The Jackrabbits are back at it, starting spring ball this week. Obviously, there are significant changes to the coaching staff. This spring is just as important for them as it is for the players. The Jacks return so many players off of their two deep and only are really looking to replace a handful of players from it. Last year, my questions were

1. Who would be the starting center?

2. How would the Jacks replace Logan Backhuas’s production?

3. Could the secondary take a step forward after an up and down 2021 season?

I don’t know if these questions were fully answered in spring ball but I think we had clear answers to all these questions by the end of the 2022 season. Below are the four questions that I’m looking at as spring ball kicks off.

1. Who replaces Malik Lofton?
2. Who steps up on the #ChainGang
3. How do the Jacks replace Tucker Kraft?
4. How will snaps be distributed at linebacker?
5. QB Depth Chart

The replacements for Malik

Malik Lofton turned out to have a very good career for the Jackrabbits. At times, it was up and down but his senior year was terrific and throughout his career it felt like he routinely made plays in big moments. I don’t know if I or other Jackrabbit fans appreciated his career enough. Adding to this question is that the Jackrabbits have a new cornerback coach in Mike Banks. Banks played and coached at Illinois State which year in and year out has one of the toughest secondary’s in the MVFC. I’m excited to see how Banks coaches this group and further unlocks their potential.

I fully expect #5 DyShawn Gales to retain his spot as one of the starting corners. I actually think he has All-American potential this fall. Opposite DyShawn is where the real question lies, #7 Dalys Beanum has been a turnover machine in his three years in Brookings. He is an absolute playmaker but it is the snap to snap consistency that must grow. #26 Steven Arrell is recognizable because he is physically imposing and is one of the biggest corners you will see. He has learned to use those physical tools but again it is the snap to snap consistency. Beanum and Arrell are the two leading candidates to grab that job opposite Gales. Both have played plenty of snaps and they will both have a prominent role in this defense.

#17 Abe Hoskins, #13 Aydan Dautermann, #15 Tim Croskey, #20 Myles Taylor, and #31 Jalen Lee are all returning. Coach Erickson, the former CB coach, said Hoskins had the best spring of anybody in the room last year but he was injured over the summer and missed the entire fall season. Can he return to form and compete for snaps? Dautermann looked solid as a special teams contributor in 2022 and he experienced the ups and downs of playing the boundary in live action on a few occasions. I’m looking forward to Aydan making a big jump this spring. Jalen Lee is intriguing because of his background playing corner in high school and during 7 vs. 7. Lee, Croskey, and Taylor are light on college experience but all have plenty of athleticism to compete. Lee looks like he is ready to play after redshirting last fall. Cody Cotton, an Upper Iowa transfer, is intriguing because of how dominant he looked at the D2 level as a true freshman.

The #ChainGang Reloads

The Jackrabbits also have a new defensive line coach in Jalon Bibbs and it appears that Kelen Soulek is also joining the staff as a defensive quality control coach. The Jackrabbits lose two of the best to ever do it in Reece Winkelman and Caleb Sanders. The leadership and the production of losing those two would be a scary loss for most programs. However, the Jacks defensive line depth chart is far from empty. At defensive tackle #52 Jarod Depriest, #98 Ryan Van Marel, #92 Brian Williams, #93 Max Baloun, and #55 Aaron Wolfcale-Holsten have all played plenty of snaps. Baloun and Wolfcale-Holsten in particular were huge surprises in 2022. At defensive end, #94 Cade Terveer and #48 Quinton Hicks have plenty of experience while #53 Caden Johnson, #90 Randy Keumogne, and #95 Zac Wilson have all played various roles over the past few seasons. Johnson is a player that plays with a high motor, Keumogne is an athletic freak, and Wilson really stepped up in 2022. Obviously, the addition of Blake Peterson from Iowa State also bolsters this group. He is a bit of an unknown because of the change in scheme but going from a 3-4 to a 4-3 should unlock his pass rushing ability.

The big question for this group is who will make the impact plays? When the Jacks needed a pressure, a sack, a strip, a batted pass, etc… it was Sanders and Winkelman who provided it. Who does that for the Jacks this year? This group has plenty of guys who have played VERY meaningful snaps but who now takes the next step and becomes a true disruptor?

How do the Jacks replace Tucker Kraft?

It seems like every year we ask how do we replace “so and so?” Every year the Jackrabbits manage to do it. The Jacks got a taste of life without Tucker in the 2022 season but when he was on the field the difference was noticeable because of the attention he drew from opposing defenses. I believe #87 Zach Heins can do more. He finished 2022 with 29 receptions for 347 yards and 4 TDs. I think he could have an even bigger season in 2023. #34 Mike Morgan will likely take many of Tucker’s snaps. He ended the season with 7 receptions for 82 yards and 2 TD. His catch and run in the National Championship game was awesome. Morgan has been called “The Swiss Army Knife” by me and others for years. Now I believe that it is his chance to shine in this offense. #44 Kevin Brenner will take over the H-Back role now that he has fully transitioned from DE. Brenner has been known as a special teams ace the past two years but last fall he really showed up as a powerful blocker. I’m excited to see his continued growth in this role!

The Jacks have three young tight ends who received rave reviews last fall. #83 David Alpers, #88 Greyton Gannon, and #89 Brody Gormley all have been called “special” by folks close to the program. All three are a bit different in type and what they will be asked to do in this offense. What these guys do this spring and over the summer will go a long ways in determining who will have a travel spot and a role in this offense next season.

How does the Linebacker room sort out?

The Jackrabbits have 7 senior linebackers listed on the roster. Some of these guys will have another season of eligibility due to the COVID year but all could be done after this year too. All have started at times throughout their career. The group is led by #32 Adam Bock (76 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FF) who will likely appear on most Pre-Season All-American lists. He missed a chunk of the fall season with a leg injury but returned in time to really make a different in the playoffs. #2 Isaiah Stalbird (55 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 4 passes defended) has started for the past two seasons and is one of the fastest linebackers the Jacks have had. His ability to move between safety and linebacker, and play both at a very high level, give Coach Bobbit a true weapon for his defense. #11 Jason Freeman (84 tackles, 7 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 INT) transferred up from the NAIA level and made so many big plays throughout the season that it is hard to see him not starting this fall. #29 Graham Spalding (39 tackles, 2 TFL) has played a lot of football for the Jackrabbits. He is not the most athletic but he just continues making plays. He plays very physically and is another weapon on special teams. #6 Saiveon Williamson (37 tackles, 1 QBH) stepped in for Bock last fall (along with Payton Shafer) and really showed out. Williamson is a fan favorite just because of his perseverance and his performance once he got his chance. #0 Daeton Mcgaughy (25 tackles, 1 INT) really looked good when filling in for Stalbird in the middle of the season. He’s another player who has put the time in and it showed with how ready he was. Daeton’s speed, athleticism, and instincts are unique. The final “senior” is #9 Caleb Fancl (3 tackles, 1 INT, 2 Passes defended, 1 QBH). Unfortunately we only got to see Francl for 1 half of football in 2022. He looked terrific in that half against Iowa and he was the starter in that game. I think Francl could actually have a medical redshirt and a COVID year yet so we could see him for three more seasons. Whew… what a list!

The Jackrabbits also have special teams stalwarts #40 Aaron Kusler, #42 Davion Sterner, and #43 Adam Kusler as depth at the position. The group of redshirt freshman linebackers is also really exciting and I’ve been told that they all look like they will contribute at some point in their Jackrabbit career. With Rogers now serving as the head coach and Coach Bobbit moving down from safeties coach, I’m curious to see how this group changes; if at all.

All of this to say that the linebacker group is loaded. I’m not sure if any team has had 7 guys returning with starting experience. As we have seen, year in and year out, this group tends to get banged up due to the duties of their job. It’s nice to have that experienced depth and I’m excited to see how Bobbit utilizes it.

How does the QB depth chart shakeout?

#11 Mark Gronowski is the undisputed QB1 for the Jackrabbits. After that however, are lots of questions. Both Rudy Voss and Keaton Heide, the primary backup QBs, retired from football this offseason. Leaving a chasm of experience between Mark and the other quarterbacks in the room. #7 Chase Mason transferred from Nebraska and was set to go through spring ball 2022 but hurt his knee right before it started. Chase is an incredible athlete. Videos of his dunks have circulated on Twitter and they are very impressive. His 9-man championship game in Dana J was simply electric. He went to UNL to play baseball but discovered football is what he was truly passionate about. He’s an unknown commodity at this point but his size, speed, and athleticism combination sure is enticing. #16 Jon Bell has steadily improved during his time in Brookings. Coach Lujan has shared previously that Jon has a very strong arm. We have yet to see it in a live game but he did look impressive in the 2022 spring game. #17 Jeff Becker is a fun dual threat QB who is still just a freshman. In post-game interviews, SDSU defensive players raved about the quality of looks he provided on the scout team when replicating the dual threat QBs of the MVFC. Can Jeff build off of that scout team success and earn the number two or three spot? Finally, Kaden Brown. He’s not participating in spring ball but Brown, the incoming freshman quarterback, sure is intriguing as well. His production and accomplishments while playing at a very high level in Texas are unparalleled for a Jackrabbit recruit.

This is what is on my mind. If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

Go Jacks!

Matt