SDSU spring football update 4/24

Here's the latest from South Dakota State spring football. The season wraps Saturday morning with the annual spring game. Better start boning up on the scoring system:

As the projected new starters get used to their roles, it makes some sense to shift focus to the new backups.
So far, freshman Freeman Simmons and upcoming sophomore Ezekial Herndon seem to be in line behind vets Jimmie Forsythe and Je Ryan Butler at corner.
Nick Mears, Nick Farina and Mark Pickerel are backing up Melvin Tavares and Jake Gentile at safety.
Those seem the most clear cut on the defensive side. There remains a mess of guys in the mix at linebacker, defensive tackle and defensive end.

True freshman defensive tackle Kellen Soulek from Yankton High is surprisingly athletic considering his massive frame. On Monday, the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder was beating offensive linemen in one-on-one drills with spin moves.

Jacks quarterback Austin Sumner continues to rehab his surgically repaired shoulder. He said that if anything he's being held back to ensure that he doesn't go too far too fast.
Sumner said that he likely hurt the shoulder covering up a fumble in the regular-season finale at Youngstown State. It bothered him a little bit during the playoffs, but not to the point that he expected to need surgery after the season.

Linebacker Trent Mason has decided to transfer, according to coach John Stiegelmeier. The Californian appeared in four games last season as a redshirt sophomore, making one assisted tackle.

The Difference Makers booster club started by coach John Stiegelmeier as a way to supplement the program's budget has paid another dividend: It's helping SDSU retain Dan Jackson. The graduate assistant will become a paid assistant starting this summer.
He'll work with cornerbacks and become the lead recruiter in the Omaha area. He won that task by virtue of the work her did there with the most recent class, landing several sought-after players.
"It wasn't even really his area, but he's aggressive and young and knows how to use Facebook and all that stuff," Stiegelmeier said. "He's just really good."

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.