MOSCOW, Idaho - University of Idaho football coach Tom Cable sent his assistant coaches to California junior colleges to fill some immediate needs in the offensive line and secondary, but when it came to adding to the foundation for the future, he didn't stray far from home.

"The neatest thing about this class, to me, is how we brought the University of Idaho back to the Northwest," Cable said. "We got 14 kids from right here in our own backyard.

"That's pretty big. The fun thing for me is, not only are they from here, but they're good players. Our talent level went way up and our size went up and our speed went up."

Six Idaho high school players top the list of Cable's second recruiting class. Joining them are six from Washington, two from Oregon, two from Colorado and one from California. From the junior college ranks, Idaho went to California and found nine who are on campus now and two - including kicker Brian Pope - who will join the Vandals this fall.

"The high school list is very strong; very deep," Cable said. "It's got everything in it. I really like the depth of the class. "There are a couple of steals in this class for us."

Cable said good fortune was on the side of the Vandals in their being able to land Pasco High School defensive lineman Brandon Kania and Central Catholic High School quarterback Michael Harrington. In the Vandals' "backyard," the Idaho staff found two giant offensive linemen in Lewiston's Jake Leachman and Moscow's Drew Burton; two hard-hitting defensive linemen in Lake City's Jeff Edwards and Sandpoint's Tyler Scott; a promising tight end in Lake City's Luke Smith-Anderson, and a highly productive running back in Coeur d'Alene's Paul Ziegler.

"Paul has been unbelievable the last two years," said Cable, who added another high school running back in Leslie Lee from Hueneme, Calif. "Paul reminds me of (graduated senior) Willie Alderson - only a little faster.

"Leslie Lee is a small package of dynamite. He's a rocket. He's one of those guys you have a hard time defending because you can't find him back there and when he gets out, he can go."

Cable said the junior college players address the Vandals' immediate needs on the offensive line, where four of five starters graduated, and in the secondary, where safeties Brad Rice and Jordan Kramer have been moved to linebacker and cornerbacks Dennis Gibbs and Cleavon Bradshaw graduated.

"We took some guys who can play right now and make our team better," Cable said. "The wide receivers give us more speed; more play-making ability. It was real obvious we had to go out and get that right away."

Also on campus for the Vandals are two players who initially signed last year - tailback Blair Lewis and receiver Robert Nembhard. "Blair and Robert are back for spring ball, which will enable them to learn the system and be ready in September," Cable said.

Unlike Cable's first recruiting class when coaches had to scramble and recruit players in six weeks after the mid-December coaching change, this year's class is the result of a year-long effort.

"I can't thank my coaches enough," Cable said. "Again, they've done an outstanding job of finding the best players to fit our needs. Recruiting is a long process and it takes them away from their homes and families. I'd like to express my gratitude to their families, too, for the support they've shown in helping us build the future of Vandal football."