MOSCOW, Idaho - Highly touted sports prognosticator Phil Steele has released the annual Preseason All-Conference lists covering all levels of college football. Five Idaho football players were named to these teams ahead of the 2026 season, as each is slated to have a big role come fall.
On offense, the Vandals dominated the trenches. Senior tackle Kiegan Henson earned a Second Team nod, while center and fellow senior Layton Vining and junior guard Leon Evans were both named to the Third Team. All three started every game in 2025, allowing Idaho to field the same starting five up front and dominate the time-of-possession battle with over 30 minutes per game. The veteran unit, anchored by Henson, Vining, Evans, and former All-Big Sky standout Nate Azzopardi, was top-four in the league in sacks allowed as one of four teams to give up 17 or fewer.
Defensively, linebacker Cruz Hepburn and safety Zach Wusstig received bids to the second and third teams, respectively, in anticipation of big seasons from the veteran defenders. Hepburn, a former collegiate baseball player, comes into his fifth season as the leading returning tackler for the Vandals. The Lewiston native racked up 71 stops, with six of those resulting in losses. He also picked up a sack vs. Sacramento State and returned a fumble for a touchdown in Idaho's road win over #19 Northern Arizona on Halloween night.
Wusstig, going into his fourth collegiate season and second as a Vandal, sits just behind Hepburn as the team's second-leading returning tackler. In his first year in black and gold, the versatile DB picked up 49 total tackles, flashing in run support with two and a half of those forcing a loss, and a pair of pass breakups in 2025.
"Anytime we get players nominated for All-Conference honors is a blessing," said head coach Thomas Ford Jr. "These guys have worked really hard since January, so seeing their hard work recognized is awesome not only for them, but also for everyone in the program. Ultimately, these accolades are team awards, so I'm fired up for the guys who were recognized."
The Vandals have reported for fall camp and recently begun the second week of practices, continuing the final stage of prep for the team's season opener at Cal Poly, to be broadcast nationwide on ESPN on August 28.
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