2023 FCS Top 25: No. 1 South Dakota State Football Preview
South Dakota State football ranks No. 1 in HERO Sports’ FCS Preseason Top 25.
The Jackrabbits won the 2022 FCS national championship, beating North Dakota State 45-21 to finish 14-1 overall and 14-0 vs. the FCS.
Here’s a look at this year’s SDSU squad under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers.
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1st Team
RB Isaiah Davis
OL Mason McCormick
OL Garret Greenfield
LB Adam Bock
CB DyShawn Gales
2nd Team
QB Mark Gronowski
TE Zach Heins
WR Jaxon Janke
RS Jadon Janke
Honorable Mention
WR Jadon Janke
CB Dalys Beanum
LB Jason Freeman
P Hunter Dustman
Transfers Lost To The FCS (3)
Tyler Feldkamp (WR) to Campbell
Derrick Brown (OL) to Northern Arizona
A.J. Coons (WR) to Western Illinois
Transfers Coming In From The FCS (1)
Marcus Preston (WR), North Dakota
Transfers Coming In From The FBS (4)
Blake Peterson (DL), Iowa State
Dawson Ripperda (DL), Northern Illinois
Ky Oday (WR), Colorado State
Kaydon Olivia (LS), Texas State
The Jacks lose just one starter from last year’s offense that averaged 34.2 points per game. SDSU scored 42, 42, 39, and 45 points in the playoffs. The 45 points were the most in the national title game since 2007.
It’s hard to choose who to start with when looking at the offense, whether it’s the QB, RB options, or the receiving threats. So we’ll begin with the intact starting offensive line that looks to be the best in the FCS. Across the front, the Jacks return Garret Greenfield (6’6″ 305 lbs), Mason McCormick (6’4″ 305 lbs), Gus Miller (6’3″ 295 lbs), Evan Beerntsen (6’4″ 300 lbs), and John O’Brian (6’5″ 300 lbs). Greenfield and McCormick are multi-year All-American selections that decided before the playoffs to return to SDSU for their sixth seasons of eligibility.
The unit blocks for a dynamic two-headed punch at running back. Isaiah Davis is arguably the best back in the subdivision, rushing for 1,451 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022. Amar Johnson ran for 744 yards and seven TDs, including 126 yards in the national title game.
Mark Gronowski leads the offense at quarterback. Just a junior, he is already 22-1 vs. FCS opponents as a full-game starter with two national title game appearances. In 2022, Gronowski went 232/356 passing (65%) for 2,967 yards, 26 TDs, and five interceptions. He also rushed for 408 yards and 12 scores.
Gronowski has his three top pass-catchers back from last season. Twin brothers Jaxon Janke and Jadon Janke are also taking advantage of their extra year of eligibility, announcing moments after the national championship win that they decided to return to SDSU. The wide receivers had similar numbers last season, combining for 112 catches, 1,631 yards, and 15 TDs.
Tight end Zach Heins is yet another standout player who announced late that he’d be returning for his sixth season when 2022 was expected to be his last. At 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds, Heins is a three-time All-MVFC selection with 842 career receiving yards and 11 career touchdown catches. He stepped up when All-American and 2023 NFL Draft pick Tucker Kraft was out with an injury, and Heins looks to do so again this fall.
SDSU returns eight starters on a defense that finished No. 3 in the FCS with 15.8 points allowed per game and No. 1 with 88.1 rushing yards allowed per game.
The depth on the d-line will be put to the test this fall after the Jacks lose stalwarts Caleb Sanders and Reece Winkelman. SDSU still returns plenty of players who have played tons of snaps as part of the DL rotation, including guys like Ryan Van Marel, Cade Terveer, and Quinton Hicks. New All-Conference-level players will need to step up to free up an impressive group of linebackers roaming the field.
Adam Bock is as good as it gets in the FCS at middle linebacker. He has a career 279 tackles, 22.5 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks. Bock missed a few games last season, and Jason Freeman stepped up after transferring from Olivet Nazarene University. He led SDSU with 84 tackles in 2022, including seven TFLs, three sacks, two interceptions, and four passes defended. Bock and Freeman are standouts at their positions, but a player like Isaiah Stalbird shouldn’t be overshadowed. They form an elite LB lineup that is bolstered by known veteran names like Saiveon Williamson, Caleb Francl, Graham Spalding, and Daeton Mcgaughy.
SDSU has impressive returning talent in the secondary as well. Safeties Colby Huerter, Cale Reeder, and Tucker Large are now upperclassmen with starting experience. The Jacks lose one starting cornerback Malik Lofton, but they return their top corner DyShawn Gales while Dalys Beanum was a strong No. 3 CB in 2022, earning All-MVFC honorable mention honors.
8/31 vs Western Oregon
9/9 vs No. 3 Montana State
9/16 Drake (Minneapolis, MN)
9/30 vs No. 17North Dakota
10/7 at Illinois State
10/14 vs RVNorthern Iowa
10/21 at RVSouthern Illinois
10/28 at South Dakota
11/4 vs No. 2 North Dakota State
11/11 at No. 23Youngstown State
11/18 vs Missouri State
HERO Sports’ rankings
RV = Received Votes
Bold indicates MVFCgames
