JACKRABBITS ANNOUNCE FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS

Head coach John Stiegelmeier announced that 11 high school standouts signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, indicating they will enroll at South Dakota State University in the fall of 2023 and compete for the Jackrabbit football team.

"We are excited to add the 2023 recruiting class to the Jackrabbit Football Family," Stiegelmeier said. "Our coaches have done an excellent job of finding great student-athletes who fit at South Dakota State University. We had a limited number of spots on our team and our coaches were able to take care of all our needs. We can't wait to get this class on campus."

The signees are:

Kaden Brown, 6-1, 180, quarterback, Midlothian, Texas
Bryce Hawthorne, 6-3, 245, defensive lineman, Osseo, Minnesota;
Jackson Isakson, 6-2, 190, kicker/punter, Aberdeen;
Jackson Kerstin, 6-4, 255, offensive lineman, Naperville, Illinois;
Joseph Neumann, 6-4, 220, tight end, Antioch, Illinois;
William Paepke, 6-5, 270, offensive lineman, Rapid City;
Noah St-Juste, 5-10, 165, cornerback, Clearwater, Florida;
Davin Stoffel, 6-6, 215, tight end, Mosinee, Wisconsin;
Kolten Tilford, 5-9, 170, safety, North Platte, Nebraska;
Nicholas Wells, 6-3, 240, defensive lineman, Sioux City, Iowa;
Griffin Wilde, 6-2, 180, wide receiver, Sioux Falls

KADEN BROWN
Brown earned all-district honors for the second time and was District 5-5A Most Valuable Player honors this past fall after completing 76 percent (197-of-260) of his passes for 3,219 yards and 40 touchdowns for Midlothian Heritage High School. He also rushed for 639 yards and seven touchdowns in leading his squad to an 11-2 record. Brown intends to pursue a degree in business management.

BRYCE HAWTHORNE
Hawthorne was named to the all-conference team in the fall of 2022 for Osseo High School in the Twin Cities metro area, adding five touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. He plans to pursue a degree in education.

JACKSON ISAKSON
Isakson earned all-state recognition as a kicker during both his junior and senior seasons for Aberdeen Roncalli High School. In helping lead his team to a conference championship, Isakson connected on 18 field goals and made 18-of-19 extra-point tries. A Merit Roll student at Aberdeen Christian High School, he intends to major in business economics.

JACKSON KERSTIN
Kerstin was a three-time all-conference honoree for Naperville North High School who was named DuPage Valley Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior. Expected to play guard at the collegiate level, he did not allow a sack for a squad that averaged 32 points and 280 rushing yards per game. Kerstin intends to major in marketing.

JOSEPH NEUMANN
Neumann was a three-time all-conference and all-area selection for Antioch Community High School who received first-team all-state honors as a senior. His career totals included 49 receptions for 769 yards and 11 touchdowns. A three-time academic all-state honoree, he plans to major in mechanical engineering.

WILLIAM PAEPKE
Paepke (pronounced PAP-key) earned first-team all-conference recognition as both a junior and senior at Rapid City High School. He will be a second-generation Jackrabbit football player as he follows in the footsteps of his father, Karl, who played linebacker at SDSU from 1990-93 and was a team captain his senior season.

NOAH ST-JUSTE
St-Juste was a key member of back-to-back state championship teams at Clearwater Academy International. He registered 36 tackles, including a sack, with three interceptions and nine pass breakups. An Honor Roll student, St-Juste intends to major in entrepreneurial studies.

DAVIN STOFFEL
Stoffel was named the 2022 recipient of the Al Toon Award as the top high school receiver in the state of Wisconsin after catching 51 passes for 1,013 yards and 17 touchdowns as a hybrid wide receiver and tight end. He also earned all-state recognition as a linebacker as he recorded 123 tackles, including 14 for loss. Also an academic all-state honoree, Stoffel intends to major in mechanical engineering.

KOLTEN TILFORD
Tilford was honored on the 2022 All-Nebraska Team after excelling on both sides of the ball at North Platte High School. Offensively, he rushed for 1,021 yards and 11 touchdowns, while adding 10 receptions for 173 yards and a score. On defense, Tilford tallied 116 tackles and contributed eight pass breakups with an interception. He also was an academic all-state honoree.

NICHOLAS WELLS
Wells moved up to the all-state first team as a senior at East High School after receiving second-team accolades as a junior. Over his two all-state seasons, Wells combined to record 153 total tackles, including 49.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. He also was a second-team all-district honoree as a sophomore. Wells plans to major in construction management.

GRIFFIN WILDE
Wilde (prounounced WILL-dee) excelled in all three phases of the game over the past two seasons for the upstart Sioux Falls Jefferson High School program that won a state championship in 2022. A two-time first-team all-state honoree and a repeat selection to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45, he combined to catch 100 passes for 1,858 yards with 22 touchdowns during his junior and senior campaigns, while adding three kickoff return touchdowns and registering 22 tackles and a pair of interceptions on defense. Wilde also has received academic all-state recognition and intends to pursue a degree in business economics.

In addition, five other prep standouts have been accepted for admission to South Dakota State University and plan to join the Jackrabbit football team next fall. Those commitments include:

Brenden Begeman, 6-1, 205, running back, Selby;
Reis Kirschenman, 6-4, 240, defensive lineman, Tea;
Joseph Randle, 6-3, 205, wide receiver, St. Anthony, Minnesota;
Joe Roll, 5-9, 185, wide receiver, Gretna, Nebraska, and
Chase Van Tol, 6-1, 185, linebacker, Tea.

BRENDEN BEGEMAN
Begeman was a record-setting running back for the Harreid/Selby football program, breaking the state single-season rushing mark with 2,976 yards to go along with 42 touchdowns as a senior and finishing his prep career atop the all-time rushing list with 6,807 yards. A two-time member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45, Begeman was an all-state selection as a defensive back as a junior. His career totals also include more than 100 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. A member of the National Honor Society, Begeman plans to major in pharmacy.

REIS KIRSCHENMAN
Kirschenman earned first-team all-state honors as a junior and senior and was selected to play in the All-American Bowl earlier this month. The team defensive MVP each of his last two seasons at Tea Area High School, he was an honorable mention selection to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 in 2022. Also an academic all-state honoree, he plans to major in business.

JOSEPH RANDLE
Randle was a big-play receiver for St. Anthony Village High School as a senior in 2022, catching 53 passes for 1,003 yards with 18 touchdowns en route to receiving first-team all-district honors. He plans to major in business economics.

JOE ROLL
Roll was a top receiving target for Gretna High School teams that won a Nebraska state championship his junior season and returned to the title game in 2022. As a junior, Roll caught 55 passes for 877 yards. He plans to major in electrical engineering.

CHASE VAN TOL
Van Tol did a little bit of everything for the Tea Area High School program en route to earning all-state and Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 recognition as both a junior and senior. He gained 1,135 yards on the ground and scored 16 touchdowns, while adding 16 receptions for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Van Tol also handled the kicking duties and notched 27 tackles. An honor student, he intends to pursue a degree in business economics.

ABOUT SDSU
South Dakota State won the Missouri Valley Football Conference title during the 2022 season and has advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision national title game for the second time in three seasons. The Jackrabbits have made 11 consecutive postseason appearances.

-GoJacks.com-

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JACKRABBITS ANNOUNCE FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS

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