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Meet Idaho's Top Returning Offensive Players Entering the 2026 Football Season

From record-setting quarterbacks and explosive playmakers to dominant offensive linemen, these 25 players are poised to headline the 2026 Idaho high school football season.
René Ferrán|
Quarterback Titus Vidlak returns to lead Fruitland before heading off to Montana State for his college career.
Quarterback Titus Vidlak returns to lead Fruitland before heading off to Montana State for his college career. | Titus Vidla

Idaho enters the 2026 high school football season with one of its deepest collections of returning offensive talent in recent memory. State champions, prolific passers, dynamic running backs and college-bound linemen headline High School On SI's preseason watch list of the Gem State's top returning offensive players.

Idaho's Top Returning Offensive Players

Players are listed alphabetically and not ranked.

Gavin Allen, Sr., T, Hillcrest

The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder followed up a second-team 5A all-state selection by committing to the University of Montana in June. 

Jax Banuelos, Sr., QB, Emmett

Banuelos missed last season after sustaining a severe right leg injury in a preseason scrimmage, but the 6-3, 215-pounder is raring to show why he garnered an offer from Idaho State despite the year-long absence.

Max Barnes, Sr., T, Columbia

Barnes’ meteoric rise from no-name starter to two-way all-SIC 5A lineman and second-team all-state selection on offense culminated this summer when the 6-7, 250-pounder accepted an offer to play for nearby Boise State.

Joe Barrett, Sr., WR, Kimberly

The two-time 4A all-state selection and returning High School On SI Idaho all-state pick committed to Air Force in June after the 6-1, 180-pounder caught 66 passes for 1,127 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.

Oakley Baxter, Sr., RB, Rocky Mountain

The 5-9, 170-pounder enjoyed a breakout campaign for the Grizzlies last fall, rushing for 998 yards and 13 touchdowns to earn second-team 6A all-state recognition.

Jaxson Brady, Sr., QB, Bishop Kelly

The UC Davis commit primarily lined up at receiver last year for the 5A state champion Knights with 51 catches for 780 yards and five touchdowns, but with Ben Avelia off to Carroll College, the 6-3, 205-pounder figures to slide to his natural position behind center.

Landon Bult, Sr., TE, Eagle

The 6-4, 215-pound three-star recruit is starting to draw interest from Division I schools like Nevada, Montana and Utah Tech after a junior season that saw him catch 21 passes for 250 yards and five touchdowns to earn second-team all-SIC River honors.

Quincey Clay, Jr., WR, Capital

Clay is a fast-rising recruit who is No. 1 in 247Sports’ state rankings for the class of 2028 following a sophomore campaign in which he racked up 2,038 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns, catching 47 passes for 844 yards while rushing for 597 yards.

Wyatt Cox, Jr., G, Skyline

The first-team 5A all-state selection grew another inch and added 30 pounds to his 6-3, 270 frame over the offseason as he looks to repeat a season in which he didn’t give up a sack or get flagged for holding once.

Brennan Earley, Sr., C, Borah

The Lions struggled to a 2-7 campaign last fall, but SIC 6A River Division coaches couldn’t ignore the play of the 6-2, 245-pounder who didn’t allow a sack in nine games to earn first-team all-conference honors.

Frank Fillmore, Sr., QB, Sugar-Salem

The Mountain Rivers 4A Conference offensive player of the year is a dual-threat weapon for the Diggers, with the 6-2, 165-pounder accounting for 1,961 total yards and 28 touchdowns while completing over 67% of his passes (72-of-107).

Evan Freeman, Sr., WR, Rigby

The 6-0, 190-pounder received his first offer from Montana Tech in April after making the 6A all-state second team and helping the Trojans win a second consecutive state championship with a team-high 39 catches for 493 yards and seven touchdowns.

Brody Hale, Sr., G, Bishop Kelly

Hale, a versatile 6-3, 275-pounder, was a first-team 5A and High School On SI all-state selection last season who committed to the University of Idaho in late June. 

Cooper Miller, Jr., QB, Wallace

The 1A all-state first-team selection threw for 3,073 yards and 45 touchdowns with just two interceptions while running for 1,536 yards and 28 scores in leading the Miners to the state semifinals.

Cedric Mitchell, Sr., RB, Highland

The 6-0, 190-pounder was a first-team all-High Country 6A selection who recently committed to Idaho State as an elusive playmaker in the run game (801 yards, nine TDs) and catching passes out of the backfield (28 catches for 426 yards and three TDs).

Owen Oelkers, Jr., WR, Rocky Mountain

Oelkers is steadily making a name for himself on the recruiting trail, moving to No. 2 on 247Sports’ class of 2028 state rankings after earning second-team all-SIC River honors with 18 catches for 203 yards and shining on special teams.

Joel Philpot, Sr., WR, Fruitland

The first-team 4A all-state selection caught 13 touchdowns among the 6-2, 180-pounder’s 40 receptions for 896 yards last season.

Brandon Root, Sr., C, Bishop Kelly

The High School On SI first-team all-state selection anchored a 5A state champion offensive line, with the 5-11, 230-pounder not allowing a sack in 13 games.

Elliot Schrack, Sr., WR, Capital

The 6-0, 175-pounder committed to Idaho in May following a junior season in which he caught 58 passes for 1,084 yards and nine touchdowns.

Jensen Sheetz, Sr., RB, Sandpoint

A breakout junior campaign for the 5-7, 195-pound Sheetz, who ran for 1,214 yards and 14 touchdowns to earn second-team 5A all-state, helped propel the Bulldogs to the state quarterfinals.

Kaden Solecki, Sr., G, Rocky Mountain

Solecki didn’t allow a sack for the Grizzlies last fall as the 6-3, 295-pounder earned 6A first-team all-state honors and committed to Eastern Washington in early July.

Tannar Stern, Sr., QB, Coeur d'Alene

Stern won 6A Inland Empire offensive player of the year honors for the Vikings, throwing for 1,136 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 575 yards and five scores.

Titus Vidlak, Sr., QB, Fruitland

Vidlak will join older brothers Sam (Oregon State/Stephen F. Austin) and Nate, a baseball player at College of Idaho and SFA, to play at the next level when he heads off to Montana State, but not until the reigning 4A player of the year follows up a junior year in which he threw for 2,720 yards and 32 touchdowns with just two interceptions while running for 880 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Tito Villano, Sr., RB, Century

The 6-0, 205-pounder is the leading returning rusher this fall in the state after the first-team all-South East Idaho 5A selection gained 1,219 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Diamondbacks, who rebounded from a winless 2024 season to go 9-1 and win their first league title since 2020.

Rocky Weatherspoon, Sr., G, Fruitland

After playing alongside former top-40 national recruit Kelvin Obot, Weatherspoon now steps into the spotlight. The 6-foot-8, 280 pound 4A first-team all-state selection will get the chance to show his stuff as the main man up front this fall.

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Published
René Ferrán
RENÉ FERRÁN

René Ferrán has written about high school sports in the Pacific Northwest since 1993, with his work featured at the Idaho Press Tribune, Tri-City Herald, Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, The Columbian and The Oregonian before he joined SBLive Sports in 2020.

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