SDSU offense looks to lean on returning players

BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO) — The SDSU football team had the sixth best scoring offense help them to a championship title last season. Now, the Jacks offense will have a mix of new and old faces.

Mark Gronowski is one of the three returning starters on offense. Entering his fourth season as a Jackrabbit, Gronowski has a career record of 37-3 since leading the team as a true freshman back in 2020.

“I think Mark is the key piece of all of this. He touches the ball every play, but he’s also one of the most dynamic leaders that we’ve ever had at the school. I don’t know if we’ll ever measure Mark’s impact on this football team, you’ll see it years to come and just how the other players have learned from him over the last several years, just being in the program,” SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers said.

Gronowski became the first SDSU player to win the Walter Payton award in 2023. Now, the dual-threat QB looks sustain that drive under new offensive coordinator, Danny Freund.

“I’m really excited for what Coach Freund’s going to bring to the table this year. I mean, we’ve started building a really good relationship this past spring, and I know how hard it might be to come into a team like this and come into a quarterback room that has been so close. But he’s been able to mesh with us really, really well and has been an awesome coach so far,” SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski said.

The Jacks graduated a talented duo of receivers with the Janke twins, plus standout tight end Zach Heins. However, the return of Griffin Wilde should help lead the aerial attack.

“I know a lot of people know that name down in Sioux Falls. He’s going to be another great player for us who made a lot of plays last year, and he’s just a kid that always brings a smile every single day,” Gronowski said.

SDSU also lost Isaiah Davis and three offensive linemen, but that won’t change their goal of establishing the run.

“It always starts with running the football, and that’s the way it always is and I feel like the best teams always do it. You got to see our team do it last year, you got to see a top team like Michigan do it last year as well. So just continuing to run the football and then making plays off of that because if offense is running well, the defense starts to come down, we’re able to take shots over the top,” the quarterback said.

The team will meet Oklahoma State on August 31 to open the season.

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