FRISCO, Texas – Coach Mike Sanford went into spring practice thinking Jake Collins and Dennis Edwards would be part of Western Kentucky’s 2018 team.

The Hilltoppers prepared as such, with the punter Collins and center Edwards taking reps throughout March and April.

Then the two players told Sanford they were leaving as graduate transfers. Collins (Northwestern) and Edwards (Purdue) both left after the spring semester for Big Ten Conference schools, where they’re eligible to play right away.

“It’s an unfortunate part of what’s happening in college football right now,” Sanford said Thursday during Conference USA Media Days at The Star. “You just hope that everything would be done in a way that was always above board because you don’t want to waste spring reps.

“If you think about it, it’s ridiculous, it really is, to waste spring reps at positions like center. … It does have some elements of being (baseball’s) Arizona Fall League, getting them ready to go to that next spot.”

Sanford equated this situation to his first year as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator in 2015. The Fighting Irish QB room that spring included Everett Golson, DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire.

Golson went through spring practice, then informed coaches he was leaving. He ended up at Florida State.

“The thing that we were most upset about with Everett at the time was those were 250 reps that (eventual starter) DeShone Kizer could’ve taken in spring ball,” Sanford said. “Instead, DeShone was averaging about eight reps in spring practice, taking the third reps.”

Collins’ and Edwards’ post-spring departures put WKU coaches into a position where they had to find replacements at positions where they expected to return starters.

Edwards played 41 games the last three seasons, starting 39. He played right guard in 2015 and ’16 before moving to center for the 2017 campaign.

After taking the lion’s share of first-team center reps this spring, Edwards informed Sanford he was leaving the program.

With Edwards gone, Sanford said Seth Joest is “the leader in the clubhouse” to start this season at center.

The redshirt sophomore Joest appeared once last season, Oct. 14 in a win over Charlotte. He’s a 6-foot-2, 300-pound Versailles native who prepped at Woodford County High School.

“Seth Joest is the guy who’s most ready to go,” Sanford said. “I’ve liked him a lot since I got here. It’s just about finding his spot in the lineup.”

Gunner Britton, Cole Spencer and Tyler Witt have also worked at center this spring, giving offensive line coach TJ Woods some options for the position.

“We’ve gotten in a lot of snapping, which is going to be important,” Sanford said. “Literally the snap itself is such a key part of what you do to be able to function.”

Collins played in 39 games at WKU from 2015-17, serving as the Toppers’ primary punter for the majority of the last three seasons. He also worked as a holder on WKU’s field goal and PAT units.

Alex Rinella becomes the new starting punter in Collins’ absence, Sanford said.

Rinella is a 6-1, 220-pound redshirt junior from Johnson City, Tenn. He served as the Hilltoppers’ kickoff specialist in both 2016 and ’17, averaging 62.1 yards on his kicks and producing 24 touchbacks.

Kicker Ryan Nuss and long snapper Ben Reeder return alongside Rinella as specialists. Freshmen Adam Krause, a punter, and Chanse Lanham, a kicker, join the program for 2018.

“(Rinella’s) upside and his ability to flip the field with bombs is different than even Jake,” Sanford said.{&end}