Wednesday was national college football signing day and below is a running list of South Dakota athletes that have signed to play with out-of-state college football programs. 

Three South Dakotans sign with Valley City State

Noah Paulson (Florence-Henry), Brent Bearman (Webster Area) and Emmitt Maher (Lemmon/McIntosh) signed national letters of intents to play college football for the Valley City State University Vikings.

Bearman, a 6-0, 190-pound linebacker, logged 101 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks last season. He was an all-state honorable mention selection.

Maher, a 6-foot-1, 215-pounder, was an all-state offensive lineman last season. He was a three-time all-conference player.

Paulson is a 6-foot-1, 245-pound defensive lineman. 

Moorhead signs two South Dakotans

Minnesota State University-Moorhead signed two South Dakota high school standouts to national letters of intents in Keegan DeYoung (Tea Area) and Peyton Young (St. Thomas More). 

A 5-foot-10, 195-pound running back, DeYoung rushed for 1,039 yards as a senior with 14 touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns for the Titans. He was an all-state and all-conference selection as a senior for Tea Area, while setting the single-game school record for rushing yards with 229. As a junior, was named an all-state and all-conference performer.

A 6-foot-0, 170-pound wide receiver, Young made 27 starts for St. Thomas More High School with a career-best game of eight catches, 164 yards and a pair of scores. He was a team captain for the football team as a senior and was an all-conference honoree. He was also an all-conference honorable mention twice during his career.

Wayne State College inks two South Dakota players

Pierre’s Spencer Easland and Brandon Valley’s Easton Poppe have signed to play college football at Wayne State College. 

A 6-foot-1, 180-pound safety, Easland was a two-year starter in football playing on back-to-back Class 11 AA state championship teams for the Governors. He had four interceptions during senior season and earned First Team All-State honors, while he also collected All-Conference First Team honors.

A 6-foot-6, 300-pound lineman, Poppe was a starting offensive lineman who helped Lynx to 7-4 record and Class 11AAA state semifinals in the 2023 season.

Pierre’s Spencer Skjonsberg signs with Mankato

Pierre’s Spencer Skjonsberg will play college football at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

A 6-foot-1, 195-pound defensive back, Skjonsberg was a two-year starter with the Governors, competing as both a cornerback and a safety. He helped his team win its seventh consecutive 11AA state championships in 2023, while he helped his team limit opponents to 12.0 ppg. He allowed just two receptions and no touchdowns during his senior season as he notched 35 tackles, 13 pass break ups and two interceptions

Southwest Minnesota State signs two South Dakotans 

Oldham-Ramona-Rutland’s Caden Hojer and Sioux Falls Jefferson’s Nelson Wright will join the Southwest Minnesota State University football team. 

A 6-foot-5, 225-pound lineman, Hojer was a four-year letter winner and four-year starter. He was an all-conference honoree and recorded 41 tackles with 28 solo stops as a senior. He closed his career with 82 tackles with 10 for loss and four sacks and forced five fumbles.

A 5-foot-9, 205-pound running back, Wright is transferring from Dordt University. A 2023 Jefferson graduate, Wright rushed for 1,311 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior. He was an all-state honoree and an all-conference performer. 

Five South Dakotans join Jimmies

The University of Jamestown signed five South Dakotans to letters of intent on Wednesday.

The future Jimmies include Brayden Comstock (Aberdeen Central), Hayden Kniss (Rapid City Stevens), Elijah Morrissette (Redfield), Nathan Schumacher (Herreid/Selby Area) and Avery Ligon (Aberdeen Central). 

Harding County’s Brennan Glines heads to Dickinson State

Dickinson State continued to tap into the Harding County pipeline on Wednesday.

Harding County’s Brennan Glines signed his letter of intent to play college football for the Blue Hawks. A 5-foot-11, 200-pounder, Glines racked up 43 tackles, 28 solo tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and four fumbles forced this past season. Glines racked up 18 career sacks. He was a two-time all-state defensive end, two-time all-conference player and team Defensive MVP. 

Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan’s Drake Gustason signs with Dordt 

Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan’s Drake Gustafson will play college football at Dordt University. 

Gustafson is a 6-3, 190 pounds and played quarterback and defensive back for the Seahawks. He ran for 11 touchdowns and passed for another four last season and had two interceptions and 50 tackles on defense. Gustafson was a part of two 11B state runner-up teams and four playoff qualifying teams. He was a 2023 11B all-state selection and was an all-conference selection in 2023 after earning honorable mention honors in 2022 after making 39 tackles and getting three interceptions.