2019 SMSU Mustangs: Let's ride!

[NSICFballFan]

Correct. Great place. If we can get kids here they love it. Getting them here is a challenge. I have my thoughts, but I don't run admissions nor am I an administrator at SMSU.

Getting talent to Marshall has not been a problem. It just has not been regional talent. The SMSU C/O 2020 had some of the best athletes of any NSIC recruiting class. They had a few recruits with FCS offers that for one reason or another ended up at SMSU. The problem has been keeping players on campus. SMSU has already lost 14 of the freshman from the C/O 2020. This is not a covid issue. It's been that way at SMSU since I've followed NSIC football. That's why SMSU always has very few non-transfer 4th/5th year seniors on the roster. They have a hard time keeping and developing talent.

[UMary1]

I haven't been to Marshall, I am not knocking it but its wikipedia page says it has a population of 14,000 and its picture has a main strip. I am assuming the night life and bar scene isnt that appealing to a student athlete. Also if a group of athletes want a night on the town theyd likely not fly under the radar. Take a stud athlete who comes in from say TX or AZ, frigid temps, same bar scene. Add a quick 2-3 loses and ya back home or another destination seems appealing. Were living in a different era, kids hit a bump in the road and a lot them say ^&&% this im out.

[SW_Mustang]

I haven't been to Marshall, I am not knocking it but its wikipedia page says it has a population of 14,000 and its picture has a main strip. I am assuming the night life and bar scene isnt that appealing to a student athlete. Also if a group of athletes want a night on the town theyd likely not fly under the radar. Take a stud athlete who comes in from say TX or AZ, frigid temps, same bar scene. Add a quick 2-3 loses and ya back home or another destination seems appealing. Were living in a different era, kids hit a bump in the road and a lot them say ^&&% this im out.

Marshall is a great town for raising a young family or for starting a career, but it's just not a great town for your average college student. I never got involved much with the nightlife, but I'm told the bar scene is really lacking. It's pretty much just made up of 3-4 places downtown. Outdoor recreation is severely lacking, there are very few amenities on/near campus, and we don't draw any music or entertainment - unless you consider $5 Thursdays at the movie theater, I guess.

I could go on - point is, the town isn't a "college town" so much as it is a town with a college in it. Are there worse? Absolutely - I've been to many. That doesn't exactly mean that we're great, or even above average. I stuck it out because it was cheap, not because it was a great "college experience" - if I'm being honest.

[UMary1]

Marshall is a great town for raising a young family or for starting a career, but it's just not a great town for your average college student. I never got involved much with the nightlife, but I'm told the bar scene is really lacking. It's pretty much just made up of 3-4 places downtown. Outdoor recreation is severely lacking, there are very few amenities on/near campus, and we don't draw any music or entertainment - unless you consider $5 Thursdays at the movie theater, I guess.

I could go on - point is, the town isn't a "college town" so much as it is a town with a college in it. Are there worse? Absolutely - I've been to many. That doesn't exactly mean that we're great, or even above average. I stuck it out because it was cheap, not because it was a great "college experience" - if I'm being honest.

Thanks for the honest feedback SW_Mustang. At the end of the day its what you make of it. Like you said there much worse college towns out there.

[SW_Mustang]

Thanks for the honest feedback SW_Mustang. At the end of the day its what you make of it. Like you said there much worse college towns out there.

Absolutely. It's all a matter of perspective.

IMO, Marshall is a great town, but what makes it great doesn't translate into appeal for 18-22 y/o folks. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, nor is there anything wrong with students wanting what they want. It was fine for me, and I got what I needed out of it - but I will definitely not be going rural for grad school if I can help it.

[Matt Witwicki]

hudl.com/v/2CUM4tJoined March 2016

[Stanger86]

hudl.com/v/2CUM4tJoined March 2016

Not surprised, but that sucks

[SW_Mustang]

I saw he went JUCO, but wasn't sure where. I assumed CCCAA. Thanks for sharing!

[MrMustang]

Getting talent to Marshall has not been a problem. It just has not been regional talent. The SMSU C/O 2020 had some of the best athletes of any NSIC recruiting class. They had a few recruits with FCS offers that for one reason or another ended up at SMSU. The problem has been keeping players on campus. SMSU has already lost 14 of the freshman from the C/O 2020. This is not a covid issue. It's been that way at SMSU since I've followed NSIC football. That's why SMSU always has very few non-transfer 4th/5th year seniors on the roster. They have a hard time keeping and developing talent.

Not surpised if we have already lost 14 of those kids. I haven't gone through and looked closely but I know 2 or 3 of the big recruits we were very excited about are gone without ever playing a game. Disappointing. Hard to know why. MY sense is COVID has much to do with it . Minnesota is locked down. Way more than bordering states. It sucks and don't think kids don't notice.

[MrMustang]

hudl.com/v/2CUM4tJoined March 2016

Interesting to say the least. I felt SMSU was a good fit both ways. He obviously didn't get that FCS offer he expected so he went the JUCO route. Will be interesting to see how he fairs and if he really is a D2 QB or ultimately ends up at FCS.

[MrMustang]

I haven't been to Marshall, I am not knocking it but its wikipedia page says it has a population of 14,000 and its picture has a main strip. I am assuming the night life and bar scene isnt that appealing to a student athlete. Also if a group of athletes want a night on the town theyd likely not fly under the radar. Take a stud athlete who comes in from say TX or AZ, frigid temps, same bar scene. Add a quick 2-3 loses and ya back home or another destination seems appealing. Were living in a different era, kids hit a bump in the road and a lot them say ^&&% this im out.

Marshall is great. What you make of it. I had no problem with the 3-4 bars that were available when I was in college. Who we kidding, in any college town there are maybe 2-3 bars that the college kids actually go to . I mean how many bars in Bismarck to U Mary kids actually frequent. Can't be a dozen. I get there is a great variety of restaurants, but college kids don't have any money anyway ! We're told we have to forgive college loans? How the hell can they afford $50 at the Texas Roadhouse? Not trying to be smart allecky, but the reality is football takes up all their time anyway. Maybe the program isn't what they thought. Maybe they decided college football isn't for them. Could be a variety of reasons.

I do think you make a great point on athletes from the Twin Cities or far away thinking things aren't that exciting though ! That's a fair complaint and also goes for Wayne, Crookston, Bemidji, etc. Hard if kids don't wanna try. But I also can't blame them for leaving if it doesn't end up being what they expected.

Things have really changed in the last 10 years with social media etc and I think kids expectations are much more UNREASONABLE than even 10 years ago. So coaches and schools have to adapt. COVID also hasn't helped. Hard to make friends when the college says you can't go hang out in dorm rooms down the hall because we are health Nazis.Also COVID has added another layer of mental health issues that weren't previously there. Adjusting college can be tough, even tougher when kids are locked up. We can't tell kids they don't get to go out and enjoy life and then be surprised they think the town and college sucks when they can't actually ecxperience it.

In the past I have been critical of SMSU for the inability to keep kids around long term, but I think the coaches get as pass this past year. COVID has completely changed everything..

[Stanger86]

Things have really changed in the last 10 years with social media etc and I think kids expectations are much more UNREASONABLE than even 10 years ago. So coaches and schools have to adapt. COVID also hasn't helped. Hard to make friends when the college says you can't go hang out in dorm rooms down the hall because we are health Nazis.Also COVID has added another layer of mental health issues that weren't previously there. Adjusting college can be tough, even tougher when kids are locked up. We can't tell kids they don't get to go out and enjoy life and then be surprised they think the town and college sucks when they can't actually ecxperience it.

My nephew is a freshman at a MIAC school. Not an athlete, but lives on-campus on a floor with a lot of athletes. Said there are rules to not hang out in dorm rooms, only common areas in the dorm, and only with people from your own floor. Said no one really follows those rules though, but I'd imagine there are plenty of places that do.

[vikingfaithful]

If I counted correctly SMSU added 69 signees on National signing day, that's a lot of recruits. Did Coach Sauter clean house or was there a great deal of athletes quit the team? That is the largest recruiting class I've ever seen.

[Stanger86]

If I counted correctly SMSU added 69 signees on National signing day, that's a lot of recruits. Did Coach Sauter clean house or was there a great deal of athletes quit the team? That is the largest recruiting class I've ever seen.

Way to undersell them!

1. Zach Ahrendt OL 6-3 270 Freshman Luverne, Minn. / Luverne
2. Blake Allen RB 5-8 180 Freshman Murrieta, Calif. / Rancho Christian
3. Jake Anderson WR 6-2 168 Freshman Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake
4. Colton Andrews DB 5-11 160 Freshman Omaha, Neb. / Millard West
5. Collin Asplin ATH 6-0 180 Freshman Dassel, Minn. / Dassel-Cokato
6. Donald Austin RB 5-10 215 Freshman Hartland, Wis. / St. John's Northwestern
7. Philip Austin LB 5-11 205 Freshman Brookfield, Wis. / St. John's Northwestern
8. Cameron Banks LB 6-0 215 Freshman McKinney, Texas / McKinney North
9. Lincoln Benson LB 6-2 215 Freshman St. Cloud, Minn. / St. Cloud Tech
10. Hunter Bohannon DB 5-11 195 Freshman Del Mar, Calif. / Westview
11. Brandon Bortnem DB 5-10 180 Freshman Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove
12. David Chinlund OL 6-6 255 Freshman Woodstock, Ill. / Woodstock
13. Tyress Claiborne LB 5-11 210 Junior Romulus, Mich. / Romulus Dakota College at Bottineau
14. Jeremiah Collier ATH 6-4 195 Freshman Lincoln, Neb. / Lincoln Northeast
15. Nate Cunningham CB 5-10 155 Freshman Palmadale, Calif. / Mesa
16. Nick DeLeo OL 6-5 295 Freshman Newark, Del. / Delaware Military Academy
17. Hamidou Diallo LB 6-1 200 Freshman San Antonio, Texas / Harlan
18. Parker Diffey OL 6-3 270 Freshman Eagle, Idaho / Eagle
19. Cole Dretzka DE 6-3 225 Freshman Mukwonago, Wis. / Mukwonago
20. James Farless OL 6-3 275 Freshman Lincoln, Neb. / Lincoln Southeast
21. Willie Garrison RB 6-1 195 Redshirt Freshman Milwaukee, Wis. / Homestead Kansas State
22. Jake Geisbauer DB 5-10 195 Junior Canyon County, Calif. / Bishop Alemany University of the Redlands
23. Austin Gibson RB 6-1 200 Freshman La Porte, Texas / North Oldham
24. Andrew Haidet QB 6-5 230 Senior Plano, Texas / John Paul II Northern Illinois
25. Maurice Hampton WR 6-2 180 Redshirt Freshman Las Vegas, Nev. / Liberty
26. Brye Hardel RB 6-2 240 Freshman Scandinavia, Wis. / Lola-Scandinavia
27. Josiah Hedensten LB 6-2 180 Freshman Medford, Minn. / Medford
28. Jario Hernandez OL 6-3 265 Freshman West Palm Beach, Fla. / Palm Beach Lakes
29. Jalani Jefferson CB 6-1 185 Freshman Murrieta, Calif. / Vista Murrieta
30. Avery Johnson DT 6-3 255 Freshman Lomira, Wis. / Lomira
31. LeDevin Johnson DB 5-10 160 Freshman Sacramento, Calif. / Consumnes Oaks
32. Adam Kiatamba CB 5-9 170 Freshman Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Anoka
33. Joachim Kloeppel LB 6-2 225 Freshman Jordan, Minn. / Jordan
34. Sefa Leatimua LB 6-1 220 Freshman Fountain, Colo. / Pacifica
35. Julius Letuligasenoa TE 6-1 235 Freshman San Diego, Calif. / Helix Charter
36. OBJ Lightbourne DB 5-9 160 Freshman West Palm Beach, Fla. / Palm Beach Lakes
37. Eric Lira WR 5-11 175 Freshman Phoenix, Ariz. / Mesquite
38. Grant Louwagie LB 6-1 190 Freshman Marshall, Minn. / Marshall
39. Colin Maher WR 6-3 190 Freshman San Antonio, Texas / Harlan
40. Diego Maldonado DB 5-11 200 Freshman Las Vegas, Nev. / Spring Valley
41. Mario Mendoza DE 6-4 220 Freshman Appleton, Wis. / Appleton East
42. Shawn Martinez OL 6-2 305 Freshman La Mesa, Calif. / Helix Charter
43. Eumari Massey WR 5-9 165 Freshman San Antonio, Texas / Harlan
44. Justus McComb QB 6-0 195 Freshman El Cajon, Calif. / Granite Hills
45. Jake McHugh-Sake TE 6-5 210 Freshman LaCrosse, Wis. / Logan
46. Ernest Moore OL 6-8 320 Senior San Francisco, Calif. / Washington Hawaii
47. Tyler Nebelung OL 6-5 240 Freshman Ramsey, Minn. / Anoka
48. Anthony Ortiz OL 6-3 260 Freshman Phoenix, Ariz. / Mountain Pointe
49. Joren Palmer OL 6-1 245 Freshman Fargo, N.D. / Davies
50. Jayden Parafina CB 6-0 160 Freshman San Diego, Calif. / Morse
51. Shawn Prejean RB 5-8 180 Junior Gardena, Calif. / Crenshaw El Camino College
52. David Quintanilla CB 5-11 190 Sophomore Temecula, Calif. / Chaparral Palomar College
53. Brian Raphael WR 5-8 170 Freshman Ft. Myers, Fla. / South Ft. Myers
54. Fabian Reid DL 6-1 260 Freshman Omaha, Neb. / Bryan
55. Gavin Roanhouse DE 6-6 240 Freshman Waterford, Wis. / Waterford Union
56. Jake Schetinski OL 6-3 265 Freshman White Bear Lake, Minn. / Mahtomedi
57. Domonick Schoop DB 5-11 180 Freshman San Diego, Calif. / Helix Charter
58. Tavon Scott ATH 5-9 170 Freshman Las Vegas, Nev. / Spring Valley
59. Jesse Sherwood RB 5-9 205 Junior Minneapolis, Minn. / Robbinsdale Armstrong Central Lakes College
60. Brandon Smiley CB 5-10 175 Freshman Hanover Park, Ill. / Glenbard North
61. Cordell Smiley CB 5-10 175 Redshirt Freshman Hanover Park, Ill. / Glenbard North
62. Keilan Smith ATH 5-8 150 Freshman Los Angeles, Calif. / Fairfax
63. Daniel Sosa WR 6-0 185 Freshman Upland, Calif. / Upland
64. Kenneth Stevenson RB 6-0 190 Freshman San Diego, Calif. / Lincoln
65. Kellen Stewart OL 6-3 260 Freshman Apple Valley, Minn. / Eastview
66. David Tibbs OL 6-7 290 Freshman Clearwater, Fla. / Countryside
67. Adrian Tolbert WR 6-5 205 Junior San Diego, Calif. / Castle Park Grossmont College
68. Danny Velasquez QB 6-0 200 Junior Turlock, Calif. / Turlock Modesto Junior College
69. Billy West OL 6-3 250 Freshman Port St. Lucie, Fla. / Treasure Coast
70. Dayjiohn Wheeler WR 6-5 210 Freshman Long Beach, Calif. / Roosevelt
71. Terry Wright WR 5-10 180 Junior San Diego, Calif. / St. Augustine Southwestern College
72. Darhon Yarbrough TE 6-2 235 Freshman San Diego, Calif. / Morse

[Purple Mav Man]

Looks like they started over.