I was able to connect with Coach Christian Smith who is back for his sixth season as the defensive line coach. When he first got to SDSU, he primarily worked with the defensive tackles who usually met separately from the defensive ends. When he became the coach of the entire defensive line, he merged the two rooms and the success of this group since then speaks for itself. Over the last few years the Jacks have ran a few sub packages where they played with 3 or 4 defensive ends on the field in pass rush situations. There have been other times where all four of the down linemen were defensive tackles. Smith says that he will put guys in a position to make plays and in obvious passing situations the guys who can best get to the quarterback will be on the field.

In 2021, opponents averaged just 3.3 ypc on the season which resulted in 110 yards per game. This is pretty good and can still be better! The defense also had 37 sacks on the year showing that it could stop the run and get to the quarterback. The defensive line group battled through injuries more than most position groups due to the physicality of the job. The long spring season followed so closely by the long fall season took its toll on this position group but luckily they had excellent depth.

Roster: Defensive Tackle

• #99 Caleb Sanders (6-1, 270, Sr)
• #98 Ryan Van Marel (6-4, 280, Sr)
• #52 Jarod DePriest (6-5, 270, Jr)
• #92 Brian Williams (6-1, 290, Jr)
• #93 Max Baloun (6-6, 275, So)
• #77 Aaron Wolfcale-Holsten (6-2, 285, RFr)
• #59 Grant Conaway (6-3, 270, Jr.)
• #91 Jace Sifore (6-4, 265, Fr.)
• #51 Logan Green (6-3, 270, Fr.)

This defensive tackle group lost plenty of production but returns an All-American candidate and a few other players who were highly regarded recruits who have been bidding their time to see the field. Caleb Sanders is the best defensive tackle in the MVFC and one of the best in the country. He finished with 34 tackles, 13 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 7 QBH, and a forced fumble. Caleb was voted a captain and has the respect of his teammates on both sides of the ball. Smith said that he is still one of the strongest guys on the team and he plays with tremendous leverage and twitch.

The competition for the other starting defensive tackle spot is still up for grabs as fall camp starts. Ryan Van Marel, Jarod DePriest, and Brian Williams are all vying to be that guy. Van Marel was a very highly regarded recruit who had Iowa calling his phone on signing day four years ago. Unfortunately, due to injury and depth at the position we haven’t been able to see his full potential yet. However, Smith shared that Van Marel is feeling much better after off-season surgery and is poised for a breakout year. Van Marel is a really long kid that is able to lock his arms out and keep offensive linemen off of him. In limited action, he had 8 tackles and 1 sack last year. DePriest is another highly regarded recruit who has yet to see a ton of action. His freshman season was spent recovering from a high school knee injury and the past two seasons with the experienced depth ahead of him, snaps were hard to come by. However, he traveled last year and has only gotten bigger, stronger, and faster in the weight room. In limited action in 2021, he had 3 tackles and .5 sack. Brian Williams is the new guy in the group and he was able to go through spring ball with the Jacks after transferring over from D2 powerhouse Valdosta State where he was an All American in 2021. He had 42 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, and 9 more QBH. He is built like a brick shithouse and is tough to move off of the line of scrimmage. He is also explosive for his size and is able to generate pass rush. He will have two seasons left with the Jacks. No matter who starts, I expect this group to continue to rotate heavily, as they have for the past few seasons.

The group will be looking for a 5th guy to make the travel roster. Current guys on the roster who will compete for that spot will be Grant Conaway, a juco transfer from California, Max Baloun, a converted defensive end, and Aaron Wolfcale-Holsten, a red-shirt freshman. Conaway was a pre-season All-American at Orange Coast College and finished the year with 42 tackles, 7 sacks, 11 TFL, and a forced fumble. This is really good production and from his HUDL tape, it is clear that he is a high motor, high effort type of guy. He played all along the line and obviously made an impact! Max Baloun has always had a great frame and is now starting to add some weight to it. He is 6’6 and is now at about 275. Baloun’s length could be a problem on the interior. Smith said he is still working on his first two steps and quick twitch. Rounding out this group is Wolfcale-Holsten. Smith says that he is young and that injuries have prevented some growth. He credits his intelligence and good understanding of football.

The Jacks are adding two freshmen to this group with really high potential in Jace Sifore and Logan Green. Jace has a really high ceiling now that he is dialed in on football vs. being a 5 sport athlete. His athleticism is evident to anyone that watched him play in the South Dakota State 9-A Championship game. His size and length will be a problem once he adds some more weight and strength to that frame. Green may be the more physically ready player at this point according to Smith. His HUDL shows a guy who is quick off the ball and really unmovable for opposing offensive lines. Smith says that he asks a lot of questions and wants to get better every day.

Roster: Defensive End

• #97 Reece Winkelman (6-4, 245, Sr)
• #94 Cade Terveer (6-3, 250, Sr) *Another season available
• #48 Quinton HIcks (6-3, 245, Sr) *Another season available
• #53 Caden Johnson (6-3, 235, Jr)
• #44 Kevin Brenner (6-3, 240, Jr)
• #90 Randy Keumogne (6-3, 230, Jr)
• #95 Zac Wilson (6-3, 235, Jr)
• #50 Noah Jessup (6-5, 225, RFr)
• #56 Levi Vanden Bos (6-3, 225, RFr)
• #58 Aidan Murphy (6-4, 230, Fr)

The defensive end group is probably the strongest returning group on the defensive side of the ball. The Jacks have three guys who have played a ton of snaps followed by three players who have played situationally over the past two years. This group is loaded!

Reece Winkelman is simply a terrific player. He plays the run well and is able to get home on the QB in a variety of ways. When he doesn’t get pressure he gets his hands up and deflects passes. Last season he had 34 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 4 PBUs and a forced fumble. Opposing offenses have to help their right tackle out frequently when facing him. Smith loves that he earned the role of captain and raved about how he keeps his teammates accountable and that he is willing to help anyone. This offseason he continued to work on his body and staying healthy. Across from Reece will either be Cade Terveer or Quinton Hicks. Terveer really came on as the season progressed and finished with 20 tackles, 5 sacks, 6 TFL, 2 INT, a PBU, 6 QBH, and 1 forced fumble. His disruption was real! Smith says that he is excellent at the point of contact. His hands, hips, and coordination all working together is what sets him apart. He also credits Cade with being a hard worker in the film room. Quinton Hicks has been a fun player to watch develop for the Jackrabbits. Q battled through injuries for much of the season and it did seem at times to rob him of his burst, which is what makes him special. He is back to 100% and physically really looks like a much stronger player. Smith says that he does a great job in the weight room and that his energy and team first attitude is contagious.

The next tier of guys are players who have all spent time on the field in some capacity and will be looking to increase their snap count with the graduation of Tolu. Randy Keumogne has played the past two seasons in a pass rush specialist role. Physically, he is one of the most gifted players on the team. Smith said that he is also fully recovered from offseason surgery. Randy only played two years of organized football in high school so he is still really raw but all of his hard work is paying off, he just needs more reps. Caden Johnson is a personal favorite because of the tenacity he plays with. It seems like Caden has found ways to make plays in limited action. Last year he finished with 8 tackles and a TFL but also added 2 QBH, and a fumble recovery. Smith says that he is a consistent hard working player that brings good energy. He also says that Caden has the ability to shift inside and play the 3 technique. Kevin Brenner really stood out on special teams in 2021 for his “hair on fire” style of play. Smith shared that Kevin his earned a scholarship because of his effort. He is an FCA leader and is a joy to be around according to Smith. He finished with 9 tackles and 2 TFL in 2021. Zac Wilson has really matured according to Smith. He’s engaged and committed to improving and is close to earning more playing time. Smith shared that he has a great first two steps but is still putting it all together. Wilson did have a sack last season after seeing the field do to injuries.

The next group is made up of young guys who are still developing. Levi Vanden Bos does a good job and brings a blue collar work ethic. He still needs time to develop in the weight room and get bigger and stronger. He’s very physical and is working on going from speed to power. He’s raw but Smith sees a lot of potential. Aidan Murphy is an incoming freshman who has a really high ceiling. He stood out at individual camp in the summer of 2021. He runs really well and has great length and size. Smith thinks he has a bright future and is excited to see him once the pads come on.

I love the group that the #ChainGang has put together. Gone are the days when true freshmen NEED to play. This group is mature, mentally and physically, and will not be pushed around in the MVFC.

Go Jacks!

Matt