By Thirty freshmen and five transfer students will join the Northern State University football team next season.
Head coach Mike Schmidt announced the recruiting class on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The players are from 12 states, and the class includes eight state champions and 14 all-state players.
Schmidt
The group is “filled with versatile football players that complement our class of 2024 and fill spots we didn’t address in last year’s class. … Our program has tremendous momentum, and this signing class believes in the direction of Northern State football,” Schmidt said in a news release.
One of the transfers is kicker Jackson Isakson, who played for Aberdeen Roncalli High and graduated from Aberdeen Christian. He spent two years at South Dakota State University.
“I am so excited to have Jackson Isakson back in Aberdeen. This is home for him. We watched how good he was his senior year playing for Roncalli… Great leg and great athlete,” Schmidt said.
Carter Campbell, a wide receiver from SMU, will also play for the Wolves next season.
“Carter has played in a college football playoff game. He has tremendous hands and explosiveness. He’s earned everything he’s gotten in college football,” Schmidt said.
MORE: Lindwurm discusses journey from Northern State walk-on to Paris Olympics
The class includes three quarterbacks, including two from South Dakota.
“Any recruiting class starts with the quarterbacks,” Schmidt said in the release. “We have three great ones signed. Holden (Havlik) and Boston (Katzer) are the two best QBs in South Dakota in this class, two great playmakers with high compete factors. Peyton (Lindell) is coming from a great program in Colorado…”
Information about all 35 incoming players follows.
Transfers
Lorenzo Jones Jr.: Defensive back; 6-0; 185; Orlando, Fla.; Edgewater HS; Minnesota State Mankato. A two-year starter in high school, he recorded 53 tackles and had three fumble recoveries while playing at Minnesota State.
Tasean Young Jr.: Defensive back; 5-10; 175; Oakland, Calif.; Antioch HS; Chadron State. In fall 2024 at Chadron, he had 30 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception.
Carter Campbell: Wide receiver; 6-0; 200; San Antonio; Ronald Reagan HS; Southern Methodist. He appeared in 23 games at SMU and, in 2023, earned the Tyler Lavine Walk-On of the Year Award.
Leo Gallegos: Defensive line; 6-2; 290; San Francisco; Abraham Lincoln HS; City College of San Francisco. With CCSF, he was named to the All-California defensive first team and to the Bay 6 All-Conference team on the defensive line.
Jackson Isakson: Quarterback/kicker/punter; 6-2; 195; Aberdeen; Aberdeen Christian; South Dakota State. A five-year starter for Aberdeen Roncalli, he earned all-conference and all-state honors. In fall 2023, he appeared in two games for the Jackrabbits.
MORE: Northern State falls to Bemidji in quest for second straight win
Incoming freshmen
Boston Katzer: Quarterback; 6-2; 200; Montrose; Lennox HS. A three-year starter for the Orioles, he threw for 7,820 career yards and 91 touchdowns, racking up a career high 3,249 yards as a senior. He earned all-state honors three times.
Holden Havlik: Quarterback; 6-3; 210; Wessington Springs HS. He was a four-year starter who, as a senior, threw for 1,789 yards and rushed for 266, recording 18 touchdowns. He was an all-state pick as a senior.
Peyton Lindell : Quarterback; 6-2; 200; Aurora, Colo.; Regis Jesuit HS. As a junior, he passed for 1,941 yards with 19 touchdowns before moving to wide receiver as a senior, adding four TDs and 262 yards.
Jayden Gournaris: Offensive line; 6-2; 275; Lakeville, Minn.; Farmington HS. He was a Prep RedZone Minnesota Showcase top-three offensive lineman and the most valuable player at the Line Scrimmage Holiday Clinic his junior year.
Riley Helgeson: Offensive line; 6-4; 295; Crookston, Minn.; Crookston HS. A four-year starter, he earned all-conference honorable mention status.
Ty Mikel: Offensive line; 6-5; 250; Pierre; T.F. Riggs HS. In 2023, he was a member of the Governors’ offensive line that didn’t allow a sack all year while helping accumulate 1,500 rushing yards and 2,500 passing yards as they won the state championship.
Michael Nolan: Offensive line; 6-5; 270; Milwaukee; Marquette University HS. His senior year, Nolan was a Greater Metro All-Conference selection as the Hilltoppers were state champions.
Bridger Peldo: Offensive line; 6-5; 280; Sheridan, Wyo.; Sheridan HS. In two seasons as the starting varsity center, Peldo did not give up a sack. He was an all-state player as a senior as the Broncs won their third straight state title.
Brecken Keoraj: Wide receiver; 5-7; 155; Elk River, Minn.; Elk River HS. Keoraj tallied 3,119 receiving yards with 31 touchdowns in his prep career and was an all-district selection his senior season.
Layne Johnson: Running back; 5-11; 205; Farmington, Minn.; Farmington HS. A two-year starter, he rushed for 585 yards and 5.6 yards per carry with six touchdowns as a senior.
Roland Sedlacek: Tight end; 6-4; 200; Custer; Custer HS. He was a four-year starter and two-time all-conference pick for the Wildcats, finishing with 85 receiving yards as a senior.
Cooper White: Wide receiver; 6-1; 185; Sun Prairie, Wis.; Sun Prairie East HS. He finished with 810 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns as a senior, racking up 1,704 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in his career.
Keaton Docken: Kicker/punter; 6-1; 165; Fargo, N.D.; Fargo South HS. Docken was a perfect 59 of 59 kicking extra points in his junior and senior seasons, making 15 of 20 field goals in that time.
Max Scott: Defensive line; 6-4; 230; St. Louis; Marquette HS. He notched 14.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and one interception in his final two high school seasons and was a two-time all-district selection.
Harrison Smith: Defensive line; 6-3; 235; Waverly, Neb.; Waverly HS. A four-year starter, he finished his high school career with 142 tackles, 38 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He was a two-time all-state selection, also earning super-state honors.
Kale Johnson: Linebacker; 6-3; 220; Papillion, Neb.; Papillion LaVista HS. Johnson had 219 career tackles, including 23 tackles for a loss, five sacks and four interceptions. He also played wide receiver and was an all-state honoree.
Cashton LaPlante: Linebacker/long snapper; 6-3; 205; Hutto, Texas; Hutto HS. As a senior, LaPlante recorded 93 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, three and a half sacks and one blocked punt and was an all-state honorable mention pick.
Grady McCarten: Athlete; 6-0; 205; Cody, Wyo.; Cody HS. He rushed for 1,789 career yards and 31 touchdowns in high school and was a two-time all state selection. He was the 2023 offensive player of the year and a Super 25 pick. He also played linebacker.
Jake Merchlewitz: Linebacker; 5-11; 215; Woodbury, Minn.; East Ridge HS. He tallied 106 career tackles, including 86 his senior year when he was an all-conference honoree.
Sam Souerdyke: Linebacker; 6-3; 210; Hebron, Neb.; Thayer Central HS. He finished high school with 315 tackles and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 4,789 yards and 89 touchdowns, while averaging 45.8 yards per punt. He earned all-state honors on both defense and offense.
Zach Smith: Linebacker; 6-0; 215; Rosholt; Rosholt HS: A five-year starter, he finished with 105 tackles, including 71 solo tackles, 14 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. He twice earned all-region honors.
Jackson Waitkus: Linebacker; 5-11; 205; Sun Prairie, Wis.; Sun Prairie East HS. In his final two seasons, Waitkus notched 185 tackles, including 47 solo stops, 11 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
Grayson Fisher: Defensive back; 5-10; 175; Gretna, Neb.; Gretna East HS. He recorded 147 tackles and nine interceptions in his final two seasons, adding 812 all-purpose yards. He earned all-state honors as a senior and was twice an all-metro selection.
Drake Jellema: Defensive back; 6-0; 190; Brandon; Brandon Valley HS. In his prep career, Jellema finished with 147 tackles and five interceptions. He was an all-state selection as a senior.
Landon Kelley: Defensive back; 5-10; 165; St. Joseph, Mo.; Lincoln Southwest HS. A three-year starter, he tallied 90 tackles, 17 pass breakups, four interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his prep career.
Willem Hoefler: Defensive back; 6-0; 175, Saint Croix Falls, Wis.; Saint Croix Falls HS. During his final two seasons, Hoefler recorded 99 tackles, 20 pass breakups, five interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He was an all-state pick as a senior.
K’vaughn Landers: Defensive back; 6-0; 170; Blaine, Minn.; Blaine HS. As a senior, Landers recorded 55 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Malachi Mack: Defensive back; 5-11; 170; Milwaukee; Wauwatosa East HS. As a senior, Mack finished with 53 tackles, including 15 for a loss, three sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and an interception returned for a touchdown. He earned all-state honors.
Antonio Moore: Defensive back; 6-0; 180; Gurnee, Ill.; Warren Township HS. Moore recorded 46 tackles in each of his final two seasons, adding seven interceptions, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He was an all-region pick as a senior.
Cole Ruesink: Defensive back; 5-11; 185; Dell Rapids; Dell Rapids HS. As a senior, he finished with 37 tackles and eight interceptions, adding 1,469 yards and 12 scores on offense. He’s a two-time all-state pick.