The quarterback room has few, if any, questions entering the season. The top-3 guys all return to the depth chart along with the reining Walter Payton award winner and 2x FCS title game MVP. The biggest question surrounds the new position coach, Danny Freund who is also the co-offensive coordinator with Ryan Olson. We’ve been lucky enough to have Danny on the podcast and I was able to interview him for this article. Danny comes to SDSU after serving as the OC at UND since 2018. He is really excited to be working with this group and is impressed with the maturity of the group and according to him they are talented, smart, and athletic and it’s obvious to him that SDSU has recruited well at the position.
The position group starts with #11 Mark Gronowski (6-3, 225, SR) who is in his final season at SDSU. Mark was awarded the Walter Payton awarded last January in Frisco the night before the National Championship. It was a season that saw Mark pass for 3,058 yards, 29 TDs, and complete 68% of his passes. He also added 402 rushing yards and 8 more TDs on the ground. Simply put, Mark was that guy! It has been well documented that Mark spurned FBS offers and likely some large NIL offers to return to SDSU for one more season. Mark has given everything he has for the program and has led the team to consecutive national titles. Freund is impressed with the elite leader and person that Mark is. He shared that Mark gained tremendous exposure this summer during the Manning Passing Academy and met with the directors of both the Senior Bowl and the Shrine Bowl. I am grateful Mark decided to return to SDSU. He is one of my favorite all-time players and it sounds like an even better person off the field and in the community.
#7 Chase Mason (6-4, 230, JR) is yet another player that Jackrabbit fans have seen glimpses of but are certainly eager to see more! In limited reps he has passed for 267 yards and 1 TD while completing 62% of his passes and he also rushed for 184 yards (11.5 ypc) and 2 TDs. Chase is a phenomenal athlete and everyone knows it. The State Championship game during his junior season was held in Brookings at Dana J and Chase put on a show. I’m excited for him to do that again repping the yellow and blue. He is finally healthy and comfortable playing with his knee brace. Freund says Chase has made a jump in just the short time that he (Freund) has been in Brookings. He’s become more accurate and consistent as a passer. Freund believes Mason has next level talent.
The number three quarterback is #5 Jon Bell (6-3, 190, JR). Bell has great accuracy and received some reps with the 1’s and 2’s this spring. Freund has seen Bell make a jump as a leader and knows the Jacks would still win games with Bell under center. Bell is not as mobile as Mark or Chase but he still a very good passer from the pocket. Jon did not see much game action last season but may see his snaps increase if Chase also has an expanded role in 2024.
Second year player, #13 Jack Amer (6-3, 215, R-FR) spent a ton of time simply learning the ins and outs of what it means to be a college quarterback in 2023. He has a powerful arm and is working on finding some touch. Freund said he is a hard worker and is another good guy for the room.
The freshmen, #16 Jack Henry (6-3, 200, FR) and #17 Jack Thue (6-2, 190, FR), are two proven winners from southeast South Dakota. They are different types of quarterbacks with Henry being more of a dual threat while Thue is a more polished passer at the moment. Freund believes both have the potential to be very good quarterbacks at SDSU.
The Jacks have enjoyed quite a run of excellent quarterback play and 2024 won’t be any different. This room is loaded with experience and talent and I’m excited to see another year of Mark as the signal caller and the possibility of more opportunities for Chase Mason.
Go Jacks!
Matt
