BROOKINGS, S.D. – The South Dakota State Jackrabbits say it unabashed; they studied the North Dakota State football program in order to figure out how to elevate their own.
They analyzed the Bison model – what works, what doesn’t, how they do it – and Jackrabbits head coach Jimmy Rogers flat out admitted that. He doesn’t care that they are rivals battling for the Dakota Marker every year or that NDSU might get a little satisfaction out of their curriculum.
None of that matters, because it worked - SDSU caught them.
“We’ve chased North Dakota State and I’m not ashamed to say that; I think what they’ve done has been unheard of and maybe never done before,” Rogers said. “And in systematically trying to combat their success, we’ve been able to catch them.”
The Jacks have beaten their northerly foe five-straight times dating back to 2021, including one in the national championship. Now they’ll get a chance to defend that throne on Sunday in Frisco, Texas while picking up what would be their 29th-consecutive win.
So what is it about these programs that sets them apart, particularly the new wave that is SDSU?
They learned from the Bison that sometimes – more so, most of the time – taking the road less traveled when it comes to recruiting makes all the difference. They covet the high school athletes with no offers, one offer; it sounds backwards, but the proof is in the progress.
“We take the kid who wasn’t believed in in high school, and we develop him,” Rogers said. “And I can go down that list – you’d be shocked at how many players on our roster were non-scholarship or we were their only Division I opportunity. I bet you there’s probably just five or six kids who had more than South Dakota State as a Division I opportunity.”
“It’s not like our players were highly touted coming out of high school. We developed every single one of them. So I think there’s a buy-in in that. ‘Nobody believed in me when this school gave me an opportunity,’ so they stick with you.”
Instead of wasting time on athletes with Power 5 or Group of 5 offers, who nowadays are often uber-motivated by the financial offerings of larger programs, SDSU is honed in on players who are hungry for any opportunity. Guys that will feel indebted to the program for giving them a chance and, in this volatile age of transferring and NIL, continue to stick with the Jacks once developed.
That’s much like Rogers himself, who had MAC schools calling for his expertise over the years but turned them down.
“I had opportunities to always leave, multiple years, and I stayed,” Rogers said. “I’ve been one to think that the grass isn’t always greener … and here, it’s unique because I was a player here when we had nothing, this school gave me an opportunity as a player, something I dreamt of my whole life as far as playing Division I football … I just felt indebted to the program.”
It’s that very formula that has kept their team intact and given them a chance at a repeat championship. Recruit with a purpose, nurture their growth and reap the benefits.
Running back Isaiah Davis had only SDSU as a Division I offer out of high school – he’s now SDSU’s fourth all-time leading rusher and a future NFL player. Center Gus Miller was a walk-on out of their own backyard in Brookings – he won the 2023 Rimington Trophy for the best center in college football. The Janke twins, wide receivers, were basketball recruits before deciding late in the process they wanted to play football – they’ve become Jackrabbit legends in their own right. Quarterback Mark Gronowski had no stars on his recruiting profile – he took over the starting gig as a true freshman and is now considered one of the best in the country.
The list goes on, but these guys chose one school and like olden days, have fulfilled their commitment to that school, earning more than they ever imagined in the process.
“There’s a belief in what we do, there’s a culture set in place … and I think there’s a level of gratitude in the way things are done here,” Rogers said. “Will it always be sustainable? Probably not. But we’re going to make sure on our end as coaches and the community to give it our best to keep people here and treat them the right way.”
Man for the job
Handing the head coaching job over to Rogers once coaching legend John Stiegelmeier stepped down gave SDSU the best shot it has at continuing in its ways.
He’s young, relatable, committed to SDSU; he lived out the dream that Brookings hopes to make reality for so many under-recruited athletes.
If anyone can preserve their culture against the current climate of college football, it’s him. He’s unassuming, the perfect leader for a group of young men trying to build something of themselves and their football careers. He’s the living example of what the Jackrabbits program tries to create.
It’s why his transition into the lead role went so seamlessly; how he was able to retain so many players from last year’s championship team. He’s endlessly working to produce the optimal experience for his players – the same one he was afforded.
“Every morning I wake up thinking, ‘what do I got to do?’” Rogers said. “I don’t wake up thinking, ‘Man, this has been great.’ I’ve never been that way and I don’t know if I’ll ever be that way. This isn’t about me and my success, it’s about trying to create the most success for everybody, coaches included … something to be proud of, something to want to be a part of.”
That means having a chance at winning championships, and just like the bulk of their players evolving from nothing to something, SDSU made that happen – who better to keep it going than the guy who worked tirelessly towards that goal in every role during his time with the Jacks from graduate assistant to head coach?
“I knew the standard was to win a championship and anything less than a championship would be a failure, that had been that way for years,” Rogers said. “And what is the difference (now that I’m the head coach)? You feel the same pressure as the linebackers coach as the defensive coordinator as the head coach because you’re all in this together.”
“To say my names on it now and it’s more pressure – I had that same pressure as a player. It was always about being the best, being the last team left. I don’t really get caught up in the pressure. Who’s the pressure from? The media? I don’t really give a shit.”
With a championship victory on Sunday, one could ascertain his words are facts.