Future Vandals: Lake City seniors Green, Johnson talk verbal commitments to Idaho football

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

Alex Green verbally committed to Idaho’s football team last summer, long before the Vandals became the talk of FCS football.

Since then, he’s watched his next football team play two FBS teams tough, then win four straight games against fellow FCS foes, including a 30-23 win last Saturday at Montana, the preseason pick to win the Big Sky, and ranked No. 3 in FCS.

“It’s reassuring to know that I made the right decision, where I’m going,” said Green, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound senior left tackle at Lake City High.

Zach Johnson, a 6-2, 220-pound senior two-way standout at Lake City, said he was already leaning toward committing to the Vandals, who recruited him as a linebacker.

But on Sunday, a day after Idaho’s win at Montana, he decided to make it official.

He could have told the coaching staff, headed by first-year head coach Jason Eck, over the phone, but he thought it was important enough to do so in person, traveling to Moscow to give the news to the entire coaching staff.

“They’ve made me a priority to them, which has made me feel good in terms of the recruiting process, so I thought, I’ll go down and tell them in person,” Johnson said Monday.

He let the Vandal coaches know he was coming.

“I told them I’d swing by to congratulate them on the big win from Saturday, and they were all there to greet me,” Johnson said. “And I just said, ‘I’m ready to come here, ready to be a Vandal,’ and that was that.”

The early signing period for NCAA Division I football is Dec. 21-23.

Green, who was not recruited by the previous Idaho coaching staff, was recruited mostly by Chad Booth, the Vandals’ offensive line coach.

“I really like the new coaching staff, and I like the Dome too,” Green said. My family likes it, so they can come down and watch me play. It’s close enough that a lot of my family can come watch me play.”

Green said he had no other offers, and once he committed to the Vandals, he wasn’t looking to get his name out there for other recruiters.

What did he like about the new coaching staff at Idaho?

“Just the way that they acted,” he said. “I met a couple other coaching staffs that were kind of abrasive, they weren’t real nice to me. The U of I’s coaching staff was always real nice to me.”

Green, who took his official visit to Idaho the weekend of the Vandals’ home game vs. Northern Colorado on Oct. 1, said the Vandals want him to play on the offensive line, somewhere. He said there have been three or four other offensive tackles in his class that have committed to the Vandals.

“Super proud of Alex, how he’s developed over the four years he’s been here,” Lake City coach Brian Fulp said. “Not just physically, but mentally. He’s become a much better football player; he’s more physical.”

And hey, if the Vandals need an emergency place-kicker … Green has taken on that role this year, at least when the regular kicker was unable to play.

Green said he’s been a kicker through much of his football career, kicking in Junior Tackle, and kicking at Lake City as a sophomore.

“I’ve kicked a couple (PATs),” he said. “Not the greatest track record, I think I’m like 50 percent.”

Johnson, who said he was recruited a little bit by the previous Idaho coaching staff, picked the Vandals over Montana, his only other offer. Washington State invited him to play there as a preferred walk-on.

Johnson’s parents, Eric and Leah, both were athletes at Idaho. Eric Johnson played center for the Vandals from 1992-96. The former Leah Smith played volleyball and tennis at Idaho.

Zach and his father got tickets to Saturday’s game in Missoula — and no, he said he didn’t make his college choice based on who won that game, although “that’s probably what it looks like,” he said with a laugh.

“Their whole thing was, do what you want to do, and they were going to support me either way,” Johnson said of his parents.

So why Idaho?

“I’ve always been told, you have to sell yourself, like when you’re getting recruited, you have to put everything out there, ‘This is what I’m about, this is the player I am,’ and they jumped on the ship early, they offered pretty early — late winter, early spring.

“They’ve shown that they really want me, and I really like what they have to offer. So let’s do it.”

Johnson, who was also recruited by Booth but mostly by Rob Aurich, linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, has played a little of everything for the Timberwolves this season — including running back, receiver and linebacker.

“We try to design some easy ways to get him the ball, and have him be an option,” Fulp said, “then also you have to have counters to that where he’s a decoy to draw attention. Anybody who pays attention, they know who he is.

“Once we got into league, he’s barely leaving the field at all. He’s been incredible on defense this year, playing multiple linebacker spots, mostly middle the last couple of weeks. He’s got that closing speed, too.”

“Throughout the summer, offense was my thing. I was going to camps as a tight end,” said Johnson, who hopes to take his official visit the weekend of one of Idaho’s remaining home football games. “Looking forward to college, wherever they need me, whatever I can do to help the team win. I’m ready to go.”

Green and Johnson will play their final high school game on Friday at home vs. 5A Inland Empire League-leading Post Falls. Lake City is 2-6 overall, 0-2 in the 5A IEL.

“We didn’t really get it together until recently, in the Coeur d’Alene game, and last week (against Lewiston),” Green said. “If a couple more plays go our way, we win those games … and this game is a lot more important.”