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A state most famous for its potatoes has produced some awfully good college athletes, as well.
Idaho is home to three Division I schools, which have featured on-field and on-court standouts whose fame and recognition went far beyond the borders of the Gem State.
Boise State has rather improbably become a college football powerhouse, as the one-time junior college has churned out a parade of Top 25 finishes and NFL draft picks over the past 25 years while competing on arguably the most famous turf in college football. Idaho and Idaho State haven't been too bad on the gridiron, either, with future NFL standouts passing through their programs on their way to football immortality. Both schools were also among the national juggernauts in boxing back when it was an NCAA-sanctioned sport.
How do all of those players stack up historically?
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States, USA TODAY Sports is ranking the top 10 college athletes from each state. The athlete doesn't have to be from the state, but is required to have attended college there to be considered. There's a caveat that applies to all of these state lists, but is worth keeping in mind that much more for a place like Idaho that has been the home of future Olympians: this is based purely on what these athletes did in college.
10 greatest college athletes from Idaho
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Jeanty is the most accomplished running back at a program that's had no shortage of them. He ranks first in Boise State history in career rushing yards (4,769), first in career yards per carry (6.36), first in career yards per game (119.2), first in career 100-yard games (eight) and first in career 100-yard games (22) — all of which he reached despite foregoing his final year of eligibility. As a junior in 2004, he rushed for 2,601 yards, the second-most in a season in FBS history, behind only the 2,628 yards Barry Sanders racked up in his legendary 1988 season. He finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, losing narrowly to Colorado's Travis Hunter, and led the Broncos to a quarterfinal appearance in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
Jared Allen, Idaho State
Allen was committed to go to Washington before he was expelled from his high school after selling stolen yearbooks. Idaho State ended up being the beneficiary of his circuitous path. He was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Sky honoree. As a senior in 2003, he won the Buck Buchanan Award, given annually to the most outstanding defensive player in the Championship Subdivision, after logging 17½ sacks, 102 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and nine pass deflections. A four-time first-team NFL All-Pro who racked up 136 career sacks, Allen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
USA 250 LISTS: Alaska | Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa
Ryan Clady, Boise State
A 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive lineman, Clady helped pave the way, literally and metaphorically, for the teams that truly made Boise State football a national brand. He earned All-American recognition in each of his final two college seasons, including as a consensus All-American as a junior in 2007. As a sophomore in 2006, he delivered a key block on Ian Johnson's iconic, game-winning two-point conversion against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. In 2008, he became the Broncos' highest-ever NFL draft pick at the time when he went No. 12 overall to the Denver Broncos.
John Friesz, Idaho
There are few passers in FCS history more prolific than Friesz. The Idaho star was a three-time All-American, including a two-time first-team All-American, and a three-time Big Sky player of the year. As a senior in 1989, he became the first quarterback to win the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the national player of the year at the FCS (then Division I-AA) level. He led the country in passing yards in each of his final two college seasons and still shares the FCS record for most consecutive 300-yard passing games (10). In 2006, he became the first — and, to this date, only — Idaho player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
PROGRAM RANKINGS: Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12
Mike Iupati, Idaho
A colossus at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Iupati enjoyed a dominant senior season in 2009 while helping lead the Vandals to an 8-5 record and just their second-ever FBS bowl victory. For his efforts, he was a consensus All-American and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy, given annually to the top interior lineman in college football. That season, the Samoan played 807 snaps and did not allow a sack while recording 49 knockdowns and 21 pancake blocks. He was the 17th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
Gus Johnson, Idaho
Johnson was only at Idaho for a year, but he certainly made it count. After one season at Boise State, which was a junior college at the time, Johnson averaged 19 points and 20.3 rebounds per game while earning All-American honors in 1963. His 466 rebounds are still a program single-season record, with the next-closest player 133 rebounds behind him. After being taken with the 10th overall pick in the 1963 NBA Draft, Johnson played 11 seasons professionally and was a five-time NBA All-Star. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Jerry Kramer, Idaho
There are few figures in Idaho football history more important than Kramer, who was the program's first All-American after earning honorable mention recognition in 1956 and a spot on the first team in 1957. He was also a standout in track and field, graduating as the school record-holder in the shot put. He went on to enjoy an 11-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. A five-time All-Pro. he became just the second Idaho native to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when inducted in 2018.
Kellen Moore, Boise State
By the time his Boise State career came to an end in 2011, Moore had won more games than any quarterback in college football history, with a 50-3 record. His left arm played a significant role in that extraordinary record. Over four seasons as a starter, he completed 69.8% of his passes for 14,667 yards, 142 touchdowns and just 28 interceptions, finishing second in NCAA history in career passing touchdowns and fifth in career passing yardage. A two-time first-team All-American, he became the first Boise State athlete in any sport to earn three conference athlete of the year awards. In 2010, the current New Orleans Saints head coach finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting, becoming the first Heisman finalist in program history.
Allie Ostrander, Boise State
For all of Boise State's football success, there's arguably no athlete in the school's history more accomplished than Ostrander. She won three consecutive NCAA titles in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (from 2017-19), making her the only female to do so in the event in NCAA Division I history. She is one of two Boise State athletes ever to win multiple national championships in her career and is the only athlete, male or female, to be named the Mountain West all-sport athlete of the year three times. She finished her career as a two-time national runner-up and 13-time All-American, and at the time of her induction into the Boise State athletics hall of fame in 2024, she still held program records in seven events.
Randy Trautman, Boise State
Trautman joined the Boise State football program in 1978 as a walk-on, but he left as something much more. The star defensive tackle was named a Division I-AA first-team All-American in 1980 and 1981 and in 1980, he led the Broncos to the Division I-AA national championship. In 1999, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, where he's the only Boise State player to have earned enshrinement.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: USA250: The 10 greatest college athletes from Idaho
