Vandals hit Spokane

It is one thing to talk about recruiting area football players and another to do it.

On Dec. 8, 2003, the day Nick Holt was officially announced as the University of Idaho’s head coach, assistant head coach Jeff Mills was visiting with coaches at Post Falls High School.

“They’re impressive,” Post Falls coach Jerry Lee said of Idaho’s staff. “Coach Holt has been here a couple times. The connections they’re making and how hard they’re pushing, it’s really great to see that again.”

The Vandals reeled in four area preps – Post Falls’ Adam Shamion, Lewis and Clark’s Josh Shaw, Shadle Park’s Bryan Braman and Gonzaga Prep’s Kellen Beam – among the 25 to sign letters of intent Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period.

“I’m telling you, we’re going to hit Spokane hard, and we’re going to be tough to beat,” said Holt, who added that he considered Shamion the top recruit in Idaho. “Obviously the Pac-10s are going to get their guys, but we have to be right there when they don’t.”

Holt expects Shaw and Braman to emerge as quality defensive linemen.

“Braman is a big kid, a track kid who has some work to do academically, but you watch him on film and he’s a phenomenal athlete for a kid that size,” Holt said. “We see Shaw as a really special defensive end.”

Idaho has been criticized for not paying enough attention to recruits in its backyard, but Holt, a UI assistant from 1990-97, is determined to change that perception.

“We’ve got to own Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston,” he said. “We need to re-establish those grounds. We lost touch with that before we got here, for whatever reason.”

Asked if he senses a renewed commitment by Idaho to recruit the Inland Northwest, LC coach Tom Yearout said, “I sense that exactly. We’re seeing them a little more now. They were real consistent in their contacts with Josh.”

Idaho recruiting coordinator Chad Q. Brown, who recruits North Idaho and Eastern Washington, said Holt is emphasizing regional recruiting.

“When Nick and Jeff were here in the days of old (early- to mid-1990s), the heart and soul of the teams came from Eastern Washington and North Idaho,” Brown said.

Said Yearout: “Chad Brown did a terrific job. They’ve got themselves a good one there.”

Shamion, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound All-State linebacker, committed to Idaho last summer.

“They’re going into the WAC, they have a new locker room and weight room, they have new coaches and they’ve got great players coming in,” Shamion said. “All programs have their ups and downs, but it’s about time Idaho gets back on top.”

Shamion said the WAC, Idaho’s new conference address this fall, played a factor.

“The WAC isn’t the biggest, but it’s a pretty big deal,” said Shamion, who took second at 215 pounds at the Idaho state wrestling tournament last year. “It’s a lot better than being in the Sun Belt and playing teams like Louisiana-Lafayette. We get to play in Hawaii and California.”

Shaw, Beam and Braman were second-team All-Greater Spokane League selections. Shaw was first-team two years ago as a defensive end before moving to linebacker in 2004.

Beam, a 6-7, 227-pound tight end, had 16 catches for 185 yards as G-Prep advanced to the State 4A semifinals. Beam and Shamion have talked about being roommates next season.

“Kellen’s going to be a nice player when it’s all said and done,” Holt said.

Braman, 6-5 and 224, blocked eight punts and had 20 sacks. He also returned a kick 85 yards for a touchdown. He has timed 11.1 seconds in the 100 meters and high-jumped 6-9 on the Highlanders track team.

“This class is better than last year’s because we had more time and we did a better job with our methods,” said Holt, who had just four weeks to put together last year’s class.

Idaho signed 10 junior college transfers, including quarterback Steve Wichman, who could push senior Michael Harrington for the starting job. Receivers Matt Askew, DeAngelo Ramsey and Daniel Smith could make an immediate impact.

So could safety Tone Taupule, who redshirted as a freshman at Oregon State before going the J.C. route, and cornerback Jason Martin, who played in five games in 2002 as a freshman at Arizona. Martin had five interceptions for Mt. San Antonio College last season.

Of 15 high school recruits, nine are offensive or defensive linemen. Four J.C. recruits are linemen, too. Idaho emphasized finding athletic linemen who could thrive in Idaho’s zone-blocking schemes.

“The most important position after quarterback is your offensive and defensive lines and this year it showed up in our lack of talent on both sides of the line,” Holt said. “That’s why you see so many linemen signed.”