Jackrabbit Illustrated

I had a chance to attend the spring game for the first time in a number of years this past Saturday. It was better than I remember and an impressive crowd turned out to see the new-look Jackrabbits. All and all I like what I saw and a number of my concerns and questions were answered. As I posted on Twitter, my three big questions were,

1. After years of stability, what does the OL look like?
2. Who is going to catch passes?
3. Which young guys show out?

Here is a recap of these questions and other observations…

Offense

• Mark Gronowski appears to somehow look bigger/stronger. He was sharp in his lone series and led the team to an opening drive touchdown. At this point his command of the offense is unmatched. His chemistry with his supporting cast is probably not as strong this season so I’m very curious to see how that looks when we see these guys again in September.
• The Johnson & Johnson backfield brings a lot of flash to the field but there has been some question about where the “power” may come from. I was impressed to see Angel lower his shoulder and fight for some tough yards. He definitely delivered the blow on some of his runs.
• We didn’t get to see Isaac Kracl or Kirby Vorhees on Saturday but man did Brenden Begeman run hard! His long TD run (see below) really showcased some speed that I didn’t know he had. Maybe he is the power back this season. He also caught the ball well and got up field quickly.

• At this point, the offensive line is still a work in progress. The first group looked fine but not dominant and the depth was certainly not up to snuff. We can write Miller in at center, Beerntsen in at guard, and Quinten Christensen in somewhere (He started at right tackle on Saturday). Christensen looks great and looks like he added some more strength to that frame.
• The starter at left guard was Ethan Vibert who is finally getting his shot after serving as a quality backup for the last few years. I thought Jalen Lee did nice things in the run game on Saturday and I think that these two are each others main competition at this point.
• Colby Christensen earned the start at left tackle but will be locked in a battle with Oklahoma transfer Marcus Hicks throughout the summer and into fall. Hicks missed much of spring with an injury.
• I liked what I saw out of William Paepke at times as well. Otherwise, the depth is just really really young at this point and has virtually no in-game experience.
• The group I was really excited to see was the tight end room. There has been so much hype about these young guys. For a variety of reasons, the three redshirt freshmen never saw much of the field last fall and the two true freshmen did not play either. Late last season and into this spring I’ve heard rumblings that Davin Stoffel is the next big thing. Sure enough, he caught a nice 9 yard gain from Mark on the first play. He’s an easy mover and seems to have terrific hands. When Prejean scored on a 1-yd TD pass later in the game, it was Stoffel that drew the attention of two defenders that created so much space for Kentrell (see below). He’s going to be a nightmare for MVFC defensive coordinators.

• Brody Gormley still looks like a matchup nightmare and I’m excited to see what he and Stoffel can do on the field together in 2 TE sets.
• Unfortunately, Gannon, Neumann, and Alpers were unable to play in the game so I really only got to see Stoffel and Gormley. However, this groups potential is through the roof and I can’t wait to see how Coach Olson and Coach Freund use all of these guys plus our favorite FOOTBALL PLAYER Kevin Brenner.
• With the wide receiver group, I was really disappointed for the guys we didn’t get to see. Grahm Goering, Ky Oday Jr., and Marcus Preston all sat out this spring. I would expect all three to be contributors this season to the offense and these were big reps. Joe Randle and Joe Roll also did not play and they are intriguing younger prospects. All should be cleared for fall.
• Devon Cole Jr. seems to have embraced the leadership role of being the experienced senior in a room full of younger players. He looked good on Saturday.
• Ja’Shon Williams was a surprise addition as he hadn’t been added to the online roster. He is a 5’8, 160 pound transfer from Palomar College in California. He moves really well and showed some nice hands.
• On Begeman’s long TD run, huge credit goes to Elijah Ervin and Dane Miller for some outstanding blocks to setup his long run.
• Griffin Wilde has filled out and looks visibly stronger. He made some nice plays and is the clear #1 receiver at this point.
• However, the star of the day had to have been R-Fr wide receiver Kentrell Prejean. Last fall when I talked to Coach Jake Megange, he said that SDSU has never really had anything like Kentrell before. I wasn’t sure how to take this at the time given that Kentrell is only 5’8 and 155 pounds. Last fall when I saw him on the field in certain situations I was intrigued. I heard rumblings throughout spring ball that this kid was turning heads and I’m glad he was able to cap it off on Saturday the way that he did. He really looks lightning quick, fast, and he has tremendous hands. I was surprised that he didn’t just line up exclusively in the slot either. I didn’t track it but I’m pretty sure he was the boundary receiver on a number of plays and Wilde was actually in the slot. I’m intrigued.

• Finally, we get to Chase Mason. During his first two years back in Brookings, I kept hearing “He’s been away from football for a long time (injury, baseball, injury) and he needs to keep growing in the playbook.” I think that part is clicking as Chase looked really really good on Saturday when given even a semi-clean pocket. His pass at the end of the first half to Prejean was absolutely beautiful. I admire the patience Chase has shown and the dedication to growing where he needed to grow. I admire the willingness Mark has shown to coach/mentor and how profusive he has been in his praise for Chase. I don’t envy the decision the coaches have to make on how to divvy out snaps. It’s not even about keeping everyone happy but its about finding a balance of doing what’s best for the team now while also building for the future.

Defense

• Early this offseason, I pondered about the defensive line and expressed concern specifically about the defensive end depth. After Saturday’s showing, I don’t think I have those concerns. Yes, they still need to do it in a real game but they looked just fine. Zac Wilson and Levi Vanden Bos are going to be the steady players that they have been. If Randy Keumogne can stay healthy, he will provide quality reps as well. I would also expect Blake Peterson to see the field this fall but he did not play on Saturday.
• However, the stars on the defense were Dason Ripperda and Reis Kirschenman. Ripperda transferred in from Northern Illinois last spring and looked good early last fall before dealing with injuries. He has 3 sacks on Saturday and was just really disruptive. Kirschenman looks like the previous #97 out there. He’s big, has long arms, and holds up really well against the run. He too has upside as a pass rusher. His name was one that Coach Rogers brought up a few times last fall as a freshman standout. It is exciting to see their progression!
• On the interior, Max Baloun and Jarod DePriest got the starts. As I have said before, I think DePriest can be one of the best defensive lineman in the MVFC and Baloun has proven to be a very good rotational piece. However, the young trio of Logan Green, Jace Sifore, and Bryce Hawthorne are going to provide some high quality depth. I think Hawthorne as an interior pass rusher is going to be fun to watch. Aaron Wolfcale-Holsten has been in the rotation the past two seasons but sat out on Saturday and I expect to be another key contributor.
• At linebacker, it’s hard to believe but the Jackrabbits may not miss a beat with the graduation of Stalbird, Freeman, and Williamson. I know how crazy that sounds given how good those three were. However, I think the starting trio of Spalding, Bock, and Mcgaughy are going to be pretty dang good. If Caleb Francl can stay healthy, he will be a bonus. These four have tons of experience too.
• EDIT: Chase Van Tol DID play and Rogers continues to mention him as a player to watch.
• I was really impressed with Bryce Johnson and Cullen McShane. Rogers has called Johnson a “cyborg” in previous conversations and I think it showed on Saturday. He is so big and so fast and made a number of plays that caught my attention. McShane also popped and I believe had a sack or a TFL on a play that he read really well.
• The Jackrabbit cornerback room is loaded. I think there is some question about who will start opposite Dalys Beanum. Steven Arrell, Aydan Dautermann, Jalen B. Lee, and Noah St-Juste all sat out on Saturday so we got a long look at Northern Arizona transfer Colby Humphrey. I really liked what I saw! He has good size and is built right. He moves well too.
• Myles Taylor also picked up where he left off last season and played well. He just looks like such a natural athlete out there.
• One big win that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet is that Abe Hoskins III is finally healthy. His past and current CB coaches have raved about his raw athleticism but he has just been snake bitten by injury in his time at SDSU. I talked to him after the game and he said this is the fist time he has been healthy from beginning of winter workouts until the end of spring ball during his time at SDSU. I thought that was pretty cool for Abe. Hopefully his good health can continue and he can play some meaningful snaps this season!

• I keep saying this about all the defensive groups but the safety group is loaded. From top to bottom, it may be the best. Matt Durrance and Kolten Tilford did not play and will factor into the rotation next year.
• A player that immediately caught my eye in warmups was Trey Ridley. He was an early enrollee and part of the 2024 signing class. He does not look like a true freshman. He is big (6-1, 190) and his movement is really smooth. It seemed only fitting that he ended the game with an INT in the endzone.
• Kudos to Dontay Johnson for protecting his offensive teammate during the game. There was a poorly thrown ball and Dontay had the opportunity to deliver a punishing hit on the intended wide receiver. Dontay held up and protected his teammate. Big time sign of maturity to avoid the friendly fire.
• Cale Reeder and Colby Huerter are sort of the steady Eddies on the backend. I think Durrance, Dontay, and Tucker Large are going to make more of the splash plays and it feels like Cale and Colby are just erasers.
• Noah Thompson also made a number of stops. Again, this room is loaded!

Special Teams

• Hunter said he broke a sweat. We may need to turn down the heat in the SJAC. 🙂

Other News & Notes

There were a few roster departures since the season ended. A vast majority look like seniors who decided not to take the extra Covid year.

• Bo Donald (OL), SR
• Brady Beck (OL), SR
• Noah Atherton (OL), transfer Colorado School of Mines
• Adam Kusler (LB), SR
• Davion Sterner (LB), SR
• Grant Conaway (DL), SR

Go Jacks!

Matt