Born and raised just 35 miles south of Moscow, Cruz Hepburn grew up with Idaho football practically in his backyard. Now, as a redshirt junior linebacker for the Vandals, he’s become one of the most productive and reliable defenders on the roster.
Under first-year head coach Thomas Ford Jr. and defensive coordinator Cort Denison, everything clicked. Hepburn has been playing at a high level for the entirety of the 2025 campaign as a homegrown talent fulfilling a path that once seemed unlikely.
Hepburn became one of Idaho’s most active defenders almost overnight. He has played in all 11 games this season and totaled 69 tackles, including eight tackles per game in seven Big Sky games. Only a year removed from being a depth-chart name on special teams, he is now one of the central pieces of Denison’s scheme. His 5.5 tackles for loss this season rank third on the team, a testament to the instincts and burst that made him a standout long before college.
He’s shown that toughness week after week. His best performance so far came in Idaho’s recent match-up with Sacramento State, where he recorded 11 tackles, including five solo tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, and forced a fumble.
That effort came just two weeks after he delivered the biggest highlight of his career — a 63-yard scoop-and-score touchdown during the team’s road upset of Northern Arizona.
Hepburn’s story starts in Lewiston, where he became a legend for the Bengals long before he donned the silver and gold. At Lewiston High School, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three straight seasons, finishing as the school’s all-time leading rusher.
His 20-touchdown senior season earned him all-conference honors and attention from college programs across the Northwest. He wasn’t just an offensive star, either. He excelled as a two-way linebacker, showing the instincts and toughness that now define his play at Idaho.
Hepburn was also a standout baseball player, a multi-sport athlete who seldom had free time in high school. When he committed to Idaho as part of the 2022 recruiting class, it felt like the natural next step. Then, he changed course.
Hepburn opted to stay home and play baseball for one of the premiere NAIA baseball programs in the country, Lewis-Clark State College.
During his appearance on the “Inside the Vandals” podcast, Hepburn talked about playing football, basketball and baseball in high school and said he became a better player by playing multiple sports.
Transitioning back to football required work. He added weight, reshaped his frame and embraced special teams during the 2024 season, recording six tackles in 11 games. Under previous head coach Jason Eck, he learned how to contribute even when he wasn’t in the defensive spotlight.
“It takes a lot of toughness to be a linebacker,” Hepburn said. “We’re kind of the quarterbacks of the defense and have a lot on our plate.”
Part of what drives Hepburn is the support system surrounding him. With Moscow only a short drive from Lewiston, he estimates 20-30 friends and family members come to each home game.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” he said. “Just looking up in the stands and seeing a bunch of local people that you know and seeing them cheering you on. There’s no better feeling than seeing all the fan support at home games.”
The Vandals will wrap up their 2025 season at home against Idaho State in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22.
Liam Bradford can be reached at [email protected].