Wrapping up Spring Ball 2019
Defense:
Christian Rozeboom and Ryan Earith are two of the best defenders returning to the Jackrabbit defense in 2019. The senior duo has started for 3 years and will make it a forth this fall. This spring they were both forced to watch as they recovered from minor off season surgery. In a way, this has been good as it has given younger guys a chance to step-up and and gain valuable reps.
On the defensive line, Xavier Ward has had an outstanding spring. He's being more vocal, physical, and playing with a nastiness that the coaches hadn't seen before. Obviously, Krockett Krolikowski is still recovering from the injury he suffered in the 2018 playoffs but he hopes to return to the lineup early in the season. Caleb Sanders has built off of a strong true freshman season and continues to exhibit the quick twitch off the ball that gave opponents headaches in 2018. Spencer Hildahl and Thomas Stacker are also improving and will provide depth at the defensive tackle spot that the Jacks haven't had in a long time. Ryan Van Marel is also building on a strong fall where he was recognized as the scout defensive player of the year. Obviously, he doesn't have any in game reps, but he will be a factor this season.
At defensive end, one of my personal favorites, Reece Winkelman has had a huge spring. He is playing fast and physical and is putting it all together. The Jacks desperately need someone opposite Earith who can get to the quarterback. Winkelman showed last year that he does a solid job of keeping contain on the outside but I'm excited to see what he can do getting to the passer. Elijah Wilson looks good and will also be in the discussion to start opposite Earith. Tolu Ogunrinde is earning more and more trust and will be a factor as a pass rusher. He is pound for pound one of the strongest guys on the team and that strength and leverage is starting to pay off. Cade Terveer looks like a natural pass rusher and is one of the quickest guys off the ball. Austin Smenda has started opposite Earith for much of the last two years and is solid and consistent against the run.
At linebacker, the current players on roster are getting plenty of reps. Rozeboom has been out and true freshmen Jaden Snyder and Josh Fenske have left the program. The star performer this spring has been Levi Brown. Since he signed at SDSU I have been comparing him to Jackrabbit great Derek Domino and Coach Rogers has told me that he can be even better than Domino. It sounds like Levi is realizing that potential and putting it all together this spring. He's always had the size and speed but the instincts and improved understanding of concepts have led to an increase in play-making. He leads the team this spring with 5 interceptions. Seven Wilson and Logan Backhaus have also had good springs and Logan has taken on more of a leadership role. Seven won't play on Saturday due to an injury but he has looked really good. Levi, Logan, and Seven are all learning both OLB positions so they may be more interchangeable in 2019. Preston Tetzlaff is a Jackrabbit fan favorite because of his tenacity on special teams. That special teams success is starting to translate to more impact on the defensive side of the ball where he is starting to flash more and more. Obviously, he is behind Rozeboom but it is good to know that there is a very talented backup in place should anything happen to Christian. Kinser Madison had a good fall as a true freshman and has looked really good this spring. He has been compared to Dalton Cox for the fact that he is just a grinder and super intelligent. He will have an opportunity to earn a spot on the special teams units this fall.
The safety group will have new starters this season but is off to a solid start. Michael Griffin will be a new face for Jackrabbit fans. Coaches are saying he may be the most talented safety we have seen since Conrad Kjerstad patrolled the back-end of the defense. Griffin is fast, physical, and has a high football IQ. He was one of the top performers in the strength and conditioning winter workout competitions and he will start at the strong safety position. Opposite him are three guys vying to be the free safety. Josh Manchigiah started a few games in 2018 and is really good against the pass. He is still working to improve his physicality in the run game but has grown this spring in that area. Larenzo Williams has made a lot of plays when given the chance and has really improved his body for his senior season. Jarek Berg has had a very good spring and has a good combination of size and speed. Tyler Demartra, a superb athlete, has come a long ways and will work to earn a spot on special teams this fall and may play on passing downs.
The cornerback group is as deep as it has ever been. Ti'Jaih Davis will be a redshirt freshman but has had an outstanding spring. He's long, fast, and has good instincts. Don Gardner, also a special teams dynamo in 2018, has improved his body this winter/spring and has added 10 pounds of muscle. He looks and is playing totally different. Marshon Harris has been held out this spring as he recovers from minor off season surgery but the focus for him is to finish. He puts himself in great position but now needs to make the play. Malik Lofton has improved as an athlete and will compete to be the nickel back as his football instincts are so good. Zy Mosley is just a gritty and gutty guy. He's been good and has played a lot of reps the last two years and made some big plays in 2018. DyShawn Gales, a converted high school QB, is still raw but has improved so much since getting to campus. He will also compete to be a special teams warrior next fall.
Offense:
The big battle that everyone is watching is the quarterbacks. The position is buoyed by a strong ensemble of returning playmakers across the offense. For most of the spring, J'Bore Gibbs and Kurt Walding have ran with the first team. They each have good arms and are mobile. J'Bore can really rifle it in and has completed 75% of his passes this spring. Walding has been in the college huddle for a few more years and his leadership and communication show that. This race will likely be decided in fall camp but right now it is too close to call. Senior Kanin Nelson has done some really good things on the ground rushing the ball and has his moments where his experience in the system flashes. Matt Connors is battling to be the third quarterback so that he gets to travel in 2019. He exhibits leadership, can make some outstanding throws and has great football moxy but still needs to get bigger and stronger.
Luckily, whoever is named the quarterback will be throwing to two of the best returning receivers in the MVFC. Cade Johnson and Adam Anderson are quite a duo at the receiver position. They have again been outstanding again this spring. Cade does a lot of his damage in the slot using his supreme quickness to get open and making it difficult for opponents to tackle after he has the ball. Adam Anderson is a phenomenal route runner who has tremendous hands and will look to build on an excellent junior campaign. Adam has evolved into a leader this year and was recently named a team captain. Jacob Brown is recovering from off-season surgery and hasn't practiced this spring but he brings a toughness and swagger to the group. Jaxon and Jadon Janke are big body and big play wide receivers. They have outstanding potential and will contribute this fall. Deyon Campbell again had a big spring but will sit out Saturday with a minor ding. Deyon could be a weapon in the slot and out of the backfield. He has big play potential every time he touches the ball. Isaiah Hill left the program this spring so there will be opportunities for others to step up. An interesting prospect is Mason Leighton who transferred up from DSU this season. In 2018, he set the DSU receiving yardage record with 1,318 yards last season. He also works in the slot and catches everything.
The tight end group is also VERY deep. Kal Hart is just incredibly steady and does all the dirty work for the group. He showed last year that he can also be a reliable target in the passing game. Blake Kunz flashes with potential and made some "wow" plays in 2018 as a true freshman. One of the stars of the spring has been Zach Heinz. He has freakish size and can run like a wide receiver. Watch for him as a major mismatch in 2019. Caleb Schauf traveled for much of 2018 and is really a reliable type of player with very good hands. Skyler Cavanaugh battled injuries in 2018 but is working hard to earn more reps after serving as a weapon his true freshman season in 2017.
The running back room is an interesting place where three backs who had at least 100 yards in a game return for new coach Jimmy Beal. Pierre Strong was the Hero Sports Freshman of the year and has continued his impressive showing this spring. He has a beautiful ability to make one cut and take it to the house, eerily similar to Zenner. CJ Wilson is electric with the ball in his hands and always gets positive yards. He suffered an injury just as he was starting to breakout in 2018 but has returned at full strength this spring. The old man of the group is Mikey Daniel and we all know we he can do. He wants to hit and punish would be tacklers. He also is athletic enough to make guys miss. Blair Mulholland and Jefferson Lee are also excellent options and have had nice springs rushing the ball. At fullback, Luke Sellers returns as the most devastating lead blocker in the MVFC. He found himself at the top of the leader board for most of the strength and conditioning workouts this winter and plays with great leverage. Mike Morgan was named the 2018 scout offensive player of the year and has a ton of potential.
The offensive line group also brings back some excellent players and depth. Evan Greeneway has had a solid spring and just brings a consistency to the group. The senior was also selected as a captain. Right tackle is a position that I have had a lot of concern about but Aron Johnson has had an outstanding spring and has taken that jump that the coaches are looking for. Right tackle has been a concern of mine with the graduation of the consistent Tyler Weir but the coaches have been raving about Johnson. On the interior, Matt Clark has returned to the team and has brought the physicality and athleticism that Jackrabbit fans may remember from the 2016 season. He will have one year left of eligibility but has the potential to be an All-MVFC type of player. This will be a big summer for him if he can get his conditioning back to football shape. Eagan Lickiss finished the 2018 season on a really strong note and has carried that over into the spring. Jack Domandle has also continued to improve after really coming on at the end of last season. Eddie Miller, Grant Schmidt, Austin Boen, and Mason McCormick will be key pieces on the interior this fall but we won't see them on Saturday as they battle a variety of minor injuries. A name to keep an eye on is Wes Genant. He has had some major off season surgery and is still recovering so he won't be participating in the spring game on Saturday. Garrett Greenfield, Jon Gruetzmacher, and Mason McCormick have had solid springs and continue to develop and have some position flexibility.
Special Teams:
Chase Vinatieri has had a really good spring place kicking and is a huge weapon for the team. Ben Dinkel has stepped in as the punter and done a nice job. He hasn't played in a couple seasons so is still getting used to the timing of everything. Brady Sorenson is back as the long snapper and may be the best in the Valley. I'm guessing we don't see any of the return units on Saturday but I'm very intrigued who they use this year in the those roles.
Should be a fun game on Saturday. With so many key pieces out it will be exciting to see new faces out on the field making plays. As a reminder, the game kicks off Saturday at 5:05pm in the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex.
Go Jacks!
Matt
Thanks so much. Really excited to see these guys tomorrow.
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