Multiple Jackrabbits grace the MVFC All-Team and All-Newcomer Team
16 Jackrabbits were named to the Missouri Valley All-Conference team, spanning both first, second and honorable mention teams. Three more Jacks join their teammates on the All-newcomer team.
Offense MVFC First Team
The Johnson duo of Amar and Angel Johnson both earn first team status. Amar Johnson, a senior from Missouri was selected at the running back slot while fellow tailback Angel Johnson earned his position in the all-purpose category, which brings in special team statistics as well.
Joining the backs are Evan Beernsten and Gus Miller, SDSU linemen and blockers for both Amar and Angel Johnson.
“There’s more coming,” said head coach Jimmy Rogers on the success running backs have found at South Dakota State. “They play with a chip on their shoulder and they work tirelessly to be the next great player, we have a stable of them [talented tailbacks].”
Both Miller and Beernsten have helped the Jacks in both the rushing and passing attack, propelling SDSU to average 36.58 points per game, 441.9 yards per game score 55 total offensive touchdowns.
Defense MVFC First Team
Similar to the offense, the defense saw two players from the same position get named to the first team in linebackers Adam Bock and Caleb Francl. Bock earned his third MVFC first-team accolade. Bock and Francl rank one and two in Jackrabbit tackles this season respectively.
Tucker Large and Dalys Beanum join Bock and Francl on the defensive first team with Large at safety and Beanum at cornerback. Large is tied for first on the name with two interceptions this season.
Defensive tackle Jarod DePriest joined the conference first-team as the fifth Jackrabbit defensive member. DePriest has been a threat for offenses all season, tallying two sacks and two forced fumbles.
Offensive MVFC Second Team
With two great regular season performances by Cam Miller of NDSU and Jacob Clark of Missouri State, quarterback Mark Gronowski was picked to the 2024 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference second team. This was Gronowski’s fourth selection, going four-for-four in selections while being the starter for the Jackrabbits.
Gronowski’s favorite target Griffin Wilde joins his quarterback on the second-team roster. Wilde took over as wide receiver one after the departure of the Janke twins, Jaxon and Jadon. This season, Wilde cracked 900 yards receiving and score eight touchdowns, leading the team in both categories.
“I think he’s [Gronowski] found a connection with a couple of those guys and he’s comfortable,” said Rogers.
Defensive MVFC Second Team
Colby Huerter and Colby Humphrey, a safety and cornerback for the Jacks were also selected for the conference second-team. They are credited with 71 tackles combined this season and both Huerter and Humphrey have an interception.
With their defensive skills, SDSU has allowed eight passing touchdowns, seven rushing touchdowns and have helped SDSU propel to the best defense in the country.
All-Team Honorable Selections
SDSU saw three athletes grace the honorable selection lists in defensive lineman Kobe Clayborne, safety Matthew Durrance and kicker/punter Hunter Dustman. In SDSU’s victory over Southern Illinois, Durrance tallied four tackles and two interceptions.
This season, Clayborne has 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and in total, 24 tackles as well as a forced fumble.
Dustman has punted the ball 36 times for the Jacks this season. On the kicking side, Dustman is 70.59% on field goals this season and has been extremely accurate from 30-49 yards out, with only two misses out of 11 kicks. The Minnesota native’s longest field goal this season came from 48-yards out in SDSU’s loss against Oklahoma State.
All-Newcomer Team
As well as earning all-team selections, Clayborne and Humphrey also earned all-newcomer selections for this play this season. Humphrey was a transfer in from Northern Arizona while Clayborne transferred from Northwest Missouri State, a Division II school.
Joining the transfers, were three redshirt freshman in Bryce Hawthorne (defensive tackle), Davin Stoffel (tight end) and Kirby Vorhees (tailback).
The Jackrabbits will see action this Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium for the second-round of the FCS playoffs where they will match up against the Grizzlies of Montana, a rematch of the 2023 FCS National Championship.
