Jackrabbit Illustrated

The Jacks took on an ascending Golden Gopher squad Thursday night.  This writer entered the stadium with confidence but plenty of questions.  Many of those questions were answered but I left with a feeling of what could have been.  There is PLENTY to be happy about and this game has to give even the most pesimistic Jack's fan optimism for this season.  The night was a picture perfect night for football and the view of the game, even from the cheap seats, was really good.  I was able to go back and rewatch the game Friday afternoon and catch some of the details I missed at the game.  Rave: Manchigiah's interception in the first quarter was about as good as you will see.  He read the play perfectly, sunk in to help on the run but maintained his position to make a play in the passing game.  Morgan (UM QB) threw it right to him and Josh showed great hands to catch the heater. Rave: Aron Johnson had a PHENOMINAL game at right tackle.  Cart...

The Golden Gophers are coming off of a 7-6 season that saw them finally beat Wisconsin and win a bowl game.  PJ Fleck is in his third year leading the squad and has a roster full of his guys after inheriting a roster that was pretty barren of talent following the 2016 season.  Last year the Gopher offense averaged 28.92 ppg and moved the ball to the tune of 379.6 ypg (170.8 rushing and 208.77 passing).  Minnesota brings back a number of key contributors on both sides of the ball and will be looking to build off of an improved 2018. Offense #2 Tanner Morgan (6-2, 215) is back at quarterback for his sophomore season after starting the last seven games of the 2018 season.  While not spectacular, he provided a level of consistency that the Gophers have lacked for a number of years at the quarterback position.  Morgan finished the year with 1401 yards passing along with 9 TD and 6 INT.  He is not much of a threat to run the ball and is definetely more ...

The Jackrabbit defense brings back a lot of experience in the front seven but has three new starters in the secondary.  This means that there is a fair amount of opportunity for new guys to step in and make a difference.  Below I've identified six guys who have a chance to make a name for themselves in 2019.  A few of these guys have already seen significant action but I'd expect them to take a big step forward. #6 Michael Griffin II, Safety 2018 Stats: None, red-shirted after transferring from SMSU No player has more hype surrounding him in 2019 than Griff.  After earning multiple Scout Players of the Week and winning multiple spring strength and conditioning awards, the junior is being looked to fill a void at safety after graduating a lot of experience from the position the past two years.  Griffin can play either safety position and is equally physical and athletic.  I'd look for the defensive coordinators Bergstrom and Rogers to use him creati...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) Every year the program has players who seemingly come out of no where and blow up on the field.  The fans turn to one another and say "Who was that?" at least for the first few games and then that player becomes a household name that everyone knew about since they first stepped foot on campus.  This season is no different as there is a whole list of playmakers who are ready to contribute and chomping at the bit to get some live reps.  #8 CJ Wilson; Running Back 2018 Statistics: 43 attempts, 281 yards, 1 TD CJ was in the middle of a really solid freshman campaign before being sidelined with a leg injury that kept him out for the final six regular season games.  CJ returned for the playoffs and played against KSU and NDSU.  This year, I expect CJ to contribute on punt and kick returns and in the base offense.  CJ is dynamic in space and one of the fastest guys on the team. Look for the coaches to ensure that he get...

(Diamond Evans) The Jackrabbit recruiting class of 2019 was widely considered to be the best class in the program's history.  I don't like to rank classes but the talent in this class is undeniable given the number of guys who had offers to FBS programs and FCS powers.  Recruiting has changed in Brookings the past few years.  With that influx of talent, guys are challenging for playing time almost immediately.  The new four game rule has given coaches the ability to test if a guy is truly ready or not before committing to pull their redshirt.  Below I have identified five guys who appear ready to play and compete for playing time immediately.    #17 Diamond Evans, CB, 5-10, 180 Due to graduation and injury the cornerback room is a little thin.  However, Evans, one of the prize recruits in the 2019 class, is ready because of his physical maturity and god-given athleticism.  It will be a big test making his first appearance in front of...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) The Jacks return 2 of 3 core specialists this season. Special teams is an area where the Jacks are always good and often great.  Special teams has certainly helped win a game or two in the past couple years and I would expect the same type of solid performance this season. #4 Chase Vinatieri  is now in his final season handling field goal and kick off duties.  Chase had a bit of a roller coaster year in 2018 connecting on just 14 of 21 kicks including 2 misses on kicks under 30 yards.  However, he did have a monster 57 yard make. He was also 66-71 on extra points.  I'd love to see that percentage be 100% but stuff happens.  The area that I would like to see him improve is on kickoffs; especially kicking the ball out of bounds which happened too frequently in 2018.  A stat that I do love is that the Jacks didn't allow a blocked kick in 2018.  This is a good sign of assignment sure football. #97 Cole Frahm ...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) Coach Dan Jackson has built a very talented cornerback room.  This group lost a lot of snaps from last season due to graduation, transition, and injury.  However, Jackson feels that this could be his most talented group during his tenure at SDSU.  Dan also mentioned that this group is incredibly tight.  This off season they made sure to make time for meals with one another and spend time with together outside of training.    #19 Ti'Jaih Davis , 6-1 180, had a great freshman campaign and played in four games.  He is very athletic and just possesses a great combination of size and speed.  I think Ti'Jaih could have played more as a true freshman but the corner position was plenty deep in 2018 and his service wasn't needed outside of the four games.  Ti'Jaih, a former high school quarterback, has a good understanding of the game and his combination of instincts and understanding help him play faster than ...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) I was able to catch up with Coach Jimmy Rogers to discuss the linebacker group.  Rogers was promoted this off season to co-defensive coordinator along with Coach Bergstrom. Rogers is excited for the group he is bringing back and feels like there could be a rotation of 6, maybe 7, guys who get opportunities.  Rogers did specifically mention the graduation of Dalton Cox and Eric Kleinschmidt as big losses, not only for their leadership, but the number of reps they have played the last 2-3 years.  Rogers is also hopeful for the incoming freshman and thinks they have the chance to be a special group.    #2 Christian Rozeboom , 6-2, 225,  is now a senior and is serving as a 3x team captain.  Rozeboom is also a 3x All-Conference selection and a 3x All-American.  He has 364 tackles, 6 INTs, and 3 sacks in his career.  His combination of size, speed, athleticism, and production are why he is considered one of ...

(Photo Courtesy of Larry Sellers) Yesterday, we shared the defensive tackle position group.  Today we are continuing our previews with rest of the #ChainGang; the defensive ends. As that post said, the defensive tackles and ends are now meeting and practicing together which has increased their communication and trust with one another.  The defensive end group returns every snap taken from 2018.  It also returns three guys who have started the past two seasons.  The group needs to generate a more consistent pass rush.  Last year, Ryan Earith had another really solid season but he needs someone opposite him who can get pressure on the quarterback.  The reports coming out of spring ball were really positive and it sounds like the defense as a whole will look to generate a more consistent pass rush. #90 Ryan Earith , 6'4, 260, is a model of consistency.  He was recognized as a preseason All-MVFC selection and as a team captain.  The senior le...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) I had a great conversation with both defensive line coach Christian Smith and assistant defensive line coach Spencer Erickson about both the defensive ends and the defensive tackles.  We're going to focus on the defensive tackles in this post. One thing that both coaches really stressed is how beneficial it has been to have the entire defensive line together.  The biggest thing that coaches pointed to was communication increasing between the interior and the ends.  There has also been a sense of trust that has increased because they are more on the same page than maybe they had been in the past.  Coach Erickson pointed out that the defensive line is 43% of the defense and if they are all on the same page, moving in a positive direction, than it sets the tone for the entire defensive unit.  With the talent that returns along the defensive line, this certainly is a good thing. The defensive tackle position is as deep and ...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) If you ever get the chance to talk to safeties coach, and co-defensive coordinator, Brian Bergstrom, be sure to take advantage of that opportunity.  He is just a great human and incredibly humble.  He loves his group and I think gets a ton of joy from coaching and helping them grow on and off the field.  Bergstrom really likes the culture in the room and credits some of that to guys who graduated the past two years and laid the foundation.  The room is very comfortable helping one another understand assignments, route concepts, and calls and that makes everyone better.  This group has gotten more athletic the past few years and I think that athleticism will stand out as the Jacks move to a more aggressive brand of football.  #3 Josh Manchigiah , 6-0, 205, can play all over the field.  His background as a cornerback is evident as he has an excellent ability to read routes; which is where he stood out in 2018....

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) I really enjoyed researching and visiting with Coach Arnheim about the wide receiver group.  This group is so talented and explosive.  Returning the top three receivers from a year ago is a huge advantage for whoever is the new quarterback.  Johnson, Anderson, and Brown (AKA The Lawfirm) is an experienced group who has been through the ups and downs of college football and can provide great mentoring to the younger guys in the position group. Arnheim shared that he is so proud of this group and how they have evolved from young and inexperienced to being a veteran unit.  He also shared how much they love being coached and all strive to get better, every day.  #15 Cade Johnson , 5-10, 175, returns for his junior season and is clearly the top receiver in the league.  He has also appeared on multiple preseason All-American teams.  Cade is electric with the ball in his hands but he is more than just a "gadget player....

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) The Jackrabbits graduate the undisputed greatest quarterback in Jackrabbit history in Taryn Christion.  Nobody is going to immediately step in and replace his production.  However, there are three really strong candidates who possess different skill sets who will certainly vie to fill that role.  All three have shown glimpses of their potential but have yet to put it all together.  The benefit of whoever steps into this role is that they are surrounded by tons of explosive experience at the skill positions and talent along the offensive line. I was able to catch up with Coach Lujan and discuss the group.  He is excited about the group has looked in camp and the competition they are giving one another.  Lujan said they plan to name the starter about a week and a half before the first game so that everyone knows their role as they make final preparations for the Gophers.  Contrary to a report by the Brookings Regist...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) I was able to catch up with offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Jason Eck to discuss the #605Hogs.  This group has a bunch of new faces but Eck feels really confident in the depth of the group.  Eck has really strengthened this group since arriving at SDSU four years ago.  The cupboard was pretty bare at that time but he has done a great job of recruiting and developing these guys.  The offensive line as a whole is a strength of this team.  I've broken the offensive linemen into tackles, guards, and centers.  This doesn't mean they won't play at another position in a pinch but this is their preferred position. The tackle position returns an all-conference performer and is expecting a big contribution from a sophomore in 2019. #78 Evan Greeneway, 6-7, 290, is entering his second year as the starting left tackle.  Greeneway provided a really consistent presence in 2018 and was honored as a preseason ...