Experienced Roster Aims to Reverse Recent Slide
The University of Idaho Vandals football program enters the 2026 season with a veteran roster and renewed emphasis on physicality as the team looks to escape a difficult stretch that saw the program miss the NCAA playoffs for the first time in three years.
Idaho finished last season 4-8, including three consecutive losses to end the campaign. The Vandals are hoping experienced players across the roster can reverse that trend when they open against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Coach Thomas Ford Jr. points to progress in training and preparation. “We are far ahead of where we have been,” Ford told the Spokesman-Review, according to reporting on the program.
Quarterback and Offensive Weapons Return
Redshirt sophomore Joshua Wood returns for his second season as the starting quarterback, bringing approximately 1,000 snaps of game experience. Wood threw for 1,898 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, giving the offense a proven arm in the pocket.
The offensive line features significant continuity with seniors Charlie Vliem, Layton Vining, and Tyler Skinner—a Moscow High graduate—anchoring the unit. Senior transfer Howard Stedford from Division II Pace University adds depth to the interior line.
In the receiving corps, wide receivers Tony Harste, Ryan Jezioro, Daveon Superales, and Marquawn McCraney return healthy. The team also added transfers Lonyatta Alexander Jr. from Montana State and Zack Card from Oregon State to expand the passing attack options.
Senior tight end Chance Bogan leads that room, while the running back committee includes senior Hayden Kincheloe, juniors Ferrari Miller and Damonte Bias, and freshman Kenny Golston.
Offensive Coordinator Ian Shoemaker emphasized the team’s tactical approach: describing the offense as “physical in the run game, dynamic enough to beat you downfield and sideline to sideline,” according to the program’s assessment, as first reported by the Spokesman-Review.
Defense Loaded with Size and Experience
The defensive line showcases considerable experience and physicality. Sophomore Ma’ake Apo, listed at 6-4 and 340 pounds, anchors the interior alongside seniors Frederick Lujan III, Mitchel Jaskowiak, and Julian Lee.
Edge rush depth has been bolstered by senior transfer twins Jamarion and Javen Augustus, who came from Northern Iowa and Coastal Carolina respectively, along with Luke Teskey from the University of New Hampshire.
The linebacker group is led by senior Cruz Hepburn and features junior Darrell Gipson, a transfer from the University of Cincinnati, and sophomore Niko Speer. The secondary includes senior safety/corner Khaled Rawls, who moved from cornerback to safety for his final season, and junior cornerback Aaron Kinsey, a Rogers High School product.
Special Teams Depth
Special teams operations feature senior punter Cameron Pope and junior kicker Tyler Kinsman, a transfer from Oregon. Juniors Owen Forsman and Owen Adams handle kickoff and field goal duties respectively.
The Vandals program has been building momentum through creative community engagement initiatives, while the university navigates infrastructure changes on campus. The perimeter drive closure for the nine-month bridge replacement project represents one of several capital improvements underway.
Idaho opens its season at home against Cal Poly, setting the stage for a campaign the program believes will demonstrate the benefits of roster depth and an emphasis on physical football on both sides of the ball.
What Comes Next
The Vandals will take the field against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in their season opener, with the outcome providing an early indicator of whether the program’s emphasis on depth and physicality translates to wins on the field. The next several weeks will test whether the veteran roster and newly acquired transfers can stabilize a program looking to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.