Who's Next?

The Jackrabbits stand at 13 verbal commitments  (11 known). The class is full of athletes but there are still positions where the Jacks will look to add a player or two. Here are a few players at each position that I am watching because of their performance at Prospect Camp or their film that I watched on hudl. Some of these athletes have announced they hold offers while others have not.  I belive these prospects would cap-off an outstanding 2018 class.

Quarterback: This is a position that the Jacks look to add a player every year.  They brought in some big names to both prospect camps and it was a mixed bag of results.  The Jacks currently have an offer out to Walker Kinney from Stillwell, Kansas.  Walker's highlights are filled with beautiful touch passes, good pocket awareness, and good accuracy on his deep throws.  He would certainly be a good addition to the quarterback room.

Offensive Line: The Jacks already have two offensive linemen (Alex Westendorf and Evan Beerntsen) in this class but I would like to see a few more join the group.  Bo Donald from Kimball, South Dakota had an outstanding prospect camp on the 21st.  Bo stands 6'6 and weighs 300 pounds.  He plays 9 man football and just destroys opposing linemen.  After receiving an offer from SDSU he also received an offer from NDSU.  Closing the border and keeping the best in state is always key.   

Running Back:  This seems to be a position where depth is essential because of the physical pounding these guys take.  The Jacks have had great play from this position for the last 20 years.  I think there are two players who potentially fit what SDSU does best.  Those players are Evan Hull and Luke Skokna.  They are two players with similar builds.  Hull is 5'11, 185 and is from the home of Jake Wieneke, Maple Grove.  Hull is shifty and elusive as a runner and holds offers from most MVFC schools.  Skokna is from Hinsdale, Illinois and is 5'9, 174. Skokna wins with breakaway speed and he currently holds offers from a number of FCS schools.  Either of these backs would be capable of carrying on a strong running back tradition at SDSU.         

Tight End: The Jacks already have their tight end for this class (Tucker Kraft) and I would be surprised if they took another given the success they have had in the last two classes landing primary targets. 

Wide Receiver:  The Jacks already did their job and kept the number one receiver home (Canyon Bauer).  However, it wouldn't hurt to add one more.  I like Logan Wolf, Shawn Daffin, and Peter Udoibok as potential targets.  These three receivers all possess the height that Jackrabbit fans love to see (all above 6'3) and would compliment the speedy Bauer well.  Wolf is from Cedar Falls, Iowa and has great hands and is also a great punt returner.  Daffin is from Daytona Beach, Florida and is incredibly physical making contested catches and laying blocks downfield.  Udoibok is from the Twin Cities and runs good routes and is tough to bring to the ground.  It's unlikely that the Jacks have room from more than one of these guys so it will be interesting to see who jumps in the boat first.    

Defensive Tackle: A big man in the middle is key in the MVFC.  The two players in this class that have my attention are Jarod Depriest and Anthoine Cooper.  These are both some big bad dudes.  Depriest is 6'5, 275 and Cooper is 6'2, 270.  They clog the middle and have the dual ability to collapse the pocket.  Depriest is from Illinois and Cooper from Arizona.  Either player would join a talented room of big bad men.  The Jacks were the first team to offer on both of these plays who have now accumulated multiple offers so it will be interesting to see.        

Defensive End: The Jacks expect their defensive ends to get to the quarterback while holding up against the run.  It is imperative to do both as the MVFC is still a league that is built around powerful offensive lines.  The Jacks already have the standout from Kansas (Quinton Hicks) but it wouldn't hurt to add one more player given that the Jacks will be graduating their top 3 defensive ends in the next two years.  There are 5 names that standout to me and I would like to see one of these guys in a Jackrabbit uniform.  Caden Johnson, Daniel To'oto'o, Tariq Jordan, Chris Reames and Jacob Herbek all fit the mold and would be difference makers.  These guys possess that awesome combination of size, speed, and power.  They can all set the edge, defeat a blocker, or get home to the quarterback.  Any of these guys would look great in Brookings.

Linebacker: The Jacks have had their eye on Scott Valentas for awhile because of his tremendous athleticism.  Unfortunately he's been racking up the interest from his home state schools of Kansas and Kansas State.  If he were to fall through the cracks, Brookings would be a great destination to land.

Cornerback: SDSU has built up a wonderful stable of athletic cornerbacks.  However, this is another position where you can never have enough depth and talent.  The player who's tape I have really enjoyed watching is Samuel Fort.  His highlights show an exceptional athlete.  As a running back he is electric but as a cornerback he is a lock-down defender who was recognized as an All-State performer.  Diamond Evans is another player that I really like.  He is physical, fast, and has awesome ball skills.  He certainly plays bigger than his height (5'9) and is explosive as a kick returner and wide receiver.  Jermari Harris is a big corner (6'1) and runs a 4.5 40.  He is from Illinois and is part of the elite Midwest Boom program.  His highlights are fun to watch as he flashes all over the field.  Kanyon Walker is a big time athlete from Florida.  He plays all over the field and shows a knack for making the splashy play. Jaylon Williamson was recently on campus and also visited USD.  He is from Missouri and is strong and physical.  Jordan Gandy was a stand out at the June 21st Prospect Camp.  He is physical but also has really good instincts.  Knowing that the MVFC is always full of good receivers I'd love to add all of these guys.  I'm guessing that there is only room for a couple though.

Safety:  SDSU already has solid depth at safety and I'd be surprised if they added anyone in this class.

We'll see how the next few weeks shake out as scholarship spots get gobbled up.  This is what makes recruiting fun; its all about timing, fit and a weird game of musical chairs.

Go Jacks!
Matt