South Dakota State University head football coach John Stiegelmeier announced Wednesday commitments from 20 high school standouts and one junior college transfer, kicking off college football’s inaugural early signing period.

“We are excited as a coaching staff to add these 21 student-athletes to our football family,” Stiegelmeier said. “I am truly blessed by a great staff - the amount of work our assistant coaches do to recruit a class of this quality through our season and playoff run is phenomenal. I expect each of these student-athletes to have a huge impact on our program at some point.”

The recruiting class includes:

Ian Bass, 6-4, 275, offensive lineman, Rosemount, Minnesota;

Logan Busch, 6-4, 315, offensive lineman, Beresford; (transfer from Iowa Western CC);

Matt Connors, 6-4, 195, quarterback, Collierville, Tennessee;

Ti’jaih Davis, 6-1, 180, cornerback, Boys Town, Nebraska;

Nicholas Garlisch, 6-0, 195, safety, St. Charles, Illinois;

J’Bore Gibbs, 6-3, 220, quarterback, Chicago, Illinois;

Garret Greenfield, 6-6, 265, offensive lineman, Rock Valley, Iowa;

Zach Heins, 6-7, 230, tight end, Sioux Falls;

Clayton Hooper, 5-10, 175, defensive back, Chandler, Arizona;

Max Howard, 6-7, 320, offensive lineman, Sioux Falls;

Ryan Kluver, 6-5, 240, defensive end, Buffalo, Minnesota;

Blake Kunz, 6-5, 240, tight end, Germantown, Wisconsin;

Michael Littleton, 6-3, 210, athlete, Wichita, Kansas;

Mason McCormick, 6-4, 300, offensive lineman, Sioux Falls;

Caleb Sanders, 6-1, 260, defensive lineman, Glenwood, Iowa;

Cade Terveer, 6-3, 240, defensive end, Brandon;

Jayd Vanderwerff, 6-1, 190, wide receiver/safety, Gregory;

Ryan Van Marel, 6-4, 245, defensive tackle, Sheldon, Iowa;

Trajan Walhof, 6-5, 250, defensive tackle, Sioux Center, Iowa;

Saiveon Williamson, 6-1, 195, defensive back, Waseca, Minnesota;

Samuel Willmott, 6-3, 250, defensive lineman, Rosemount, Minnesota.

Ian Bass

Bass was selected as his team’s most valuable player as a senior at Rosemount High School. During his junior campaign, he was a first-team all-conference honoree who also was selected as a member of the Minneapolis Star Tribune all-Metro Offense First Team. A three-time scholar-athlete award recipient, Bass plans to pursue a degree in engineering.

Logan Busch

Busch played two seasons at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs and was a member of the 2017 squad that won the Graphic Edge Bowl, finishing with an 11-1 record. In high school, he was a member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 for football and averaged 21 points and 17 rebounds per game his senior season in basketball for Beresford High School. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Mike, who was quarterback for the Jackrabbits during the 1984-85 seasons, and his older brother, Landon, who played baseball at SDSU.

Matt Connors

Connors started three seasons at quarterback, first at Lemoore Union High School in California before moving on to Collierville High School in Tennessee. His career prep totals include 5,269 passing yards, 51 passing touchdowns and 15 rushing touchdowns. In earning second-team all-region honors as a senior, he threw for 2,353 yards and 26 touchdowns, while adding four scores on the ground. Connors plans to major in sport and recreation management.

Ti’jaih Davis

Davis earned multiple all-conference honors and was a first-team all-state selection as a defensive back at Boys Town High School near Omaha. He tallied a pair of interceptions as a senior and finished his prep career with 12 pickoffs and an average of 3.5 tackles per game. A member of the National Honor Society, Davis intends to major in chemical engineering.

Nicholas Garlisch

Garlisch earned first-team all-conference recognition two times and was an all-area selection his senior season for Saint Charles East High School in the Chicagoland area. He excelled in all three phases of the game by averaging 7.5 yards per carry and 20 yards per reception on offense, recording a touchdown via both a kickoff and punt return, and tallying a pair of interceptions and a forced fumble on defense. Garlisch plans to begin his academic pursuits as a pre-veterinary science major.

J’Bore Gibbs

Gibbs twice earned first-team all-state honors as a dual-threat quarterback at Phillips High School in Chicago, which he helped lead to state titles in 2015 (Class 4A) and 2017 (Class 5A). During his senior season, he passed for more than 2,000 yards with 24 touchdowns, while adding 600-plus yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. An all-academic selection, Gibbs intends to major in engineering.

Garret Greenfield

Greenfield was honored twice as his team’s most valuable offensive lineman at Rock Valley High School, while also seeing action on the defensive line. In addition, he has played basketball and baseball at the prep level. A three-time Academic Achievement honoree, Greenfield plans to major in agricultural business.

Zach Heins

Heins provided Washington High School with a big receiving target for three state championship teams. During his senior season, he caught 28 passes for 624 yards (22.3 yards per reception) and six touchdowns. Heins’ career totals include 46 receptions for 884 yards and eight scores. An academic all-state selection, he has yet to declare a major

Clayton Hooper

Hooper registered 55 tackles and recorded seven interceptions en route to second-team all-Premier Region honors as a senior at Hamilton High School. He plans to pursue a degree in criminal justice.

Max Howard

Howard earned all-conference honors during both his junior and senior seasons for Brandon Valley High School. Also a two-time academic all-state selection, he plans to major in mathematics.

Ryan Kluver

Kluver twice was honored as team defensive MVP and was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior at Buffalo High School. Over his final two seasons, he tallied 74 total tackles, including 21 for loss and 13 sacks. An honor roll student and two-time academic letterwinner, he has yet to declare a major.

Blake Kunz

Kunz received honorable mention all-state recognition, along with all-conference and all-region honors from the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, during his senior campaign at Germantown High School. In 10 games, Kunz hauled in 30 receptions for 652 yards (21.7 yards per reception) and nine touchdowns.

Michael Littleton

Littleton was a key member of two Kansas state championship teams at Derby High School. He combined to catch 11 touchdowns and total more than 900 receiving yards during his junior and senior seasons. Littleton plans to major in business.

Mason McCormick

McCormick earned first-team all-state honors and was a member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 after helping lead Roosevelt High School to the state championship game. McCormick also has competed in track and field. A scholar-athlete award recipient, he plans to major in construction management.

Caleb Sanders

Sanders has been a dominant performer both on the football field and wrestling mat during his prep career at Glenwood High School. A three-time all-state performer, Sanders’ career totals include 141 total tackles, 46 tackles or loss and 8.5 sacks. As a senior, he was credited with 53 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Sanders also has recorded respective fourth- and third-place finishes in the heavyweight division at the Class 3A Iowa state wrestling meet, including wrapping up his junior season with a 41-6 record. He intends to pursue an engineering degree.

Cade Terveer

Terveer was a three-year starter and a two-time all-conference selection at Brandon Valley High School. A member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45, Terveer set a school record with 13.5 sacks during his junior season. He followed that by registering nine sacks and 26 tackles for loss among his 57 total stops as a senior. Terveer’s career totals include 159 tackles, 65.5 tackles for loss and 31 sacks in three seasons. He plans to study business at SDSU.

Jayd Vanderwerff

Vanderwerff excelled on both sides of the ball for a Gregory High School program that won three state championships with him in the lineup. A four-time all-conference honoree and member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45, his career totals included 5,500 all-purpose yards, 60 touchdowns, 200 tackles and 12 interceptions. A multi-sport athlete, Vanderwerff is on pace to reach the 1,000-point mark in basketball this winter and has qualified for the state track and field meet four times. In addition, Vanderwerff was selected as the South Dakota recipient of the 2017 Wendy’s High School Heisman and is a member of National Honor Society. He intends to pursue a degree in sports medicine.

Ryan Van Marel

Van Marel received first-team all-state recognition from the Iowa Newspaper Association and was a two-time all-district selection during a standout all-around prep career at Sheldon High School. He registered back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, including tallying 101 total tackles with 19 tackles for loss in 2017. Van Marel also averaged a double-double for points and rebounds in basketball as a junior and is a two-time state track and field qualifier in the discus. An academic all-state selection and a member of the National Honor Society, he plans to study either business or engineering.

Trajan Walhof

Walhof earned all-district honors on both sides of the ball during his career at Sioux Center High School. He was an all-district honoree as an offensive lineman as a junior, then was honored as a defensive lineman as a senior, when he also was an all-Iowa selection by the Des Moines Register after tallying 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries. Walhof also placed fifth in the discus at the 2017 state track and field championships and has lettered three times in basketball. An academic all-district selection and member of the National Honor Society, he plans to major in mechanical engineering.

Saiveon Williamson

Williamson received all-conference recognition during both his junior and senior seasons at Waseca High School. His combined totals over his last two seasons included 66 tackles, 10 interceptions and 10 pass breakups. He is expected to pursue a degree in exercise science.

Samuel Willmott

Another member of the Rosemount High School football team, Willmott served as a team captain his senior season and was a second-team all-conference selection. He finished the 2017 season with 11 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions and a pass breakup. A four-time Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, Willmott plans to major in exercise science.

South Dakota State completed the 2017 season with the most wins in program history, posting an 11-3 overall record. The Jackrabbits made their sixth consecutive appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and reached the semifinals for the first time.

Photo from www.gojacks.com.