VERMILLION, S.D. — The University of South Dakota football team’s offensive line appeared to be in very good shape following last season.
The Coyotes were set to return four starters, including a pair of all-conference performers from 2024. However, with spring practice now concluded and the dust settled, USD is down to only one returning starter in the trenches. Now, minus four starters and with a new offensive line coach, the Coyotes will look for new faces to fill those all-important positions.
Following last season, center Joey Lombard was the only senior departure and one USD anticipated. However, former offensive line coach Jeff Nady departed the program in February for a new job at Vanderbilt, and second-team all-conference right tackle Bryce Henderson followed Nady to Nashville. That left three returning starters and an open position on the coaching staff.
The Coyotes eventually tabbed former Fresno State tight ends coach Patrick Markarian to fill Nady’s position. However, after spring practice began, USD suffered two more major blows to the offensive line, losing second-team all-conference left tackle Joe Cotton and starting left guard Jordan Larsen to the portal within 11 days. That left all-conference newcomer right guard Adrian Hawkins as the lone returner.
Although losing four starters in the trenches can be detrimental to a team’s title aspirations, those still in the room have used it as motivation. With established players gone, it left four critical offensive positions open, and competition was ripe during spring practice.
Nathan Swaffar / Mitchell Republic
Markarian said nobody’s position on the depth chart is guaranteed, and he expects everyone in the room to give their all as long as those positional battles haven’t been decided.
“It’s all up for grabs,” Markarian said. “I told the guys, ‘Listen, I’m a new face, you have a clean slate with me. It’s not like I’m coming in with any preconceived notions of you.’ And it’s just kind of increasing the competition in that room. … It’s going to be an open competition. We’re going to see how this thing goes, and it might even turn into something where it’s more than one guy to fill some of those shoes.”
Led by a star-studded line in 2024, USD kept Aidan Bouman’s pocket clean and the run game chugging along. The offensive line only allowed 13 sacks last season, the ninth-fewest given up in the country and second-fewest in the Missouri Valley. The only conference team that had better protection was South Dakota State, which led the nation with only nine sacks allowed.
In the run game, it’s no secret that Travis Theis and Charles Pierre Jr. were two of the best backs in the FCS, thanks in large part to the big men up front. Both were 1,000-yard rushers last season as the USD run game averaged the sixth-most rushing yards per game (215.9) and scored the third-most rushing touchdowns (42) in the FCS.
Nathan Swaffar / Mitchell Republic
Despite those four major departures, it’s not as if the USD O-line room is empty. Hawkins burst onto the scene last season after transferring in from Monmouth and was one of the top guards in the conference.
He also returns with a determined mindset, wanting to avenge the way last season ended and take his game up a notch.
“We definitely should have went all the way,” Hawkins said. “We all have that thing on our mind that happened in Bozeman last year, so we’re all trying to come back from that. We lost a lot of guys, so we have a lot of guys stepping up. I’m ready for the next level next season.”
Also coming back are Sam and Ben Kohls, who both have ample experience. Plus, young linemen such as Jacob Arop, Sam Hawker and Brendon Cripse have the opportunity to take another big step in their development with playing time there for the taking.
Nathan Swaffar / Mitchell Republic
Additionally, USD is very active in the portal at the moment. The Coyotes just hauled in their first commitment on Wednesday, landing Almarion Crim. The former three-star offensive line recruit started out at Houston before playing the last two seasons at Chattanooga, making starts at guard and tackle while only allowing one sack and 10 pressures in over 1,000 snaps. It’s likely USD will add a few more transfers along the offensive line over the coming weeks.
Regardless of who comes in or who remains as the beginning of next season approaches, Markarian expects constant competition in the room up until the season-opener on August 30 against Iowa State.
“Competition brings the best in people, and I think the more competition there is, the better your room is going to be because you can’t get comfortable,” Markarian said. “You’re going to have to earn it, and there are guys on your heels that are going to take that job too here real soon. If you don’t carry your end of the bargain and keep progressing along, you can get passed up at the end of the day.”
Nathan Swaffar is a sports reporter for the Mitchell Republic. He joined the Mitchell Republic in July 2024 after graduating from the University of Kansas in May of 2024 with a degree in journalism and a minor in history. He covers a variety of prep and collegiate sports throughout South Dakota including USD Football.
