Idaho State University has announced the addition of 16 new student-athletes to its football program as part of the early signing period. Head coach Cody Hawkins introduced the incoming class, which marks his third recruiting group since taking over the team.
The latest recruits come after Idaho State completed a 6-6 season and look to strengthen both sides of the ball ahead of the 2026 campaign. The new signings include 11 defensive players and five on offense, representing seven states: Idaho, California, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. All athletes are joining directly from high school.
Coach Hawkins stated that more signees could be added in the coming days.
On offense, Idaho State signed quarterback Kepa Niumeitolu (Sandy, Utah/Lone Peak HS), running back Ryder Smith (Winchester, Calif./Great Oak HS), wide receiver Anthony Harrington (Livermore, Calif./Amador Valley HS), and offensive linemen Luke Kingman (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS) and Brennan Mesa (Albany, Ore./South Albany HS).
The defense will see new additions at every level with defensive ends Ryan Bingham (Sugar City, ID), Sitili Palmer (Smithfield, UT), Trehsyn Fesili (Mililani, HI); linebackers Justyn Jordan (Fountain, Colo./Fountain-Fort Carson HS), Braylen Gardner (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View HS), Garrett Miller (Spokane, Wash./Mead HS), Ryker Mikkelsen (Filer, ID); cornerbacks Tiwan Jones (Paramount, Calif./Lakewood HS), Teddy Johnson (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View HS), Jaden Rodgers (Tucson, Ariz./Cienega HS); safeties Steel Kurtz (Anaheim, Calif./Huntington Beach HS) and Kaedyn Smith (Chandler, Ariz./Basha HS); and defensive back Tyran Hicks (San Francisco/St. Ignatius College Prep).
Two recruits from Idaho are currently serving LDS missions abroad and will join upon their return.
Coach Hawkins commented on the group: “We’re excited about this year’s signing class because it brings depth to our roster on both sides of the ball. We have a strong defensive foundation coming in along with key offensive pieces who can make an immediate impact.”
Quarterback Kepa Niumeitolu was described as “an efficient dual-threat quarterback at Lone Peak High School,” completing 82 passes for 1,017 yards with 10 touchdowns alongside 292 rushing yards and five scores in his senior season.
Running back Ryder Smith had notable statistics at Great Oak High School with over 1,900 career rushing yards and 29 touchdowns offensively while also recording more than 300 tackles on defense during his varsity career.
Wide receiver Anthony Harrington made significant contributions for Amador Valley High School with nearly 3,000 receiving yards and handling return duties for a total of over 3,700 all-purpose yards across his high school career.
Offensive lineman Luke Kingman helped Murrieta Valley High School achieve a playoff berth during his time there. Brennan Mesa also joins from South Albany High School in Oregon.
Defensively:
– Justyn Jordan recorded over thirty tackles in ten games at Fountain-Fort Carson.
– Braylen Gardner played linebacker for Arbor View’s district-winning team.
– Garrett Miller contributed to Mead High School’s defense in Washington.
– Tiwan Jones anchored Lakewood’s secondary during their playoff run.
– Teddy Johnson was part of Arbor View’s successful secondary unit.
– Jaden Rodgers tallied eighteen tackles for Cienega High School.
– Steel Kurtz led Huntington Beach’s defense with sixty-one tackles last season.
– Kaedyn Smith contributed nine tackles while helping Basha reach an eleven-win season.
– Tyran Hicks posted thirty-one tackles at St. Ignatius College Prep as they advanced deep into playoffs.
Two additional signings were announced later Wednesday evening by Idaho State officials. The two recruits from Idaho are set to join after completing their LDS missions abroad.
