First-year head football coach Dan Jackson announced Wednesday the signings of 12 high school standouts who will join the South Dakota State football program this fall.
This class is special to me and our staff because they chose us, Jackson said. I believe this class has the depth, talent, athleticism and toughness to sustain us for the long haul. Im proud of the staff weve put together and all the hard work they put in to pull this class together on a short timeline.
The signees include:
– Corey Blair Jr., 6-3, 200, running back, Kernersville, North Carolina;
– Daniel Bradley, 6-4, 240, defensive lineman, Windermere, Florida;
– Calvin Hughley Jr., 5-9, 190, running back, Opelika, Alabama;
– Reggie Kloehn, 6-1, 270, defensive lineman, Fremont, Wisconsin;
– Casey Larson, 6-2, 205, linebacker, Woodinville, Washington;
– Landyn Lewerke, 6-3, 270, offensive lineman, Mason City, Iowa;
– Preston Otter, 6-3, 200, quarterback, Hemlock, Michigan;
– Andrew Price, 5-11, 200, linebacker, West Des Moines, Iowa;
– Jozef Reisz, 6-3, 220, tight end, Woodbine, Iowa;
– Liam Shaw, 6-3, 240, defensive lineman, Muskego, Wisconsin;
– Luke Womack, 6-4, 205, wide receiver, Happy Valley, Oregon, and
– Josiah Young, 6-3, 170, cornerback, Coon Rapids, Minnesota.
COREY BLAIR JR.
Blair earned all-area and all-state honors after averaging 10.7 yards per carry and scoring 17 touchdowns his senior season at Creekside High School. A candidate to play in the state Shrine Bowl, he totaled nearly 900 all-purpose yards as he rushed for 736 yards and added another 150 yards in receiving. .
DANIEL BRADLEY
Bradley set a single-season sacks record at Windermere Prep High School with 14 during his senior season and was named to the 2024 All-Star Orange Observer First Team as a defensive lineman.He helped lead his team to an undefeated regular season in football and also holds the school track and field record in the discus.
CALVIN HUGHLEY JR.
Hughley earned all-area and all-state honors after rushing for 1,101 yards and 12 touchdowns his senior season at Opelika High School. He has yet to decide on a college major.
REGGIE KLOEHN
Kloehn earned all-state honors and was named a finalist for the Tim Krumrie Award as the top defensive lineman in the state of Wisconsin during a standout high school career at Hortonville High School. He put up nearly identical numbers during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, recording 70 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks as a junior, followed by 71 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 2 sacks his senior campaign.
CASEY LARSON
Larson did a little bit of everything for the Woodinville High School football team, but is projected to play linebacker at the collegiate level. During his career, he saw action at tight end and wide receiver on offense, cornerback and linebacker on defense and also saw extensive playing time on special teams while earning all-King County recognition on both sides of the ball..
LANDYN LEWERKE
Lewerke earned all-district honors after anchoring the offensive line his senior season at Clear Lake High School. He also has excelled in the classroom, receiving academic all-district honors three times, as well as academic all-state recognition in 2024.
LUKE WOMACK
Womack was selected all-league as a wide receiver two times at Lakeridge High School. He completed his senior season in 2023 with 73 receptions for 913 yards with seven touchdowns before opting to sit out the 2024 campaign.
PRESTON OTTER
Otter earned first-team all-state honors and was named Michigan Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2023 after capping a successful high school career at Nouvel Catholic Central High School. Over three seasons, he threw for 4,354 yards and 55 touchdowns against 13 interceptions while receiving all-conference and all-region honors twice.
In 2024, Otter moved on to Phillips Exeter Academy, a prep school in New Hampshire, where he completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,563 yards and 17 touchdowns.
ANDREW PRICE
Price moved up to the all-state first team in 2024 after receiving second-team honors as a junior at Valley High School. As a senior, he registered 78 total tackles and 15 tackles for loss for a squad that reached the state championship game.
JOZEF REISZ
Reisz was a unanimous all-district selection and added first-team all-state honors after a stellar senior season at Harlan High School in which he caught 50 passes for 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns.
LIAM SHAW
Shaw earned first-team all-state recognition at Muskego High School and was selected as the 2024 winner of the Tim Krumrie Award as the top high school defensive lineman in the state of Wisconsin after registering 52 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks during his senior season. For his career, Shaw tallied 99 tackles and 15 sacks.
JOSIAH YOUNG
Young returned four interceptions for touchdowns while earning first-team all-state recognition at Totino-Grace High School. He also was section champion in the high jump and went on to place third at the Minnesota State Track & Field Championships this past spring.
In addition, Jackson announced the following 10 other prep standouts have been accepted for admission to South Dakota State and plan to further their educations and football careers at SDSU in the fall of 2025:
– Theodore Finn Benz, 6-2, 190, safety, St. Paul, Minnesota;
– Krayton Bergstrom, 5-7, 150, kicker/punter, Winona, Minnesota;
– Austin Bradley, 6-0, 155, cornerback, Chandler, Arizona (awaiting paperwork);
– Shane Henderson, 6-6, 215, tight end, Mobridge;
– Justin Kabera, 5-11, 170, cornerback, Harrisburg;
– Joseph Kolega, 5-11, 175, wide receiver, Omaha, Nebraska;
– Joshua Myers, 6-0, 190, running back, Sioux Falls;
– Zac VanMeeteren, 6-6, 215, tight end, Hayti;
– Spencer Wientjes, 6-0, 215, linebacker, Watertown,
– Carter York, 5-11, 185, safety, Sycamore, Illinois.
FINN BENZ
Benz helped lead St. Thomas Academy to back-to-back section championships, including a state runner-up finish in 2023. During his senior season, he was selected as a first-team all-conference after recording 46 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble, while scoring touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams.
KRAYTON BERGSTROM
Bergstrom was a three-year starter at Winona High School and averaged 42.7 yards per punt during his senior season. A two-time Special Teams Player of the Year, he has served as a team captain in football, basketball and track and field, and was a state qualifier and member of the school-record 4×400-meter relay in 2024.
His father, Brian, serves as the defensive coordinator for the Jackrabbits.
AUSTIN BRADLEY
Bradley was honored on all-region and all-state squads in 2024 after registering 63 total tackles (6 for loss), 11 pass breakups and a pair of interceptions for Chandler High School. He also contributed 32 tackles and five pass breakups as a junior.
SHANE HENDERSON
Henderson has been a three-sport standout at Mobridge-Pollock High School, including earning all-conference honors in football after recording 20 receptions for 329 yards on offensive and being credited with 32 tackles on defense during his senior season. In addition, he has been an all-conference selection in basketball and qualified for the state track and field meet each of the last two years.
Hendersons father, Josh, played basketball at SDSU and his mother, Rose (Ebnet), was an All-America volleyball player for the Jackrabbits.
JUSTIN KABERA
Kabera was selected to the Class AAA all-state first team as both a junior and senior at Harrrisburg High School. During the 2023 and 2024 seasons he combined for 80 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 31 pass breakups and 4 interceptions.
JOSEPH KOLEGA
Kolega was honored as the Nebraska Class B Player of the Year in 2024 after posting state records with 82 receptions for 1,634 yards and 20 touchdowns in helping lead Skutt Catholic High School to a state championship. Also named the recipient of the Nebraska Mr. Football Award and a Shrine Bowl invitee, he added six interceptions on defense his senior season.
JOSHUA MYERS
Myers helped pace the rushing attack for a Sioux Falls Lincoln program that won back-to-back Class AAA state championships in 2023 and 2024.
ZAC VAN MEETEREN
Van Meeteren helped lead Hamlin High School to a Class 9AA state title in 2024 and was an all-state selection as a defensive lineman after collecting 40 tackles and 10 sacks. He also was a key contributor on offense for the Chargers and was a starter on a state championship basketball team last spring. In track and field, Van Meeteren won three individual conference titles and later was runner-up in both the 100- and 200-meter dash at the 2024 Class A state meet, while adding a fourth-place showing in the 400 meters.
SPENCER WIENTJES
Wientjes played all over the field for a Watertown High School squad that captured the Class AA state championship this past fall. A first-team all-state selection in both 2023 and 2024, Wientjes racked up 133 total tackles, including 21 tackles for loss and nine sacks during his prep career, while rushing for 965 yards and 16 touchdowns and adding 39 receptions for 473 yards and three touchdowns in the passing game.
CARTER YORK
York excelled on both sides of the ball at Sycamore High School, leading his team in both receiving (41 catches for 683 yards and three touchdowns) and interceptions (5) during his senior season. In addition, he recorded 33 tackles and a forced fumble en route to all-conference recognition for the third year in a row and all-area honors for the second time.
TRANSFERS
Twelve mid-year transfers have joined the South Dakota State football team, head coach Dan Jackson announced Thursday.
I feel great about the people that we brought in equally as much as the player, Jackson said. Ive been really impressed with how these transfers have already fit in with the culture and our previous players in building relationships. Theyre hungry, theyre motivated and theyre trying to prove to the team and the program what they can do. Ive been really excited about the start theyve had.
The transfers include:
– Koby Bretz, 6-2, 205, safety, Omaha, Nebraska (transfer from Nebraska)
– Graham Eben, 6-1, 200, safety/linebacker, Rock Rapids, Iowa (transfer from Iowa)
– Max Elrod, 6-0, 250, defensive lineman, Sioux Falls (transfer from Sioux Falls);
– Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, 6-1, 200, wide receiver, Twentynine Palms, California (transfer from Nebraska);
– Matt Goehring, 6-1, 220, linebacker, Sioux Falls (transfer from Sioux Falls);
– Reese Osgood, 5-11, 185, wide receiver, Franklin, Wisconsin (transfer from Iowa);
– John Pica, 6-4, 280, offensive lineman, Dell Rapids (transfer from Dakota Wesleyan);
– Jackson Powers, 5-11, 185, defensive back, Maple Grove, Minnesota (transfer from Minnesota);
– Brody Targgart, 6-2, 295, defensive lineman, Ankeny, Iowa (transfer from Iowa Western);
– James Tak Tateoka, 6-3, 205, quarterback, Waukesha, Wisconsin(transfer from St. Thomas);
– Jalyn Thompson, 6-2, 255, tight end, West Des Moines, Iowa (transfer from Iowa)
– Nate White, 5-11, 185, running back, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (transfer from Wisconsin).
KOBY BRETZ
Bretz played in 16 games over three seasons at Nebraska and will have one season of eligibility remaining with the Jackrabbits. He was credited with three tackles in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, including one tackle for loss this past season.
Prior to enrolling at Nebraska, Bretz helped lead Omaha Westside High School to a state championship his senior season. A member of the Omaha World Herald All-Nebraska and Lincoln Journal Star Super-State teams, he was a top defender and also the teams leading receiver.
GRAHAM EBEN
Eben (pronounced EE-ben) redshirted at Iowa during the 2024 season and has four years of eligibility remaining. He was a first-team all-state selection at running back as a prep senior in 2023 for Central Lyon/George-Little Rock and tallied 27 solo tackles and three interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.
With Eben in the lineup, Central Lyon/GLR won an Iowa Class 2A state title his junior season and was state runner-up as a senior in 2023.
MAX ELROD
Elrod redshirted during the 2024 season at the University of Sioux Falls to begin his collegiate career and will have four years of eligibility remaining. He played prep football at Harrisburg High School, where he was an honorable mention selection to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 his senior season.
ISAIAH GARCIA-CASTANEDA
Garcia Castaneda led Nebraska this past season with 11 punt returns for 60 yards while adding depth in the passing game with six receptions for 130 yards over three seasons (2022-24). He was granted a final year of eligibility with the Jackrabbits after having his 2023 campaign limited to one game due to injury.
He began his collegiate career at Saddleback College (Calif.), where he caught 56 passes for 953 yards and 13 touchdowns, then moved on to New Mexico State. In two seasons with the Aggies, Garcia-Castaneda recorded 42 receptions for 639 yards and four touchdowns over 12 games.
MATT GOEHRING
Goehring (pronounced GARE-ing) earned second-team all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference recognition each of the last two seasons at the University of Sioux Falls. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at SDSU.
During the 2024 season, Goehring led USF with four interceptions and ranked second on the team with 59 tackles. An exercise science/pre-chiropractic major, he was honored academically on both the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence and the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
REESE OSGOOD
Osgood was a member of the football team at Iowa for three seasons (2022-24), earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. At the prep level, Osgood was an honorable mention all-state selection after catching 58 passes for 1,082 yards and 13 touchdowns for the highly successful Franklin High School program that won a Division 1 state championship in 2021.
JOHN PICA
Pica (pronounced PEEK-ah) earned all-Great Plains Athletic Conference honors each of the past two seasons at Dakota Wesleyan, including first-team recognition in 2024. He played his high school football at Dell Rapids St. Mary, where he helped lead the Cardinals to a Class 9B state championship his senior season and was a two-time all-state selection.
JACKSON POWERS
Powers spent his first two collegiate seasons at Minnesota and will have three years of eligibility remaining. In high school, Powers excelled at Maple Grove High School and helped lead his team to the Minnesota Class 6A state championship in 2022 after registering 48 tackles, four interceptions and seven pass breakups.
BRODY TARGGART
Targgart played two seasons at the junior college for the highly successful Iowa Western football team and recorded 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks in a combined 14 games. He played high school football at Ankeny Centennial High School, where he was a two-time all-district honoree.
TAK TATEOKA
Tateoka (pronounced TACK TAT-ee-oh-kah) shared starting quarterback duties each of the past two seasons at St. Thomas (Minn.), passing for 1,884 yards and 15 touchdowns in 18 games while being included on the Jerry Rice Award Watch List for the top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision during his freshman season in 2023.
JALYN THOMPSON
Thompson arrives at South Dakota State after spending two seasons at Iowa. In high school, Thompson lettered three times in football at Dowling Catholic High School and also anchored a state-champion 4×100-meter relay team. He caught 22 passes for 305 yards his senior campaign.
NATE WHITE
White spent two seasons at Wisconsin, splitting time on the practice field at running back and wide receiver. He was one of the top prep recruits in the state of Wisconsin in 2022 after rushing for 1,345 yards and 26 touchdowns. During his junior season at Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, White earned conference offensive player of the year honors as a quarterback, rushing for 1,163 yards and 22 touchdowns.
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