Examining Idaho's core leaders so far through fall camp

Aug. 9—When the Idaho Vandals football team needs direction, all eyes turn to the players who have been there for a long time. Players look to their teammates who have been where the team wants to go.

First-year coach Thomas Ford Jr. said that the team is full of leadership and talked about the leaders on both sides of the ball.

"Nate Azzopardi is a guy that's been a great leader for us," Ford said. "(Tight end) Jake Cox has really stepped up as a leader. (O-lineman) Layton Vining's another guy that stepped up as leader. And then obviously, (QB) Josh (Wood) hasn't been here for very long, but it's very clear that those guys respect him as a leader as well, because when he talks, everybody listens. So offensively, I think we've got some good leaders.

"Defensively, (D-lineman) Zach Krotzer (has) definitely been leading the way. I think (linebacker) Dylan Layne and other guys really stepped up in a leadership role."

Azzopardi and Krotzer are sixth-year Vandals who have developed into their roles as bigger leaders as years have gone on.

"I love my role right now," said Krotzer, a senior offensive lineman from Shadle Park High in Spokane. "I'm kind of the old guy on the D-line, so everyone's kind of looking at me for leadership. And it's an awesome experience, it's a blessed experience and not a lot of people can be in those shoes. It's pretty cool when the young guys are looking for you and I'm loving it."

Krotzer last year had 40 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, an interceptin, a forced fumble and five QB hurries in 14 games for the Vandals.

Layne, a redshirt junior, stuck around with Idaho even after his twin brother, Jack Layne, followed former coach Jason Eck to New Mexico. Dylan Layne was the team's Battle Axe winner on the first day of fall camp.

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With Azzopardi, Ford said the sixth-year offensive lineman has always been a natural leader. He said that when he first got hired as UI's head coach, Azzopardi was one of the first players he called to come back to the Vandals and exit the transfer portal and said that he is one of the No. 1 leaders on the team.

"What's great is Nate has always been a natural leader," Ford said. "He just has that aura about him. There's a chip on his shoulder but he plays extremely hard, works extremely hard. It was a no-brainer for me that he was kind of the alpha of the team. He was one of the first guys I called ... and I think once we got him (back), he really set the tone for the leadership in general."

Azzopardi called himself the vet and said that he is the old guy in the offensive line room. He said that he has been a leader for the past two years also due to the fact that he has been a two-time captain. He gave credit to other players in the offensive line room such as juniors Vining and Charlie Vliem. He said that leadership has to be a group effort and not just one player.

The veteran guard said that his leadership works because he is genuine.

"I think (it's) because it's authentic," Azzopardi said. "Like I said, I didn't play that first Eck year, and that's how I was viewed at that point in time. I was a guy that wasn't a starter, and I put in the work, and people saw that, and again, thankful, forever thankful to my peers for noticing that, because it wasn't like coach Eck made me a captain, players voted me a captain."

He said in his first year of being a captain, he did not feel like he deserved the role. He said he was not sure of how good of a job he did as captain.

But the next year he improved in the role of the main leader. He said that he does have to be "the bad guy" sometimes and has to yell at players as the senior vet. He said that is not his favorite part of the job, but he appreciates that the rest of the team respects him enough to listen to him.

"Being a captain for the Vandals is the greatest honor of my life," Azzopardi said. "In terms of Ford calling me, I appreciate it. You know, I never wanted to leave. I had to go see what my options were, because we didn't have a coach at that time. But as soon as Ford got the job, I knew where my home was and I knew where I was gonna playing my final year."

Junt can be reached at 208-848-2258, tjunt@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @TrevorJunt.