Two-time defending national champion South Dakota State loaded up on in-state and regional football talent as head coach Jimmy Rogers announced Wednesday the signings of 19 high school standouts.
2025 SDSU football recruiting class
Tyrone Cotton III, 6-1, 170, cornerback, Chicago, Illinois (Glenbrook South H.S.)
Landon Dulaney, 6-2, 190, wide receiver, Brandon, South Dakota (Brandon Valley H.S.)
Thomas Dwyer, 6-6, 285, offensive lineman, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (Lakeside Lutheran H.S.)
Owen Eshelman, 6-3, 195, quarterback, Norman, Oklahoma (Norman North H.S.)
Donovan Fitzmaurice, 6-3, 280, defensive lineman, Ellisville, Missouri (Marquette H.S.)
Myles Green, 6-0, 180, cornerback, Homewood, Illinois (Homewood-Flossmoor H.S.)
Micah Hach, 6-4, 285, offensive lineman, Watertown, South Dakota (Watertown H.S.)
Isaiah Hung, 6-2, 220, linebacker, Liberty, Missouri (Liberty H.S.)
Brody Miller, 6-1, 175, safety, Shakopee, Minnesota (Shakopee H.S.)
Carter Pabst, 6-1, 185, wide receiver, Wichita, Kansas (Eisenhower H.S.)
Travon Pankey, 6-0, 200, running back, Kansas City, Missouri (Oak Park H.S.);
Damarius Russell, 5-11, 175, safety, Waseca, Minnesota (Waseca H.S.)
Sullivan Schlimgen, 6-1, 220, linebacker, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (OGorman H.S.)
Lincoln Semchenko, 6-5, 295, offensive lineman, Brandon, South Dakota (Sioux Falls Christian H.S.)
Trillion Sorrell, 6-1, 165, cornerback, Bloomington, Minnesota (Edina H.S.)
Connor Sullivan, 6-4, 265, defensive lineman, Glenview, Illinois (Loyola Academy)
J.B. Walters, 6-4, 275, offensive lineman, Grand Forks, North Dakota (Red River H.S.)
Joshua Wedel, 6-5, 245, defensive lineman, Chaska, Minnesota (Chaska H.S.)
Erimus Wright, 6-0, 180, defensive back, Hazel Crest, Illinois (Hillcrest H.S.)
Tyrone Cotton III
Cotton was selected as team most valuable player during the 2024 football season and earned his second all-conference award. He also has been a two-time all-league performer in track and field and has been a state qualifier.
Coach Rogers comments: Tyrone is a long and rangy lockdown cornerback who will impact our team right away. We cannot wait to get him on campus and develop him into one of the best cornerbacks in the country.
Landon Dulaney
Dulaney earned first-team all-state honors and was a member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 each of the past two seasons at Brandon Valley High School. He caught 42 passes for 893 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, then surpassed those totals with a senior campaign that included 82 receptions for 1,025 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Coach Rogers comments: We couldnt be more excited to add Landon to our football family. He is one of the fastest players in the state of South Dakota. He also is a natural pass catcher and has great speed and length to make a difference in our offense.
Thomas Dwyer
Dwyer earned all-conference honors three times as an offensive lineman for Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, including receiving first-team accolades as a junior.
Coach Rogers comments: Thomas is a big, physical kid who plays with a great motor and physicality. His size and strength fit exactly what we are looking for. Thomas will make an impact on our line.
Owen Eshelman
Eshelman accounted for 6,666 yards of total offense and 79 touchdowns over his two seasons as the starting quarterback at Norman North High School. As a junior in 2023, he passed for 2,279 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 568 yards and seven touchdowns. He surpassed those totals this past fall by throwing for 2,507 yards and 29 touchdowns and adding 1,312 yards and 19 scores on the ground en route to all-conference honors.
A three-year starter, he first cracked the lineup as a sophomore by playing primarily on the defensive side of the ball as a safety, recording 76 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
Coach Rogers comments: Owen is a great student, leader and person. He will be an asset as a future leader on this team and has unbelievable playmaking ability to lead us to a title.
Donovan Fitzmaurice
Fitzmaurice received all-state recognition during both his junior and senior seasons at Marquette High School. During the recently completed 2024 season, he registered 60 total tackles (35 solo), including 21 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. He also blocked nine kicks and forced and recovered a pair of fumbles.
Coach Rogers comments: Donovan is a violent defensive lineman who has great power, speed and bend to impact our defense immediately.
Myles Green
Green earned conference player of the year awards as both a defensive back and wide receiver during his prep career in the Chicago metro area. He tallied 42 receptions for more than 900 yards in earning offensive accolades as a junior. During his senior season at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, he registered 48 total tackles (23 solo), intercepted four passes and broke up five more pass attempts. He also recorded six interceptions in 2023.
Coach Rogers comments: Myles is an early enrollee who will impact our defensive back group. He is a dynamic playmaker with great instincts and ball skills. He will be a great addition to the program.
Micah Hach
Hach has been a dominant performer both on the football field and the wrestling mat during a standout prep career at Watertown High School. He earned all-state honors in football each of the past two seasons, averaging 40 tackles per season while helping lead the Arrows to a Class AA state title in 2024.
Coach Rogers comments: Micah is an explosive two-sport athlete. He has extraordinary potential and gifts to be a special player here at SDSU. The sky is the limit for Micah.
Isaiah Hung
Hung notched more than 100 tackles on his way to earning conference defensive player of the year honors in 2024. He totals also included 22.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 4 blocked kicks.
Coach Rogers comments: Isaiah will be an early enrollee and has a ton of upside to impact our football program right away. He is a natural pass rusher and a physical football player.
Brody Miller
Miller was an all-state performer in both football and track at Shakopee High School during the 2024 calendar year. He also repeated on the all-district football team this fall and was selected to play for the South team in the Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game.
Coach Rogers comments: Brody is a long and physical player who is a great addition to our secondary. He is a natural tackler who plays with feel and a chip on his shoulder.
Carter Pabst
A prolific pass catcher at Eisenhower High School, Pabst earned four varsity letters. He closed his prep career by earning first-team all-state honors after tallying 75 receptions for 1,641 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Coach Rogers comments: Carter is the all-time leader for receiving touchdowns in the state of Kansas. He is an explosive playmaker who is ready to come in and make an immediate impact in our offense.
Travon Pankey
Pankey rushed for 4,828 yards and 58 touchdowns during his prep career at Oak Park High School, averaging 134.1 yards per game over four seasons. He was selected to the all-district first team each of the last three seasons and was a first-team all-state pick in 2023.
Coach Rogers comments: Travon is a physical and explosive back who has the ability to both make you miss and run through you. He is a natural playmaker.
Damarius Russell
Russell excelled in all three phases of the game at Waseca High School, earning conference awards as special teams player of the year (2022), receiver of the year (2023) and player of the year (2024). He closed out his prep career with 110 receptions, 1,800 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball, while tallying 100 tackles and 11 interceptions on defense.
An all-state selection in 2024, Russell has been selected to play in the Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game.
Coach Rogers comments: Damarius is one of the most instinctual players in the class. He has extraordinary ball skills and playmaking ability. His suddenness and speed will make an impact in our secondary.
Sullivan Schlimgen
Schlimgen has been a four-sport standout while attending OGorman High School in Sioux Falls. On the football field, he totaled 247 tackles on defense and racked up more than 2,500 offensive yards with 29 touchdowns over three seasons and was a two-time first-team all-state selection for the Knights.
Coach Rogers comments: Sullivan is a very smart and explosive playmaker. He has the self-discipline, toughness and work ethic to be the next great linebacker at SDSU.
Lincoln Semchenko
Semchenko earned all-state recognition and was a member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 as both a junior and senior for Sioux Falls Christian High School.
Coach Rogers comments: Lincoln is a big, physical kid who loves football. He will put in the work that it takes to be great, and we cant wait to watch him flourish at SDSU.
Trillion Sorrell
Sorrell was a first-team all-state selection after seeing action as a two-way player for Edina High School in 2024. As a wide receiver, he caught 30 passes for 500 yards with seven touchdowns, adding 25 tackles and five pass breakups on the defensive side. He also earned a roster spot for the Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game.
Coach Rogers comments: Trillion brings a ton of athleticism and fire to the secondary. We love the competitiveness and edge that he plays the position with. Trillion will be ready to compete right away.
Connor Sullivan
Sullivan put together an impressive junior season at Loyola Academy in which he registered 54 total tackles with 12 tackles for loss and 5 sacks, but missed his senior campaign in 2024 due to injury. Despite being sidelined, he served as a team captain this past fall.
Coach Rogers comments: Connor comes from a high school powerhouse. He is an extremely physical and tough kid who plays with a motor and chip on his shoulder. We cannot wait to work with him.
J.B. Walters
Walters earned all-conference honors twice and was a first-team all-state selection in 2024 for state runner-up Red River High School. In addition to playing on offense, he recorded 24 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss as a defensive lineman. He also served as a team captain for two seasons.
Coach Rogers comments: J.B. is an intelligent football player who is physical and loves to compete. He will fit right in with the 605 Hogs.
Joshua Wedel
Wedel received all-conference accolades as both a junior and senior for Chaska High School. A team captain in 2024, he has received an invitation to play for the South squad in the Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game.
Coach Rogers comments: Josh is a long defensive lineman who plays with great bend and instincts. He is extremely explosive. Joshs agility and twitch will make him an unbelievable player.
Erimus Wright
Wright earned conference player of the year honors at Hillcrest High School and was a first-team all-state selection in 2024 after recording 50 tackles and scoring 20 touchdowns on offense.
Coach Rogers comments: Erimus is an explosive football player who plays with great speed and physicality. He also has great instincts and feel for the game. There is no question that Erimus will be a game changer.
Leave a Reply