VandalVenue.com Recruiting Update

TheInsiders.com is reporting that Idaho received its 3rd verbal commitment tonight from an Idaho highschool prospect (4th verbal overall). This time its Jayson Bird, the Idaho Statesman Class 3A Player of the Year for the 2003 football season. He's as fierce on the wrestling mat as he is on the field, and appears to be an outstanding prospect for Coach Holt's rebuilding effort in Moscow. From the community on VandalVenue.com, welcome to the UI!

This weekend Shelley, ID native Jayson Bird visited the Idaho campus, and was hosted by Vandal linebacker Mike Anderson. Tonight TheInsiders is reporting that Jayson has given a verbal commitment to the Idaho coaching staff to play football for the Vandals, picking Idaho over reported offers from Utah State, Montana, and Idaho State.

Regardless of who the offers were from, this was one Idaho prospect the staff of VandalVenue.com was hoping would pick Idaho. In addition to being named the 3A Player of the Year, Jayson was a 1st Team All State selection at runningback, and a second team All-State selection at punter (he wasn't a bad linebacker either). Overall, an excellent, versatile prospect.

From an article reported today by Chris Fetters of TheInsiders, Jayson said of his trip, "I love the coaching staff and the players too. It's like a brotherhood there, everyone seems to get along."

When he isn't knocking heads on the football field, this 3 sport athlete is tearing things up on the mat (among the top 10 wrestlers in the state at the 215 pound weight classification). He won the 3A State 100 meter Championship with a time of 11.06 seconds.

He attended camps at Utah State, BYU and Boise State, and the Nike Camp at the University of Washington. At the BYU camp he clocked 4.44 in the 40 on the track. His vertical leap of 37 inches was the best at the Nike Camp.

Taking a closer look at Jayson's accomplishments this year (scholastically, going into last December he was maintaining a 4.0 GPA), below are some of the high-points of a solid highschool career for Jayson:

- Class 3A Player of the Year (2003)
- 1st Team All-State Runningback (2003)
- 2nd Team All=State Punter (2003)
- Rushed for 1,899 yards and 27 touchdowns (2003)
- Reported bench press (305 pounds), power clean (300 lbs), squat (510 lbs)
- Helped guide team to 3A State Championship
- Ranked the #52 prospect in the NW by TheInsiders.


In addition, below is a link to a story that appeared in The Idaho Statesman earlier this year highlighting Jayson's performance:

LINK: The Idaho Statesman All Idaho Team (3A) (by Johnna Espinoza)



Idaho has received verbals from 2 excellent Runningback / ATH (athlete) prospects out of the state of Idaho (joining Devon Sturdivant out of Timberline Highschool, an All-State selection at the 5A level). Whether they both end up in the backfield or on different units will be determined with time. But both bring some wheels, self-motivation, talent and success to the Idaho team, something no team can ever have too much of.

From all of us at VandalVenue.com, a hearty welcome to fellow Idahoan Jayson Bird!