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Jun. 14—CANTON, S.D. — One of the top in-state athletes in the 2025 class is going to be a Coyote.
Canton High School linebacker and versatile offensive player Cain Wallner pledged a verbal commitment to the University of South Dakota football team via social media on Wednesday.
Wallner also weighed offers from North Dakota State, North Dakota, the University of Sioux Falls and Army, and spoke with a handful of Power Four coaches. But to Wallner, USD stood out.
“They first offered me in September, and I was kind of just building a relationship throughout,” Wallner said. “And I was still trying to go to Power Four camps and get those offers. But when it didn’t work out with the Minnesota camp, I decided it was the best fit for me at USD.”
Wallner’s relationship with the Coyotes goes back to the spring of his sophomore year in 2023, when linebacker coach Elijah Hodge reached out for the first time. The two built a strong relationship, and Hodge did a convincing job showing Wallner how he would fit into the defense’s scheme and develop in the program.
“They would often compare me to Brock Mogensen and Stephen Hillis, kind of how they came up through the system,” Wallner said. “And obviously, my goal is to be a professional football player. So that’s where I’d want to be. And I want to be my own person, but that’s the main comparison that they had for me.”
Signing Wallner marks a recruiting win for South Dakota, which has been steadily increasing the amount of in-state kids in its program. USD had 13 players from the state on its 2023 roster, an uptick from just five in-state players in 2019. They signed three South Dakota natives to their 2024 recruiting class.
Wallner is the first in-state athlete to sign with the Coyotes in the 2025 class. But if he has it his way, he’ll convince a few more prospects to join him in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/seeking-continue-coyote-linebacking-pedigree-234600815.html
Author : The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
Publish date : 2024-06-14 23:46:00
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