MOSCOW, Idaho - Just days away from kicking off the 2026 season under the Friday night lights, in front of the nation's eyes, Thomas Ford Jr. and Idaho Football have announced the four captains who will lead the Vandals to battle each week. Joshua Wood, Layton Vining, Cruz Hepburn, and Zach Wusstig have each earned one of the most prestigious designations among all team sports and will display a gold "C" on their jerseys for the 2026 campaign.
JOSHUA WOOD
A second-year Vandal and now two-time captain, Wood is set to be Idaho's third back-to-back Week 1 starter under center in the last decade (Matt Linehan, Gevani McCoy). In 10 games last season, Wood completed 58% of his passes for nearly 1,900 yards and 14 TDs to just five interceptions. Always a threat on the ground, he carried the rock 86 times for 589 yards (6.8 YPC) and seven scores, including reaching the end zone three times vs. Montana.
LAYTON VINING
The leader of the offensive line and the elder statesman among the group, Layton Vining led Idaho's front five and started twelve games for the second year in a row, having accumulated 29 total in his career. The senior center has drawn praise from both his head coach and offensive line coach and run game coordinator Loren Endsley for his high football IQ and leadership traits. Vining is set to anchor an offensive line that returns four of its five starters from 2024 and has a combined 83 starts among them.
CRUZ HEPBURN
A former baseball player at his hometown Lewis-Clark State College, Cruz Hepburn came to Idaho in time for the 2024 season and switched from shortstop to linebacker, appearing in 11 games and totaling six tackles on special teams. He had a breakout campaign in 2025, cracking the starting lineup and totaling 71 tackles, with six for loss, a sack, and returned a fumble for a touchdown. He enters his fifth year as the Vandals' leading returning tackler and will be a driving force for first-year defensive coordinator Lee Stalker.
ZACH WUSSTIG
Having played his entire career in the Big Sky Conference, Wusstig is in his second season at Idaho after transferring from Portland State. In his first year in Moscow, the senior safety played in 11 games, starting 10 of them. He racked up 49 total tackles, with 2.5 for loss and a pair of pass breakups. He enters his fourth collegiate campaign slated to play a big role on the back end of the defense for Stalker and safeties coach and pass game coordinator Dom Anderson.
"Our four captains this year are all guys that exemplify what it means to be a Vandal," said Ford. "They're tough, hardworking guys that truly care about their team mates. Each one of them received 65 or more votes from their peers, but it wasn't a surprise because of the way they have led since January. These guys not only lead by example but also held others around them accountable, and put in a tremendous amount of time getting to know their teammates. Very proud of these young men and am excited to see them lead this season!"
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