BROOKINGS — South Dakota State will carry the loss of Nate White with them all season long. The transfer running back from Wisconsin had seamlessly worked his way into the culture of the Jackrabbit football team in his six months in Brookings before he died in his sleep on June 25.
While the loss of a young man with his whole life in front of him is the greater tragedy, the games must go on, and White was going to be a major part of the Jackrabbit offense. A former four-star recruit out of Milwaukee, his Big Ten pedigree was expected to help SDSU overcome the loss of Amar Johnson (now of the Green Bay Packers) and Angel Johnson, Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods, who all followed former coach Jimmy Rogers to Washington State. White took the majority of the reps in the spring, though the Rabbits did go out and add a proven FCS rusher in Fordham transfer Julius Loughridge, whom they signed in May.
Loughridge now enters the season as the starter, and with more than 3,000 career rushing yards and a preseason All-America honor under his belt, he gives the Jacks what should be a legit featured back.
After that, the experience is limited, but that doesn’t mean the coaches are worried. They do not plan to add another player in the portal.
“We feel really good about where we’re at,” said head coach Dan Jackson. “I mean, I’m an optimist. Like, I just don’t see any reason, with our O-line and a quarterback who can run and the depth we have at receiver, I mean, all those things make things easier on a running back. We’re not asking those guys to carry our team. If we’re playing how we should play any of the guys we have should be able to do the job and do it really well.”
Loughridge is physically impressive. He’s ready to carry the load, and is taking on the leadership role in the…
Source link : https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/sports/college/south-dakota-state-still-feels-good-about-running-back-group
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Publish date : 2025-08-01 14:37:00
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