Fcs Football Central

Inside South Dakota State’s Junior Day Through the Eyes of Recruits

South Dakota State welcomed recruits from the 2027 class to town for a day with the Jackrabbits coaching staff and more.
Julio Gonzales, Jr.|
SDSU Athletics

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South Dakota State Jackrabbits

A good number of recruits made their way to Brookings on Friday afternoon when South Dakota State hosted its Junior Day.

I caught up with some of those in attendance to recap their experience, meeting with the coaching staff, and get their thoughts on the Jackrabbits.

Dorian Ward | 2027 | EDGE | 6'3" 218 lbs  | Jefferson High School | Bloomington, MN

Ward, who has offers from North Dakota State and Cornell, picked up his latest offer from the Jackrabbits while he was there and met with head coach Dan Jackson.

“I had a good conversation with Coach Jackson, where we connected well before he offered me. I was also able to meet with Coach McCormick (Defensive line coach Logan McCormick), Coach Bergstrom (Wide receivers coach Luke Bengtson), and Coach Clayborne (Assistant linebacker coach Kobe Clayborne)," Ward said.

"They just told me to keep working and that they really liked what they saw and appreciated me coming out. I liked what I saw with everything in their facilities, and I know they have been really good in recent years."

He will have a busy spring and summer as he plans on taking visits to Wyoming, North Dakota, Northern Iowa, Cornell, North Dakota State, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Montana State, and Northwestern.

Cash Parks | 2027 | QB | 6'2" 210 lbs  | Xavier High School | Cedar Rapids, IA

“Some highlights of the junior day were getting to connect with the coaches again and learning more about the school and academics. I spent a good amount of time talking with Coach Bengston and Coach Eidsness (Quarterback coach Eric Eidsness)," Parks said.

"A lot of talk was about the program and how the quarterback position is run, and talking about coming to watch me throw in the spring. I really enjoy everything I have learned about the SDSU football program, and I love the coaching staff and how personal they are."

He will be visiting Northern Iowa this Thursday, and also has South Dakota, from which he received his first offer a couple of weeks ago. St. Thomas, Lindenwood, UNI, Southern Illinois, Dartmouth, Iowa State, and Drake are some other schools he has been hearing from.

Carter Temple | 2027 | QB | 6'3" 215 lbs  | Kearney High School | Kearney , MO

"Some of the highlights were how nice the stadium was and all of the booths they had. I connected with and had a lot of good conversations with both Coach Eidsness and Coach Jackson. I like how they have a really good winners mentality, and I can see that they are going to win this year,” Temple said.

He has offers from North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois State, and Western Illinois. He will be taking visits to Missouri and Northern Illinois.

Jackson Riley | 2027 | ATH | 6'3" 218 lbs  | Jefferson High School | Bloomington, MN

“The highlight was definitely getting the one-on-one talk with the coaches, and also the facilities were outstanding! I really connected with Coach McLin, Coach Gales (Assistant cornerbacks coach DyShawn Gales), and Coach Lawrence (Assistant linebackers coach Jade Lawrence) the most," Riley said.

"They said my progress is great since surgery, and they're hoping to see me at camp. ​I will be going to Lindenwood Junior Day and Wyoming, and I will be attending the Under Armour All-American camp in St. Louis."

He has an offer from Eastern Michigan and has been hearing from South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Liberty, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Lindenwood.

Cannon Cruse | 2027 | ATH | 6'0" 195 lbs  | St. Pius X High School | Kansas City, MO

“Reconnecting with the staff and continuing to build relationships with them was the highlight for me. This was my second time back since my game day during the fall, so I got to see more of the facilities and what goes on behind the scenes here. My first time there, I got the chance to meet with the entire staff and build relationships with them.

This time, it was to keep building those relationships and making them stronger. I talked to Coach McLin (Cornerbacks coach Marcus McLin), and we just talked about the next steps in the process and how camp is going to be a big deciding factor for me,” Cruse said.

“I also talked with Coach Cooper (Running backs coach Deontae Cooper). We talked about how the future is going to look, what he needs to see from me, and I just got to understand him more as a coach and person. They have a great program there and just continue to build and excel. They have a brotherhood like no other and really stamp that. You can really tell that they care about that, with even the players showing that. It is something very important to me, and I love the type of culture they represent there.”

He plans on visiting St. Thomas (MN), North Dakota, Wyoming, Lindenwood, and Missouri State.

Owen Boarman | 2027 | ATH | 6'4" 175 lbs  | Southwest High School | Minneapolis, MN

“The highlights for me were going up in the press box. I connected with Coach Bergstrom (Defensive coordinator Brian Bergstrom, Coach McLin, and Coach Jackson (Special teams coordinator Isaiah Jackson). They told me that going to the camp would be big for me. I have a few other junior invites, but I’m planning on going to the St. Thomas camp and the SDSU camp for sure,” Boarman said.

Tyler Ruff | 2027 | ATH | 6'1" 205 lbs  | Lakeville North High School | Lakeville, MN

Some of the highlights from the visit were definitely the recovery area, their weight room, and the trainer. I connected with Coach Bergstrom and Coach Busekist (Linebackers coach Zane Busekist). They’re saying it’s always great to have you in Brookings, and we’d love to see you at camp. I think their program has a very good culture, which loves to compete, and does so at a very high level. I have a few more visits lined up to Morehead State and Winona State,” Ruff said.

Brady Hagan | 2027 | OL/DL | Dowling Catholic High School | West Des Moines, IA

“The highlights of the junior day were definitely the facilities and having an individual position meeting. I connected with Coach Bengtson and Coach McCormick, and they told me to make sure I’m reaching out and keeping them updated. I think South Dakota State has a great thing going on there with a tight-knit group of guys that makes me definitely interested in the program,” Hagan said.

Jonathan Harris | 2027 | ATH | 6'2" 175 lbs  | Brother Rice High School | Chicago, IL

“Coach Cooper and Coach McLin were the two coaches I connected with the most. They told me what they are looking for as a person and as a player. What stood out to me the most was the brotherhood between the players and how the coaches truly invest in their athletes. I think their program is very strong," Harris said.

"They have a winning culture and a history of competing at a high level.  It’s definitely a program that develops players and prepares them for the next level. Right now, I’ve been communicating with a few programs that have shown interest, and I’m continuing to build relationships with their coaching staffs. I’m staying open to every opportunity and focused on improving my game."

Gabe Winter | 2027 | OL | 6'3" 255 lbs  | Waukee Northwest High School | Waukee , IA

“Some highlights were the individual offensive meeting and getting to break down their film from the season. I also really enjoyed the player panel, where we got to talk to the players. I talked to Coach Bangtson (Offensive line coach Mike Bangtson) and Coach Bengtson. We just talked about the upcoming season and getting ready for camp. ​I think the SDSU football program is a great, well-run operation, and they are going to stay at the top of FCS for a long time,” Winter said.

Cornelius Mitchell | 2027 | DB | 6'0" 175 lbs  | Raymore Peculiar High School | Peculiar, MO

“Some of the highlights were definitely all of the info we soaked in, and the relationship we were building with the coaches while being there. I met every coach, but I mostly connected with Coach McLin and Coach Gales, and we just talked about what’s next in the process of recruiting for me. I really like the South Dakota State football program, and it is probably my favorite out of all that I’ve visited,” Mitchell said.

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Julio Gonzales Jr.
JULIO GONZALES, JR.

Julio Gonzales Jr. is a national recruiting analyst for FCS Football Central. He has previously written for Mike Farrell Sports and Rivals. There, he covered recruiting for JUCO Football, UTSA, Texas Tech, and SMU. He continues to cover recruiting on his Sports Madness page on Substack. He also serves as a key recruiting contributor for multiple other OnSI sites. He's from Lubbock, Texas, and graduated from Lubbock Christian University. You can reach him at:jrgonzales213@gmail.com.

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