Thirteen in-state recruits, including a pair of local standouts, highlighted Idaho’s football recruiting class Wednesday.
Idaho coach Jason Eck met with boosters and other dignitaries to discuss the Vandals’ 45-player 2023 recruiting class at the Holiday Inn in Clarkston.
“We’re trying our best to see all the future Vandals from across the state,” Eck said. “We have a lot of positive momentum going with the football team and we want to keep taking advantage of that.”
Lewiston’s James White, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end, caught the eye of Eck and his staff during the summer. He attended Idaho’s team camp, individual camp and several showcase events the Vandals’ coaching staff attended.
“He’s a freak athlete,” Eck said. “You see a guy that’s 6-foot-4 doing a backflip, that’s pretty impressive.”
White also stood out for his work defensively. He finished with 10 sacks as a defensive end for the Bengals, who finished in second in the Class 5A Inland Empire League. But when push came to shove, the Vandals elected to use him as a tight end.
In Lewiston’s ground-and-pound offense, White was used in a variety of ways. He finished the season with 27 rushes for 207 yards, along with 11 receptions for 121 yards. With White’s size and physicality, Eck plans to use him more as a traditional tight end.
Playing in the trenches will be one of White’s biggest transitions as he steps onto campus. But during Idaho’s individual camp, he showed some promise lining up against Lake City’s Zach Johnson, who Eck considers the No. 1 overall player in the state, and handled him.
“I think he’s going to be a tremendous blocker,” Eck said. “(White) can be the elite blocking tight end that we want in our offense. He also has great hands and will give us options on offense.”
Rice was another recruit who stood out during the Vandals’ team camp. He will be a prefered walk-on, but his athletic ability and speed could put him in line for a scholarship.
“We think (Rice) has a bright future,” Eck said. “He came to camp and we saw his natural raw athleticism. He’s a guy who we can continue to develop into a better football player as he gets stronger and faster.”
A moment that stood out to Eck was when Rice did a broad jump drill during Idaho’s individual camp. He leaped 10 feet, something only a handful of the current Vandals were able to do.
Rice will be a legacy player as his father, Brad, a financial advisor at D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lewiston who also played for the NFL’s New York Giants, played for the Vandals as a defensive back and linebacker.
“I’m a fan of horse racing,” Eck said. “Usually in horse racing, if the mom and dad can run, the young horse can run. Hopefully that will be the case with Brayden.”
Rice was Lewiston’s second-leading receiver in 2022 with 385 yards and was tied for No. 1 in receptions with 24. He was also a standout on special teams for the Bengals, who finished 7-3 and were a state playoff qualifier for the second consecutive season.
“I’m 100% going to try and be a returner at Idaho,” Rice said. “I’m super excited to get on campus. I’ve been watching the Vandals since I was a little kid. To be able to play for the team that I grew up watching is going to be super cool.”
Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks.
