South Dakota State football first, South Dakota third in Missouri Valley preseason poll

Both South Dakota State and the University of South Dakota football were heavily featured in the 2024 Missouri Valley Football Preseason Poll and Team.

The Missouri Valley Conference released the preseason poll Monday ahead of their annual media days, which will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Jackrabbits had a league-best 15 spots across the three preseason teams. They also tied with North Dakota State for the most spots on the first-team with seven. Quarterback Mark Gronowski, offensive lineman Gus Miller and linebacker Adam Bock headline SDSU’s first-team selections.

Other Jackrabbits selected to the first and second teams include Jarod DePriest, Dalys Beanum, Tucker Large, Amar Johnson, Griffin Wilde, Evan Beerntsen, Cale Reeder, Kaydon Olivia, and Hunter Dustman.

The Coyotes had nine players voted to either the first or second team including wide receiver Carter Bell and tight end JJ Galbreath.

Other USD selections across the first and second teams include Nick Gaes, Dennis Shorter,  Will Leyland, Travis Theis, Joe Cotton, Joey Lombard, and Blake Holden.

SDSU was voted to win the conference, earning 42 of the 44 first place votes. South Dakota was voted to finish third after an impressive 2023 season.

The Jackrabbits open their season on Aug. 31 on the road against Oklahoma State. The Coyotes will play their season opener at home against Northern State on Aug. 29.

The  full preseason poll results are below:

1. South Dakota State, 482 (42 first place votes)
2. North Dakota State, 437 (one first place vote)
3. South Dakota, 371
4. Southern Illinois,293
5. North Dakota, 276
6. Illinois State, 264
7. Youngstown State, 255
8. Northern Iowa, 227
9. Missouri State, 164 (one first place vote)
10. Indiana State, 68
11. Murray State, 67

First Team:

QB Mark Gronowski, SDSU RB Mason King, ILSRB Tyshon King, YSUFB Hunter Brozio, NDSU WR Carter Bell, USD

WR Bo Belquist, UND WR Dan Sobkowicz, ILS TE JJ Galbreath, USD OL Gus Miller, SDSUOL Jared Penning, UNI OL Jaison Williams, YSU OL Grey Zabel, NDSU OL Hunter Zambrano, ILS

DL Jarod DePriest, SDSU DL Nick Gaes, USDDL Dylan Hendricks, NDSU DL Eli Mostaert, NDSU

LB Amir Abdullah, ILSLB Adam Bock, SDSULB Logan Kopp, NDSULB Garret Ollendieck, INS DB Dalys Beanum, SDSU DB Maddix Blackwell, INS DB Tucker Large, SDSU DB Dennis Shorter, USD DB Cole Wisniewski, NDSU

LS Hunter Brozio, NDSU PK Will Leyland, USDP Grant Burkett, MOST RS Carter Bell, USD

AP Amar Johnson, SDSU

Second Team:

QB Cam Miller, NDSURB Amar Johnson, SDSU RB Travis Theis, USDFB Jaden Norby, UNDWR Vinson Davis III, SIU WR Max Tomczak, YSU WR Griffin Wilde, SDSU TE Joe Stoffel, NDSUOL Evan Beerntsen, SDSU OL Joe Cotton, USDOL Chase Evans, SIUOL Joey Lombard, USD OL Mason Miller, NDSU

DL Jake Anderson, ILSDL Cannon Butler, UNIDL Blake Holden, USDDL Darion Smith, MOSTLB Colin Bohanek, SIULB Tucker Langenberg, UNI LB Tye Niekamp, ILS

LB Wyatt Pedigo, UND DB PJ Hall, MOSTDB Keondre Jackson, ILS DB Todric McGee, MOST DB Cale Reeder, SDSU DB Ubayd Steed, SIU

LS Kaydon Olivia, SDSU PK Griffin Crosa, NDSU P Hunter Dustman, SDSU RS Tucker Large, SDSU AP Vinson Davis III, SIU

Honorable mention:

QB Aidan Bouman, USD RB Tye Edwards, UNIRB Jacardia Wright, MOST RB Gaven Ziebarth, UND FB Scotty Presson Jr., ILS WR Desmond Hutson, UNI WR Eddie Kasper, ILS

WR Sergio Morancy, UNIWR Jmariyae Robinson, MOST TE Layne Pryor, UNITE Aidan Quinn, SIUOL Seth Anderson, UNDOL Ashton Flynn, MUROL Jake Green, SIUOL Cash Hudson, MOSTOL Hutson Lillibridge, MOST

DL Gianini Belizaire, INS DL Carter Hewitt, UNI DL Jake Siegel, ILSLB Ben Belken, UNI

LB Geoffrey Brown, INSLB Tahj Chambers, MOSTLB Jalan Gaines, ILSLB Lavoise Deontae McCoy, ILS DB Shahid Barros, USDDB Jonathan Cabral-Martin, UNI DB Mark Cannon Jr., ILSDB Sam Jung, NDSUDB Avery Powell, MOSTDB Kanyon Walker, MURLS Caden Bolz, MOSTLS Sam Merryman, YSU PK Hunter Dustman, SDSU PK Andrew Lastovka, YSU P Noah Pettinger, UNIAP Bo Belquist, UNDAP RaJa Nelson, NDSU

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota State football first, South Dakota third in Missouri Valley preseason poll