Former Lake City High star Johnson transfers from Idaho to Stanford

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

Zach Johnson, the former Lake City High star who started at linebacker for the Idaho Vandals this past season as a redshirt freshman, is transferring to Stanford, he said Saturday. 

Johnson was one of roughly two dozen Vandals to enter the transfer portal following the season after coach Jason Eck left Idaho after three seasons to become head coach at New Mexico. 

“Stanford, in multiple aspects, is an incredible opportunity for me to earn a prestigious degree, as well as play football at the highest level,” Johnson told The Press. “I left Idaho because of the changes that came after the season ended with coach Eck and some of his coaching staff leaving.”

Johnson said he’s already enrolled at Stanford, scheduled to begin classes Monday, and will take part in spring ball with the Cardinal, which finished 3-9 in its first football season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024, after decades in the Pac-12. 

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Johnson saw action in all 14 games this season for Idaho (10-4), totaling 83 tackles. He returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown against Lehigh in the second round of the FCS playoffs. 

Johnson was an honorable mention all-Big Sky selection this season. He was named a freshman All-American by FCS Football Central. 

In 2023, Johnson saw action in five games (including playoffs), mostly on special teams, and was able to count it as a redshirt season because he saw action in no more than four games during the regular season. 

Johnson will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. 

Among the other schools who offered Johnson once he entered the transfer portal were New Mexico, Michigan State, San Diego State, Rutgers and Montana. Johnson said several other schools also reached out with interest.