THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Under Hawkins, ISU football now loaded instead of mashed

Cody Hawkins says he enjoys a high-quality potato. 

Last year, there were some back-and-forth between the Idaho State football coach and the University of Idaho folks prior to the ISU-Idaho game, where the teams play for the Potato State Trophy. 

Both touted their areas as the home of potato production in the state. 

"Any rivalry is going to be better when there's a little bit of give and take," Hawkins said in July, at the Big Sky Football Kickoff media day in Airway Heights. "Obviously theirs is a really good program, and we have a ways to go to catch up. It's nice to stoke the fire a little bit, and make it competitive, and kind of establish that anyone can win the trophy."

As for the potatoes ... 

"If you want to go pick potatoes, they're mostly around Pocatello," said Hawkins, in his fourth season with the Bengals. "Both programs are great for a lot of things ... however we can get more attention for our student-athletes, I'm good for it, but I always want to do it with some fun and integrity."  

Hawkins, former star quarterback at Bishop Kelly High in Boise, and son of former Boise State coach Dan Hawkins, has been good for ISU football, which these days is in position to qualify for the FCS playoffs for the first time in more than four decades. 

On Saturday, ISU (6-4, 3-4 entering Saturday night's game at Montana) plays host to Idaho in the regular season finale at the ICCU Dome in Pocatello. 

JORDAN COOKE had never heard of Pocatello, or Idaho State University, before the Bengals showed interest in him becoming their quarterback. 

He was playing at Diablo Valley College in Northern California, splitting time at QB with Joey Aguilar, Tennessee's starting quarterback last year, when ISU coach Cody Hawkins recruited him to run his pass-heavy offense. 

"For someone like me, I enjoy it, Cooke said.  

Linebacker Nathan Reynolds received an offer from ISU during his sophomore year at Meridian High — two Bengal coaching staffs ago. But the scholarship offer rolled over despite the coaching changes. 

Boise State offered to take him as a grayshirt, where he would basically sit out a year, then join the team with the next recruiting class, with an eventual scholarship.  

But he opted to sign with ISU, whose original offer came from Bengal coach Rob Pfenicie's staff. 

"I care more about coaching than program, but that's just me," Reynolds said. 

Last year, ISU opened some eyes by finishing xx-xx. In an era where players come and go on an annual basis, all but a handful of Bengal players opted to return to Pocatello this year. 

"Just the culture, coach Hawk and the team has built," Cooke said. "After last year, and how we finished with four straight wins, there was a lot of excitement, people wanted to stay and be a part of something bigger this year." 

Another reason Cooke stayed — he met his wife in Pocatello (they've been married a little over a year).  

"I love Idaho State, and it's my last season and I just wanted to win," said Cooke, in his fourth year at ISU. 

Hawkins said that if Cooke was not married, and Reynolds was not married, they might have left ISU, "because they're not as tethered to having to take somebody with them." 

"Both of these guys," Hawkins said, motioning to Cooke and Reynolds sitting next to him at the team's interview table, "because of their friendship and their status as leaders, realized, 'Hey we don't need to give this up for something that might be OK.' There's always the financial goal, but these guys are going to make a million bucks when they're done with football anyway, so ... " 

Still, ISU did lose its top six receivers from last year, albeit some to eligibility. But also, Jonah Burton transferred to Duke, Ian Duarte (Eagle High) to Tennessee, Damion Morgan to Nevada. 

"In Dame's situation, I don't think he would have left for Nevada if he didn't have kids," Hawkins said. "He has kids." 

When all was said and done, ISU returned just two starters on offense — Cooke and running back Dason Brooks, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener. 

Despite all that, and largely because Cooke stayed, the Bengals have remained in the conversation for their first FCS playoff berth since 1983 — two years after they won a national title in what was then called NCAA Division I-AA. 

"The first three years maybe they were thinking it's the old ISU," Cooke said, "but we can compete with anyone in the conference." 

ISU'S LOCAL tie to North Idaho is sophomore Kai Wheeler, the former Coeur d'Alene High star. Wheeler was recruited to ISU as a receiver, then switched to linebacker prior to this season. 

"I like him; he's a physical dude," Reynolds said. "He loves to play football. He was a good little add to the linebacker room." 

The 6-foot-2, 231-pound Wheeler does have a touchdown reception this year, though. 

Against Southern Utah in Cedar City in ISU's fourth game, he lined up on the left side of the line, ran to the right on the snap behind the offensive linemen, took a short pass from Cooke and scored from 2 yards out. 

"He's a linebacker now. He's a stud," Hawkins said. "He's a physical sucker, man. He's a really good athlete; he's a good player." 

Wheeler starred on offense, defense and special teams at Coeur d'Alene. ISU recruited him as a receiver, and Weber State, where Grant Duff was the defensive coordinator, wanted him as a linebacker. ISU hired Duff prior to the 2025 season. 

Hawkins said Wheeler came to Bengal coaches in the spring and inquired about switching to defense.  

Hawkins OK'd it, reasoning it would be a way to get Wheeler on the field sooner.  

"He's going to be stud there too," Hawkins said in July, "and it's going to be a lot easier to get him and dabble and let him do what he's really good at, earlier." 

HAWKINS ON THE TRANSFER PORTAL 

"Transferring is good for student-athletes; they deserve to make money, and I know everybody wants to put a cap on it," Hawkins said. "If you're a 13-year old playing soccer you can go make 7 million dollars. If you're an 8-year-old with a Youtube channel you can make 8 million dollars. Now, I'm not saying it should be all about the money everywhere, but our players deserve to have great opportunities. 

"One free transfer? I don't know ... maybe one free elevation," he said. "Every time a coach gets fired you should get one free transfer. If JC (Cooke) were younger and he came to play for me, and they fired me, and bring in a triple-option guy ... Every other student gets to move. I would say 'Hey, as long as we don't play you next year.' Because even within the conference, if he wants to transfer to Eastern Washington, I may not like it, but it's not going to affect me the next year." 

HAWKINS ON FORMER MONTANA COACH BOBBY HAUCK 

Hauck retired as Griz coach in February, the "unretired" five days later when he was named defensive coordinator at Illinois. 

But after just four games with the Illini, Hauck and the school parted ways. 

"I totally understand why he (left Montana), because being a head coach right now absolutely sucks," Hawkins said in July. "The amount of things you have to deal with that have absolutely nothing with winning and losing football games is tough.   

"I never aspired to be a head coach, ever, it just kinda happens, and it's a wonderful opportunity because you can control the culture, you can control the time, but the amount of directions you get pulled in that affect your family, affect winning and losing football games is tough." 

Hawkins added he was happy for the opportunity that afforded Bobby Kennedy to be the new Griz coach. 

As for the impact of a Bobby Hauck stepping away as a college football head coach amid the sport's current climate ... 

"I know sometimes he comes off as crusty to media, but he's saying whatever he's thinking," Hawkins said of Hauck. "He just has enough clout to say it." 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.