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BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO) – There are plenty of things to rave about when it comes to the South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team. Head Coach Dan Jackson, however, understands the importance of building a strong unit up front.
“Logan McCormick’s done a phenomenal job just building upon that culture,” said Coach Jackson. “The defensive line is working four as one. It isn’t about one guy being our pass rusher. I think there’s eight, nine, ten, 11, 12 guys that we can play in games and more will be developing as we get into camp.”
The return of quarterback Chase Mason has been the story of the offseason for SDSU, but Coach Jackson believes the return of defensive lineman Reis Kirschenman is just as impactful.
“Reis was one of the bigger stories that was untold last year, that was a huge loss,” said Coach Jackson. “Reis loves football. For me, it’s just rewarding to see him out here doing what he loves because that was an emotional, tough time for him, when the game was taken away from him last year
Jackson isn’t the only one that understands the difference Kirschenman will make. Fellow defensive lineman Dawson Ripperda couldn’t be more excited to play alongside him.
“Reis is a great pass rusher,” said Ripperda. “He’s explosive, he knows how to make plays. And he’s young, so he’s got a lot of room to improve too, which makes it even cooler. I mean, he’s going to be a great player in the future and he’s going to be a good player this year.”
The unit is as tight knit as it’s ever been just a few weeks out from kickoff.
“Yeah we’re super tight,” said Ripperda. “I mean, I don’t know if it’s because I’m a senior it feels that way but, this is the tightest I think our D-Line group in general has been in a long time since I’ve been here.”
Championship aspirations are as high as they could be in Brookings, which means more pressure on the defensive front.
“We always put the pressure on the defense and especially the D-Line. I mean, it starts up front,” said Ripperda. “Coach McCormick has engrained that in to us since we’ve been here. It’s a good pressure to have this year, and we put it on ourselves, but we’re playing loose, we’re playing fun. And as long as we do that we’re going to dominate.”
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