University of South Dakota football adds 7 new players on National Signing Day

Michael McCleary, Sioux Falls Argus Leader

February 2, 2022 at 5:29 PM·10 min read

South Dakota added seven new players on National Signing Day, bringing their 2022 class to 24.

Four players signed national letters of intent to accept a scholarship with the Coyotes, while three others have accepted offers of admission to join the team as a preferred walk-on. That adds to the 17 who joined South Dakota's program in December during the early signing period.

Wednesday's addition to the class features two from Ohio, two from Illinois and one from Iowa, Wisconsin and Maryland. The Early Signing Day class included five players from South Dakota, four of which were from Sioux Falls.

More: South Dakota football's 2022 Signing Day class features 17 players, 5 from South Dakota

Here's everyone in South Dakota's 2022 recruiting class.

National Signing Day

Troy Bounting (Hudson, Wis.) Wide Receiver, 5-11, 175 lbs. Hudson High School

Three-sport athlete at Hudson who competes in football, basketball and baseball ... earned honorable mention honors on the gridiron and was also named to the academic all-conference team

Tysen Boze (Dublin, Ohio) Wide Receiver, 6-3, 190 lbs. Dublin Scioto High School

First-team all-state honoree for the Irish this past season after hauling in 56 passes for 1,019 yards and 17 touchdowns ... had 21 catches for 366 yards and five touchdowns during an abbreviated season as a junior and was special mention all-league and honorable mention all-district ... also appeared on the defensive side of the ball ... two-sport athlete at Dublin Scioto who competes on the hardwood ... averaged 12.8

points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds as a junior

Mi’Quise Grace (Cincinnati, Ohio) Defensive Lineman, 6-5, 220 lbs. Princeton High School

All-conference and honorable mention all-district performer who racked up 9.5 sacks and 15 tackles-for-loss as a senior for the Vikings ... Princeton was 11-2 in their first season under Coach Parker ... also competes in track and field

Kelby Gray (Oak Park, Ill.) Running Back, 5-8, 225 lbs. Oak Park-River Forest High School

All-conference running back who ran 136 times for 865 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season ... averaged 6.4 yards per carry and 96 yards per game ... first varsity carry went for an 80-yard touchdown to start his sophomore season ... multiple-sport athlete who competes on the Huskies’ basketball, bowling and track and field teams ... competed in a regional championship for bowling

Wyatt Hatcher (Council Bluffs, Iowa) Linebacker, 6-3, 220 lbs. Lewis Central High School

Team MVP and all-state choice for the Titans who totaled 62 tackles this past season with 15 for loss and two interceptions ... had 99 tackles with 33 for loss during his high school career ... two-time, first-team all-district honoree ... also competes in basketball and track and field for Lewis Central ... has won a state title in football, a conference title in basketball and was on a state qualifying 4x400-meter relay team ... older brother, Hayden, is a defensive lineman at Kansas

Mike Sajenko (Park Ridge, Ill.) Running Back, 6-0, 192 lbs. Maine South High School

Three-time all-conference and two-time all-state running back who carried 188 times for 1,280 yards and 23 touchdowns this past season ... also caught 50 passes for 497 yards and seven scores ... named CSL Offensive Player of the Year ... totaled 14 touchdowns in the playoffs as a senior which culminated with a second-place finish ... had 13 carries for 270 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in a first-round win against New Trier ... totaled 193 yards and five touchdowns (3 rush, 2 rec) in the semifinals ... also competes in track and field for the Hawks ... both brothers played football at UW-Platteville

Marcus Simmons Jr. (Germantown, Md.) Defensive Lineman, 6-1, 260 lbs. St. John’s College High School

Earned the Peter Harley Team Award at St. John’s after registering five sacks, nine tackles-for-loss and six quarterback pressures while leading the Cadets to a state championship ... also credited with a forced fumble ... St. John’s completed a perfect 11-0 season and won eight games by two touchdowns or more ... was named the most improved student in the classroom

Early Signing Period

Gary Bryant III (Baltimore, Md.) Linebacker, 6-0, 220 lbs. Our Lady of Good Counsel High School

WCAC MVP and WCAC Defensive Player of the Year after posting 141 tackles with four interceptions and five sacks for the Falcons

Joe Cotton (Sioux Falls, S.D.) Offensive Lineman, 6-6, 290 lbs. Roosevelt High School

All-conference and all-state lineman who helped lead the Rough Riders to a Metro Conference championship ... earned three varsity letters ... was named to the Argus Leader Elite 45 Team ... has two uncles who played collegiate, one at USF and Augustana and the other for Saint John’s

Tyler Ebel (DeForest, Wis.) Punter, 6-5, 215 lbs. DeForest High School

First-team, unanimous AP all-state punter who helped lead DeForest to the state championship in 2019 ... also earned all-conference honors for his play at left tackle ... won the Kevin Stemke award given to the best punter in Wisconsin ... had a 42-yard average his senior year and ranks 11th in the country for punting in the class of 2022 ... also plays baseball for the Huskies

Cory Hollinger (Stromsburg, Neb.) Tight End, 6-5, 225 lbs. Cross County High School

First-team all-state and all-area performer who caught 20 passes for 379 yards and nine touchdowns this past season ... racked up 110 tackles including 82 solo stops on the defensive side ... compiled 782 yards receiving during his high school career and also 10 sacks ... four sport athlete who also competes in basketball, track and golf at Cross County ... led the Cougars to a runner-up finish at state on the gridiron this past year after making the semifinals the two years prior ... scored 1,000 points on the hardwood as a junior, breaking the program’s single-season scoring records

Brady Koupal (Brandon, S.D.) Offensive Lineman, 6-5, 250 lbs. Brandon Valley High School

Multi-talented athlete who helped lead Brandon Valley to the 11AAA state title in 2020 and a second-place finish in 2021 ... has played basketball and been involved with track and field, powerlifting, and was even ping pong club champion ... earned all-metro and all-ESD honors for his play at the center position ... father, John, played football at Dakota State

Jordan Larsen (Harrisburg, S.D.) Offensive Lineman, 6-4, 285 lbs. Harrisburg High School

All-state lineman who played alongside his brother, Josh, to lead Harrisburg to the 11AAA title this past season, the program’s first title since 1999 ... also earned all-Metro and all-ESD honors ... competes in track and field for the Tigers ... has earned academic all-state honors is a member of the Harrisburg Honor Roll ... older brother, Jake, redshirted during the 2019 football season

Josh Larsen (Harrisburg, S.D.) Offensive Lineman, 6-4, 285 lbs. Harrisburg High School

All-state lineman who played alongside his brother, Jordan, to lead Harrisburg to the 11AAA title this past season, the program’s first title since 1999 ... played mainly left tackle for the Tigers, but also registered tackles on the defensive side of the ball ... is a two-time state qualifier in wrestling where he has scored a number of most improved wrestler of the year awards ... older brother, Jake, redshirted during the 2019 football season

Caleb McKenzie (Carver Ranches, Fla.) Defensive Back, 5-9, 160 lbs. Miami Central High School

Talented cornerback who helped lead Miami Central to a state title ... totaled 76 tackles with four sacks and six tackles-for-loss ... recorded six interceptions ... worked with his family to create an outreach program called Caleb Cares that provides food and toiletries for those in need

Mackenson Owens (Aurora, Neb.) Linebacker, 6-2, 215 lbs. Aurora High School

Three-time all-state linebacker for Aurora who also competes in wrestling and track and field ... helped lead the Huskies to a Class C1 state championship on the gridiron ... moved up to Class B and was state runner-up ... played running back and receiver on the offensive side of the ball ... has an aunt who attended USD and an uncle who played football collegiately

Cergio Perez (Rowlett, Texas) Quarterback, 6-1, 205 lbs. Garland High School

Early high school graduate who passed for 8,128 yards and 107 touchdowns at Garland ... both are program records ... completed 578-of-946 passes in all ... threw a program-record eight touchdowns in one game ... named District MVP in both 2021 and 2022 ... set records this last season with 3,625 passing yards and a Texas 6A high 57 touchdown passes in leading Garland to a 10-1 record ... completed 72 percent of his passes, the third-highest mark in school history ... also competed in soccer and track for the Owls

Charles Pierre Jr. (Orlando, Fla.) Running Back, 5-10, 190 lbs. Ocoee High School

Record-breaking back who ran for 1,260 yards and five touchdowns as a senior last season ... selected to compete in the Cure Classic Senior Football All-Star Game ... also ran track for the Knights ... dad, Charles, played football at FAU and has an uncle who competed at USF

Colton Rada (Chaska, Minn.) Offensive Lineman, 6-2, 285 lbs. Chaska High School

Team captain and four-year letter winner in both football and track and field at Chaska ... helped lead the Hawks to a perfect 8-0 regular season ... fourth-best shot put mark in school history and qualified for state as a junior ... grandfather played football at NDSU

Dominic Reaves (Tampa, Fla.) Defensive Back, 5-10, 170 lbs. Hillsborough High School

Defensive Back of the Year award winner who compiled 30 tackles with two interceptions and 10 pass breakups as a senior at Hillsborough ... also competes in baseball for the Terriers ... dad, Derrick, played football at Mount Scenario College

Alex Saunders (Orlando, Fla.) Wide Receiver, 6-3, 185 lbs. Oviedo High School

First-team all-region and all-district receiver who holds all single-season and career receiving records for Oviedo ... caught 68 passes for 1,002 yards and nine touchdowns this past season ... multi-sport athlete who also competes in basketball and track for the Lions

Noah Smith (Lawrence, Kan.) Offensive Lineman, 6-3, 305 lbs. Lawrence High School

First-team all-state honoree who helped lead Lawrence to a 27-6 mark at the varsity level ... was a first-team all-Sunflower League pick ... also competes in basketball and track for the Chesty Lions ... plans to study kinesiology at USD

Gage Tennyson (Custer, S.D.) Linebacker, 6-4, 195 lbs. Custer High School

All-state and all-conference honoree who compiled 70 tackles with four interceptions and 15 pass breakups during his senior season ... also competes in basketball and track for the Wildcats ... placed at the state track meet in four events and is part of a conference-record holding 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams

Brandon Vander Sluis (LeMars, Iowa) Offensive Lineman, 6-3, 290 lbs. LeMars High School

Team captain and all-state lineman for LeMars ... two-time, first-team all-district honoree and was named District Offensive Lineman of the Year ... multi-sport athlete who competes in basketball, wrestling and track for the Bulldogs ... is a state-champion discus thrower

Follow Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter Michael McCleary on Twitter @mikejmccleary.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota football adds 7 on National Signing Day

NBC News
ATF investigates tourist accused of setting businesses on fire in Puerto Rico
Authorities in Missouri and Puerto Rico are investigating an incident where several businesses on the island were allegedly set on fire by a tourist from Missouri; videos of the alleged event have gone viral.
AFP
Israel army says body of hostage retrieved from Gaza
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that its troops had recovered the body of a hostage in Gaza and brought it back to Israel following a "complex and difficult operation".Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in an online briefing that troops carried out what he described as a "complex and difficult special operation" to retrieve the body.
AFP
US tech titans ramp up pressure on EU
Mark Zuckerberg's U-turn on Meta's content rules piles pressure on the EU -- already in the crosshairs of Donald Trump ally Elon Musk -- to prove it still calls the shots when it comes to Big Tech's behaviour in Europe.The commission's silence is part of a pattern: it has stayed resolutely out of the fray as Trump ally Musk has goaded European leaders with a series of incendiary outbursts in recent days.
AFP
Mexican president trolls Trump, suggests US renamed 'Mexican America'
Mexico's president took a swipe at Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying that the United States should be called "Mexican America," after Trump's vow to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America."Pointing out that the Gulf of Mexico was the name recognized by the United Nations, she turned the tables on Trump, saying: "Why don't we call it (the United States) Mexican America?"
AFP
Lebanon leaders prepare for new bid to elect president
Lebanese political heavyweights held talks Wednesday as parliament prepares to elect a president, with foreign powers pressuring for consensus a day ahead of the vote.Lebanon's powerful parliament speaker and Hezbollah ally, 86-year-old Nabih Berri, has invited Le Drian to attend Thursday's vote.
Reuters
After US exemption, UN says more significant Syria sanctions work needed
A U.S. sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria is welcome, but "much more significant work ... will inevitably be necessary," the U.N. special envoy on Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council on Wednesday. After 13 years of civil war, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a lightening offensive by insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) a month ago. The U.S., Britain, the European Union and others imposed tough sanctions on Syria after a crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that spiraled into war.
Politico
Gavin Newsom cancels DC trip for Carter funeral as wildfire devastates LA area
The conflagrations puts a renewed spotlight on the Democratic governor as he considers a potential White House run in 2028.
CBS News
Why would Trump want Greenland and the Panama Canal?
Donald Trump says the U.S. needs control of Greenland and the Panama Canal "for national security." Here's why both places are so important.
Yahoo Finance
Rigetti, IonQ stocks plunge after Nvidia CEO says 'useful' quantum computing is decades away
Rigetti Computing, IonQ, and other quantum stocks fell more than 40% after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told Wall Street analysts that “very useful quantum computers” are likely 20 years away.
CBS News
"American Nightmare" victims help get Matthew Muller to confess to more crimes
"American Nightmare" victims Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn worked with two small-town law enforcement officials to get kidnapper Matthew Muller to confess to more cold case crimes.
AFP
'Democracy won', says Lula two years after Brasilia riots
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday hailed the triumph of democracy as he oversaw the return of restored artworks two years after they were damaged during an assault on the national seats of power by his predecessor's supporters.A total of 21 damaged artworks have been restored and returned to the seats of power in Brazil.
Reuters
Industry groups sue over Biden ban on medical debt from credit reports
Two groups representing the credit reporting and credit union industries have filed a lawsuit challenging a new rule adopted by U.S. President Joe Biden's outgoing administration banning the inclusion of medical debt in American consumers' credit reports. The Consumer Data Industry Association and Cornerstone Credit Union League filed the lawsuit in federal court in Sherman, Texas, on Tuesday, shortly after the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized the regulation. The agency said the rule would remove $49 billion in medical debts from the credit reports of about 15 million Americans.
CBS News
Images show Palisades Fire, other blazes ravaging Los Angeles area
Striking images from Los Angeles County show the early extent of damage caused by the Palisades Fire and other wildfires.
Politico
Trump, Musk unleash on California Democrats over wildfires
The catastrophic wildfires that tore through Los Angeles early Wednesday have quickly turned political.
Associated Press
Ex-police officer and Proud Boys member gets 14 months in prison for joining Capitol attack
A former police officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol with fellow members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Wednesday to 14 months in prison for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of Donald Trump supporters, court records show. Nathaniel Tuck and other Proud Boys, including his father, were among the first wave of rioters who entered Capitol grounds after the mob broke through police lines, according to prosecutors. Tuck, 32, of Apopka, Florida, pushed past police officers to enter the Capitol and berated officers who were trying to hold off the crowd.
AFP
Sweden says Christmas tree needles safe to eat -- after Belgian warning
A day after Belgium warned against eating Christmas trees, Swedish officials said that the needles can be safely used to make butter and other products -- as long as the trees are young and wild. But Anneli Widenfalk, toxicologist at the Swedish agency, told AFP in an email that the Swedish custom of collecting and using needles from young saplings is safe -- if in limited quantities.
Associated Press
Spain's prime minister joins foreign leaders concerned with Musk's interest in European politics
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized Elon Musk on Wednesday as he joined European leaders who are are voicing concerns that the immensely wealthy backer of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is trying to influence politics across the Atlantic. Sánchez, a leading European socialist, told a public audience in a speech in Madrid that Musk was working against liberal and progressive values. Sánchez said during an event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco that the international far right “openly attacks our institutions, stirs up hatred.”
AccuWeather
Major winter storm to bring dangerous ice and snow from Texas to Georgia, Carolinas
The second major winter storm of 2025 will target the south-central and southeastern United States into the weekend and will create dangerous conditions on the roads as well as a slew of flight delays and cancellations from Dallas to Atlanta and Charlotte, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. The storm will produce 1-6 inches of snow from central Texas through much of Tennessee and the southern Appalachians from Thursday to Friday. Within this area, there will be pockets where 6-12 inches of snow ca
NBC News
GOP-controlled N.C. Supreme Court blocks certification of Democrat as winner of close high court race
The North Carolina Supreme Court blocked state officials from certifying the Democratic candidate as the winner of a razor-thin race for the state’s high court.
AFP
Hydrants run dry in LA fire battle, residents urged to save water
People living all over Los Angeles were urged Wednesday to conserve water after hydrants ran dry as major wildfires erupted around the city.Four major fires were burning around Los Angeles.

National Signing Day

Early Signing Period

Latest Stories