BROOKINGS With the season opener at Oklahoma State less than a month away, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits have already begun their quest for a third straight national championship.
The Jackrabbits journey begins this month as the team has reported for fall camp. One week into practice, several developments have stood out on offense where SDSU will have seven new starters coming into this season.
After attending practice on Tuesday, five things stood out on the offensive side of the ball as SDSU is one week into camp.
1. New ‘Hogs’ fitting in along the offensive line
It wouldnt be right to talk about SDSU football without mentioning the offensive line and this years team will feature a new group of 605 Hogs.
Brookings native and Rimington Award winner Gus Miller returns at center and Even Beernsten will be at right guard, but with Mason McCormick, Garret Greenfield and John OBrian departing, three spots are up for grabs this fall.
Quinten Christensen and Sam Hagen worked at the left and right tackle spots for the first team on Tuesday and both have had to acclimate to their new roles. For Hagen, thats meant getting used to a new team after transferring from North Dakota last spring but Miller believes hes had a smooth transition so far.
Hes a new guy coming in here, but right away, we felt like he was already part of the 605 Hogs and fit in perfectly, Miller said. We had that first camp meeting and he fit in. We were making jokes with each other. He was laughing and telling jokes to us and we were laughing. So right then and there, we felt like we had a good start to a good brotherhood and we feel like we have a good chemistry coming along.
For Christensen, it means a switch to the left side to accommodate Hagen. While Christensen spent spring practices working on the right side, hes embraced the role and is working toward being a part of the starting lineup.
He didnt complain about ithe knew what it meant to the team, Miller said of Christensen. Hes definitely a team-first kind of guy, so hes been working hard at that left position.
Senior Ethan Vibert has also slotted in at left guard for the Jacks but there is also plenty of competition behind the starters. Oklahoma transfer tackle Marcus Hicks has resumed practicing after an injury during spring practice and fellow offensive lineman William Paepke was one name co-offensive coordinator Ryan Olson mentioned when asked about the offensive line.
Were working to build depth here with some of the guys that are in the second or third year in the program, Olson said. I think even Vibert is a guy who has just carried on in the spring and just continuing to improve on a daily basis. Ive been really pleased with his performance so far.
2. SDSUs explosive weapons stand out
If there was one takeaway from Tuesdays practice, its that the Jackrabbits have plenty of firepower heading into this season.
There are some names SDSU fans already know such as quarterback Mark Gronowski, running back Amar Johnson and wide receiver Griffin Wilde. Even running back Angel Johnson, who SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers proclaimed breaks a 60-yard run every time he touches the ball during media day, should add some gas to the attack. But it might be the Jacks secondary weapons that push this offense over the top.
The explosiveness was on display at receiver when Grahm Goering reached up and had a 20-yard reception from Gronowski early in the day and 5-foot-8 slot receiver Kentrell Prejean also showed his explosiveness on a 40-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown later in practice.
I think a lot of the same guys that we talked about at the end of the spring really started to blossom, Olson said. That trend has continued.
Olson also noted running back Kirby Vorhees, who ripped a long run up the sideline on one of the final plays in practice, has also had a strong camp.
Hes just picking up where he left off and showing his value on how versatile he is as a football player, Olson said of Voorhees. He can do a lot of different things from the running back position.
3. Tight ends continue to impress
While the offensive line and team speed stood out, the tight end group may be just as important for the Jacks. After being anchored by Tucker Kraft and Zach Heins each of the past two years, SDSUs tight end group has reloaded heading into this season.
But that doesnt mean the group hasnt impressed during camp. Davin Stoffel and Brody Gormley have stood out while Kevin Brenner and David Alpers both returned to the field after recently being cleared from injury.
I think that whole tight end group has been really impressive, Olson said. Kevin is an older guy but the rest of these guys are all really young. Having them out running around has been really, really exciting four our offensively and who we want to be and thats definitely been a highlight.
4. Chase Mason continues to develop as QB2
Gronowskis decision to return to SDSU this season was met with open arms but it also meant that Mason would have to wait another year to get his chance as a starter.
Gronowskis status as the starter isnt in question as he had several textbook passes throughout Tuesdays practice but Mason has continued to progress and should be ready if the opportunity presents itself.
I just think Chase has continued to grow and solidify that hes going to be a really good quarterback, Olson said. His continues to grow within the offense and his command seems to increase every time we come out.
5. Olson, Freund settle in as co-offensive coordinators
Of course, SDSUs changes arent just on the field. After Zach Lujan took the offensive coordinator job at Northwestern last offseason, Olson and Danny Freund, who spent the last 13 seasons at North Dakota have been tabbed to lead the Jacks this season.
Olson and Freund connected early over the fact that both are from Wisconsin and Olson recalled that Freund was one of the first people he met when he got into coaching 12-to-15 years ago.
Its kind of cool to see it come full circle and get to work together, Olson said. Obviously, he did just a hell of a job at UND for the last several years and hes brought some great things to our offense. Hes just a great guy to work with and one of the best people I think Ive been around in college football as far as a great co-worker and sharp football coach.
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