South Dakota State ’22 Commitment Class Breakdown: Midwesterners
The South Dakota State University Jackrabbits are one of only a few perennial FCS super-heavyweight programs with 11 FCS playoff appearances since 2009 with 14 playoff wins and a magical national championship run in 2020 that ended in a heartbreaking…
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Continue ReadingThe South Dakota State University Jackrabbits are one of only a few perennial FCS super-heavyweight programs with 11 FCS playoff appearances since 2009 with 14 playoff wins and a magical national championship run in 2020 that ended in a heartbreaking 21-23 loss to Sam Houston State. They made their fourth national semifinal appearance in the last five years during the 2021 season and also matched a school record for wins in a season during the 2021 campaign, compiling an 11-4 record. They’ve also had five players drafted since 2010, with two hearing their names called in last year’s 2022 NFL Draft, and thrive off finding, signing, evaluating, and developing under-the-radar prospects, especially from the Midwest. The program also holds a special place in my heart personally, as I was lucky enough to be a part of my Southwest Lakers High School inaugural summer team camp to head to Brookings to scrimmage and battle other high school programs from Minnesota and South Dakota. It was the most fun I’ve ever had playing football, and knocking pads in the final Jackrabbit Competition on the turf of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium is a memory I’ll never forget. Those state of the art FCS facilities and tradition of excellence have long made them an excellent landing spot for prospects from around the Midwest, and in today’s special I’ll be breaking down the 20 signings, reviewing their high school accolades, and naming some superlatives of this Jackrabbit 2022 commitment class. Most of all, I’m pumped to bring this program and these commits some more attention and exposure. Thanks for reading!
2022 Midwest Jackrabbits
South Dakota Jacks
Chase Mason ( Viborg-Hurley , SD/ University of Nebraska) QB. 6’4, 225 lbs.
A big-time transfer from the 2021 class with roots only an hour and a half from Brookings, Mason is coming in at the most important position in college football after playing baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers last year in Lincoln. Coming out of the 9man rankings, he had a solid list of football offers with Wyoming, Fresno State, South Dakota, and South Dakota State all having pulled the trigger on the three-sport star, but an ACL tear early in his senior season and potential MLB Draft buzz helped sway his mind to accept a waiting Nebraska baseball offer, but it seems he couldn’t shake his love for the gridiron and after entering his name in the transfer portal he committed to SDSU and enrolled in January to get a head start on shaking off that rust. His prep career included him leading the Cougars to a state championship as a junior, 2,000 total passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards with 55 total TDs. He was also named Class 9AA Player of the Year for his efforts. He’s got a massive arm with majestic elusiveness both in the pocket and as a runner for 6’4, 220+. It’s been a while since he’s seen live action, but with his physical gifts he’s got the potential to be a game-changing addition to the 2022 class and the program overall.
Jace Sifore (Howard, SD) DL. 6’4, 265 lbs.
Another well-built, 9man, home state addition to the class hailing from within an hour and a half of Brookings, Sifore committed to the Jacks over a North Dakota State offer after an All-State season as a TE that resulted in a state championship run and Class 9A Outstanding Lineman award. He also put up a heckuva stat line, tallying 46 tackles, four sacks, an interception, and 17 catches for 401 yards and nine TDs. He looked nice and filled out in that orange and black of Howard and it was a bit of a trip seeing that big #75 run downfield as an XL TE. He was dominant at the point of attack and a mauler in the run game who could overpower and move opponents thanks to his sheer size and strength, and being the biggest, fastest, strongest player on the field is never a bad thing. Sifore will man the interior DL as a freshman Jackrabbit this summer/fall.
Quinten Christensen (Wessington Springs, SD) OL. 6’5, 255 lbs.
Located two hours west of Brookings, Wessington Springs is home to 811 people and will be represented on the national D1 FCS scene by one of their largest residents: 6’5, 255 pound Quinten Christensen. Their co-op, Wessington Springs/Woonsocket/Sanborn Central, racked up 1,800 rushing yards behind the legs and shoulders of Christensen in 2021, and the future Jackrabbits OT was named captain twice, 11B All-State twice, and All-Southeast Conference thrice. He totaled 129 career tackles, 8.5 sacks, and four INTs defensively as well. To make the pot even sweeter, the hometown hero was the 2021 Class B 285 pound state champ on the wrestling mat, which will no doubt help him adjust to college game. A nimble and devastating puller and nasty finisher, he looked great running the rock after picking off a pass in his senior tape and will also look great in the Blue & Yellow of the Jackrabbits these next 4-5 years. You can never have too many athletic OT prospects!
Noah Thompson (Brandon Valley, SD) DB. 6’1, 180 lbs.
Coming from powerhouse Brandon Valley in the 11AAA classification of SD ball, Thompson was a playmaker from the safety position and had a very productive senior season that resulted in 69 tackles, 14 PBUs, four TDs, three sacks, and two INTs to earn All-State honors for the second time in his career. Additionally, the 2x All-Conference pick was named to the SiouxFallsArgusLeader Elite45 and helped the Lynx to a state championship victory in 2020 and another state final appearance in ’21. Thompson chose his home state Jackrabbits over a couple of DII offers and brings a dynamic game to the table that included splash plays in every phase and just about every facet of the game. I’m talking returning, pass catching, blitzing, pass coverage, tackling and running the ball, and he’s a natural and easy-to-see addition to the commitment class who will follow in the footsteps of a ton of successful big-school SD products from the past few years. He’ll also join Jackrabbit senior and former Lynx standout Cade Terveer in Brookings.
Zach Brummels (Brandon Valley, SD) K. 6’4, 190 lbs.
Another 2022 Lynx to head to Brookings to play his college football, Brummels connected on 8 of his 11 attempted field goal with a long of 44 yards that helped him win All-Conference and All-State honors as a senior, the 6’4, 190 pounder played in three state championship games over the course of his career and helped Brandon Valley win their 2020 state title. He also connected on FGs of 37, 36, 33, and 30 yards as of his midseason highlights, as well as a couple of booming kickoffs. That long frame and big leg is only going to get stronger in a college strength & conditioning program as well!
David Alpers (Sioux Falls-O’Gormon, SD) TE. 6’6, 225 lbs.
A two-way, two-time All-State pick who excelled as a TE and DE, Alpers was another ArgusLeader Elite 45 selection who finished his senior season with 56 total tackles, 23 TFLs, and 12 sacks. Offensively, he was a stone wall of a blocker who works and blocks at the second level well and uses that big body to basically box out defenders from even seeing the play. He made some highlight reel catches as a pass catcher too, and can go up and high point the football. Defensively, he couldn’t be stopped off the edge, splitting doubles, wrecking lead blockers, and generally wrecking havoc with his length and get off. He’ll play TE for the Jacks, a position where home state standouts have had a ton of success in the past. That’s not news to SDSU fans, however!
Nebraska Jacks
Kytan Fyfe (Grand Island, NE) DB. 6’2, 195 lbs.
A three-sport standout who was an All-State HM pick in basketball and a state qualifier in track and field, Fyfe earned more than his fair share of honors on the gridiron and won First Team All-Nebraska and First Team SuperState picks as a senior DB and also notched 1,589 passing yards and 19 TDs through the air as well as 752 rushing yards and eight more TDs on the ground. He even added 100 receiving yards and two TDs as a receiver! His safety highlights are more than solid, showing a long, rangy, enforcer with a ton of thump at the point of contact and some bone-crushing hits that surely echoed through the fields of SE Nebraska. He’s also smooth in his backpedal and doesn’t waste steps out of his breaks, and watching him cut tackle ball carriers and send them flying through the air is truly a thing of beauty. I can’t wait to watch him come downhill in the college ranks.
Isaac Kracl (Crete, NE) RB. 6′, 180 lbs.
The PWO running back spurned multiple DII opportunities to play D1 ball for the heavyweight Jackrabbits after rushing for 1,130 yards and catching 225 yards through the air for 14 total TDs in only six games of action this past fall. At an impressive 7.4 YPC average, Kracl was named a 2022 NE Shrine Bowl participant as well as All-State HM and All-District. He’s a speedster who could dust defenders pursuit angles and terrorize defenses when he got the edge. I also like his vision and one-cut ability with the ball in his hand, and when he’s in the redzone and smelling the goal line you can see some extra juice and effort come into play when breaking tackles. I like what I see and he’s a solid PWO pickup in what is already a strong ’22 Jackrabbits commitment class.
Kaden Johnson (Papillion La-Vista, NE) LB. 6’2, 205 lbs.
A weight room animal who has come back in force from an ACL tear 10 months ago and repped 455×3 on the squat in early March. The Monarch tackling machine finished his career with 135 tackles, 16 TFLs, and three INTs in two seasons of action and earned All-Metro and SuperState HM for his efforts. Despite missing his senior year of football, he returned to the wrestling mat in time to help his squad make a run at the state title, and individually he was a state tournament qualifier in the upper weights. It’s awesome to see the Jacks believe in the Nebraska thumper enough to stick with their belief in the 6’2, 205 pounder and offer a PWO, and with 12 Nebraska natives on the roster last season I hope Cornhusker State natives understand that this staff and program believe in prospects from their great state.
Missouri Jacks
Rhett Foster (Smithville, MO) WR. 6’3, 175 lbs.
Current Jackrabbit RB and Joplin native Isaiah Davis is one of my favorite RBs in all of college football to watch, so I’m pumped SDSU is keeping the Missouri love going and signed three Show-Me State prep standouts in their 2022 class. To kick things off they got a decorated WR out of Smithville in 6’3, Rhett Foster, who is a 2x First Team All-State pick as well as All-State sprinter and hurdler for the track and field squad. He aided Smithville in winning a Class 4 state title by catching 39 passes for 806 yards and eight TDs from 2023 QB and Missouri S&T baseball commit Andrew Hedgecorth. Foster has some real giddy-up on the perimeter and flies downfield as well as up in the air to win contested catch situations. He absolutely torches off-man CBs, and is a fluid and balanced athlete who gave defenses fits throughout his career, finishing with 112 receptions for 1,927 yards and 18 TDs. Really like this signing here.
Trevor Scott (Platte County, MO) LB. 6′, 200 lbs.
A KC-area marathon man who started 45 straight games for Platte County and earned two First Team All-State selections in his career, Scott recorded 285 tackles, 39.5 TFLs, and 25 sacks in an outstanding prep career that also resulted in two Conference DPOY awards. The three-sport athlete also wrestled and was a member of the school’s state-qualifying 4x100M relay that set a school record. With a ton of burst out of his stance and great timing when shooting gaps, Scott lived in opponent’s backfields and used his solid pursuit angles and closing speed to halt RBs and QBs in their tracks. That game-changing speed is only going to get faster in a college weight program and being able to identify and flow to the football quickly and smoothly can get you a ton of action in a college LB room, and he makes for another great PWO signing to the class.
Jalen B. Lee (Fort Zumwalt North, MO) CB. 6’1, 180 lbs.
The O’Fallon product and FZN shutdown CB passed on Indiana State, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, and Southern Illinois offers to sign with South Dakota State and was named All-State twice and All-District thrice for heavyweight Fort Zumwalt North. He also was a First Team All-Conference pick as a WR and CB and League Player of the year who caught six TDs, made 64 tackles, and picked off three passes as a senior in 2021. I like how he sneakily operates in zone coverage and plays the zone front to back to make sure multiple receivers are covered, and he can also cover out on the perimeter or out of the slot. Lee also has no problem throwing a shoulder and enforcing the run/holding the edge, and his combination of size and influence in the run and pass game make him a very exciting add to the DB room of the Jackrabbits.
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, and Wisconsin Jacks
Cullen McShane (MFL MarMac, IA) LB. 6’2, 210 lbs.
A small school Iowa product who inked with the Jacks over an Iowa Hawkeye PWO opportunity, McShane was a 2x First Team All-State pick as an upperclassman and posted a monster career stat line of 208 tackles, 33 TFLs, 2,968 rushing yards, and 52 TDs. Also an All-Conference selection in basketball and track, you don’t see Iowa natives turn down a Hawkeye opportunity very often, and McShane’s production, playmaking ability, and tremendous physicality are all going to help him continue a lineage of Iowa preps to have themselves successful college careers in Brookings. This dude can eat up and dish out tackles like a short order fry cook and runs like a bull with the rock in his hand. He’s got one of my favorite tapes in the class and I can’t wait to follow him in college.
Joe Ollman (Homestead, WI) LB. 6’2, 210 lbs.
Another stud PWO signing by the Jacks, Ollman is a classic representation of a Wisconsin specialty: the XL RB. The 6’2, 210 pounder led his conference in rushing twice and ended his career with 3,500 AP yards that included 2,900 rushing yards and 35 TDs in 23 games of prep action. He also held offers from MSU-Mankato, Upper Iowa, and Bemidji State but couldn’t pass on the opportunity to play for SDSU and will move to defense and LB for his college stay in Brookings. His North-South, bowling ball running style is also highlighted by nice quickness, vision, and top-end speed, and he could even catch the rock out of the backfield. His offensive skill set is going to serve him quite well as he moves to linebacker at the next level.
Greyton Gannon (Mukwonago, WI) TE. 6’4, 210 lbs.
South Dakota State was the first offer for Madison-area athlete Gannon, which ended up playing a role in his commitment over competing offers from Eastern Illinois, MSU-Mankato, and North Dakota State. That offer list should have been longer, as the big school Division 1, Classic 8 QB was a three-year starter and physical presence from the QB spot who earned All-Region and All-Conference recognition over the course of his career. He was also an All-Conference pick in basketball.
Justin Harris (Lincoln Way-West, IL) RB. 5’11, 185 lbs.
One of the Harris twins to sign with SDSU’s 2022 class, Justin carried the rock at a 6.5 YPC average and was a 10 yard per catch weapon who was won two All-Conference nods and an All-Area award. An asset in the screen game and as a receiver out of the backfield, Harris is shifty, balanced, and smooth in space, able to jump and dance around traffic and pull his hips away at the last second to create enough separation to pull away from tackle attempts. Coming from big school Illinois competition his game should translate well to the next level. Stay tuned for his brother!
Logan Green (Clarinda, IA) DL. 6’3, 270 lbs.
Coming from the town of 5K near the tip of Iowa’s SW corner, Green was a cog in the middle of Clarinda’s defense and was a 3x All-District pick and District DPOY after posting an impressive 28 tackles, 14 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks from his DT spot. The PWO signing has a quick get-off and some lateral agility with the size and build to play in the interior in college as well.
Jason Harris (Lincoln Way-West, IL) WR. 6’2, 200 lbs.
The second of the Harris twins of the 2022 Jackrabbits class, Jason is the bigger of the two but also mans the offense and plays wide receiver, playing it well too. Another PWO, he reeled in 21 catches for 500 yards and eight TDs and added 415 rushing yards, three rushing TDs, 15 tackles, and an interception as well. Equally comfortable when the ball is in the air or in his hand, I liked Harris’ pull away speed for a bigger WR product and he also made some nice plays on the ball, through tight coverage and occasionally in the end zone. His dynamic ability allowed him to line up all over the field for the Warriors and could do anything asked of him by his coaching staff and teammates. He’s a heavyweight PWO pickup for South Dakota State and has a lot going for him going into his next chapter of college football.
Brody Gormley (Seaman, KS) TE. 6’7, 225 lbs.
The TE factory that is now Chris Meyers’ TE room just got a whole lot bigger and badder with the addition of Kansas native and 6’7, 220 lber. Gormley. The lean, massive pass catcher, DE, and punter caught 30 passes for 735 yards and 10 touchdowns, and also knocked down 10 sacks to earn All-City, All-State HM, and Second Team All-City (defense) nods in 2021. When he splits out wide into the boundary and far away from the camera it is hard to tell he’s as big as he is, especially since his movement skills are so fluid, and with some juice after the catch and in his hips as a route runner it’s hard not to be excited about the literally massive addition to the TE room.
Jeff Becker (Carroll, IN) QB. 6′, 190 lbs.
The Hoosier State native chose South Dakota State over offers from Valpo, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois, and Indiana State, Becker had a historic career for Carroll that finished with 8,000 yards of total offense, including 6,287 passing yards and 2,078 rushing yards for an almost-unreal 107 TDs. He was a 2x All-State pick in his upperclassman campaign, and possesses a fast, crisp throwing motion and a truck stick as a runner. His arm strength help him deliver strikes into tight windows and complete tougher throws on deep out-breaking routes with good timing and touch. He’s had a helluva prep career and the amount of experience, action, and reps will help him and adjust to faster defenses and processing times. Nice pickup from Indiana for this 2022 class.
Superlatives
Most Likely to Play as a Freshman: David Alpers (O’Gormon, SD) TE
Biggest Recruiting Win: Jalen Lee (FZN, MO) or Jace Sifore (Howard, SD)
Hardest Hitter: Cullen McShane (MFL Mar Mac, IA) LB
Biggest Sleeper: Rhett Foster (Smithville, MO) WR
Lowest Floor: Jace Sifore (Howard, SD)
Highest Ceiling: Chase Mason (Viborg-Hurley , SD) QB.
Future NFL Draft Pick: Brody Gormley (Seaman, KS) TE
Future Team Captain: Quinten Christensen (Wessington Springs, SD) OL
Most to Prove: Noah Thompson (Brandon Valley, SD) DB
Don’t Underestimate: Greyton Gannon (Mukwonago, WI) TE.