By Jon Akre

605 Sports

LENNOX — Leif Karlson will play for the Jackrabbits.

The Lennox junior announced his decision to play college football for South Dakota State University on Feb. 5.

Karlson, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound defensive lineman, held offers from fellow FCS powers University of South Dakota, North Dakota State and the University of North Dakota, but ultimately landed on the Jacks.

He received all four offers within the past month making for a quick recruiting journey.

“It all kind of happened pretty fast,” Karlson said of the recruiting process. “SDSU was the first one to offer me and everyone kind of followed after that.”

After going on visits to each school, Karlson chose Brookings to play at the next level. He says the relationship he built with the coaching staff played a huge role in the decision.

I’m excited to announce that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at South Dakota State University! Huge thank you to my family and coaches for helping me get to this point. I’m grateful for the opportunity and excited for what’s ahead! @LennoxHSFB… pic.twitter.com/vv8CfKZ6E0

; leifkarlson (@leifkarlson) February 6, 2026

“I got to build a pretty good relationship with the coaches and they’re great people so I feel like that was a big factor for me and I feel like I was able to do that a lot at South Dakota State,” Karlson said.

“I did put a lot of thought into it. It was a little stressful at times but I went through all of my checklists. I went through every aspect I’d want in a school and I feel like South Dakota State checked all those off. The coaches there, they’re great people who are looking to develop me as a player and a person.”

Karlson also noted the growing trend of South Dakota kids that are playing for the Jackrabbits.

Karlson is already the third SD native to commit to the Jacks in the Class of 2027, including Sioux Falls Lincoln quarterback Brody Schafer and Brandon Valley tight end Austin Dowd.

“They’re building something cool with the program,” Karlson said. “Looking to bring in all these South Dakota kids in because they want to build that culture up which it’s very cool to be a part of.”

While it was a quick decision, Karlson says he’s glad to have it done and out of the way as he preps for his senior year with the Orioles.

“It happened pretty fast but I didn’t rush through anything,” Karlson said. “It definitely took a lot of weight off my back because now that I’ve made this commitment I can just move forward and get back to focusing on my training, school, and getting better for my senior season.”

Karlson has been a key piece in the Orioles success the past two seasons, finishing runner-up this past season and winning the Class 11A championship for the first time since 1982 in 2024.

He was selected as an all-state defensive lineman as a junior, finishing with 43 tackles (22 tackles for loss) and 18 sacks. Karlson will look for one more run at a state title with Lennox this fall before heading to Brookings.

“I can focus my attention on getting myself better, getting my teammates better and just getting us in a good spot for next year because we’ve got a good group of guys and we’re going to be able to do a lot with what we have,” Karlson said.