the Vandals in January and has already drawn high praise from his QB.

"The kid is talented," Linehan said. "He's got a lot of swag to him, he's kind of one of those kids from down south, he's kind of one of those kids that comes in and has that receiver mindset. 'That ball's in the air, I'm going to go get it.' He wants the ball a lot, he's a great addition to our offense."

Converted wideouts Deon Watson and Trent Cowan will take care of the tight end position for now and lend the Vandals some much-needed height in red-zone scenarios. Highly touted JC transfer Khalin Smith, who joined the team nine days ago, will also push for a spot in the rotation once he has a better grasp of the playbook.

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Lawson may be contacted at tlawson@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2260. Follow him on Twitter @TheoLawson_Trib.