BROOKINGS The South Dakota State football team began fall practice on Wednesday morning one month ahead of the 2025 season opener.
Eric Eidsness is making his return as the Jackrabbit offensive coordinator. This will be his third stint as the leader of the offense as he was at SDSU from 1999-2003 and 2010-18. This time he will be on Dan Jacksons staff and is part of a staff and team that has a mix of returners and newcomers.
Eidsness said Wednesday that he could tell there was growth from when the Jackrabbits ended spring practice till now.
I think [Wednesday] was good. We had good energy and the pace of practice was good. We were in sync with a lot of things in terms of line assignments and didnt have any snap count infractions, which is big. I think were definitely way ahead of where we were when we ended spring just with guys coming back from the spring. Retention was really high just in terms of what they needed to do and I thought that with over half the team being new, they did a nice job, Eidsness said.
With four returning starters on offense and a new starting quarterback, the Jacks want to make sure that they form a bond in a short amount of time.
Theres no doubt that developing chemistry and an understanding of culture [is what were focused on leading up to the season]. We talked a lot about the chemistry, but also the belief in the guy next to you because theres a lot of guys that have not played next to each other. Building those [relationships] happens on the football field, it happens in the cafeteria, it happens in meetings, so theres a lot that happens. I think great teams that have played together, there is a chemistry that is special and unique, so our job is to try to speed that process up, Eidsness said.
The player that needs to build chemistry with his teammates the most is quarterback Chase Mason. Mason has not started a game in college and over the past two seasons was used more as a runner. Hes thrown 52 passes in the 19 games hes played for SDSU and he completed 33 of them.
Eidsness noted that Mason has not really played the quarterback position over the past two years and hadnt had to really read a defense since high school. He said that Mason has had a ton of growth in that aspect of the position since the new staff took over at the end of December.
I think big picture wise, hes [developed], Eidsness said. Obviously he played the position in high school, but what he was asked to do [at SDSU the past couple years] in his role was not the whole quarterback position. It was a lot of quarterback run game and limited passes. I think learning the system is one thing, but I think hes now playing the position and has a much better understanding of leadership and a much better understanding of defenses.
I think theres a lot of areas that he has really grown in and just like anybody, theres a lot of areas that he can still grow in. Him going through his progressions and reading a defense, I think hes really grown in that area. Hes worked really hard at the details of the position and will continue to grow, but Ive seen a big change in him and have seen his comfort level really improve.
Both Eidsness and Jackson have had high praise of the receivers on the team. The Jacks return Graham Goering and Lofton OGroske, who were the second and third leading receivers for the Jacks last season. They added Alex Bullock, who was third in receptions at Nebraska last season, and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, who spent three seasons at Nebraska after a year at New Mexico State.
Eidsness said the position group is deep but there hasnt been anyone who has fully stood out yet because theyve only had one practice and some of the receivers missed spring practices.
I think were still figuring things out, Eidsness said. Obviously, Lofton [OGroske] is very talented and hes coming back from last year, but hes still growing and maturing and didnt get to [play] in the spring, so theres growth that needs to occur there. Isaiah [Castaneda-Garcia] did a little bit this spring and showed that he has flashes of big play ability, so were excited about that. Alex Bullock, same thing. He recently got here, he wasnt around in the spring, so were getting an idea of what he can do.
Graham Goering probably has the most experience and played the most this spring and hes been doing some good things. Jack Smith is a guy that grew this spring and I think hes in a much better position than he was coming out of spring ball just because hes in better shape and has a much better understanding of the offense. Some of those guys have surfaced but we still have growth that needs to occur these next couple of weeks.
SDSU had the third-ranked rushing offense in the FCS last season, averaging 236.1 yards per game on the ground. That was not an anomaly as the Jacks have had one of the best rushing attacks in the country over the past decade.
Eidsness believes that will continue to be a trend in 2025 as the offensive line has a lot of talent and is one of the most experienced units on the team.
It doesnt matter what level of football youre at, you win the game in the trenches. It doesnt matter what offense you run, if youre good up front, youll have a chance to execute at a high level. We definitely have a good group up front and I think theres seven guys that could play right now, Eidsness said.
The player that will be doing the running is Fordham transfer Julius Loughridge. Loughridge ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons for the Rams and was named to the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year) Watch List on Tuesday.
Eidsness said no one at SDSU has been able to fully get a grasp on how good Loughridge can be because they havent seen him in pads yet, but they like what they see with his body and maturity.
He just got here this summer and hes really been working. We havent seen him with the pads on yet, but I think the biggest thing is just his downhill physical presence. He has maturity and has shown good leadership in workouts and stuff. I just think that having a guy thats carried the ball a lot at this level and has been very productive is a really good thing. He should be excited with the group thats in front of him and blocking for him, Eidsness said.
SDSU will open the season on Aug. 30 against Sacramento State at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings.
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