Griffin Wilde & Evan Beerntsen to Northwestern, Bryce Hawthorne to Iowa, Angel Johnson to Washington State
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – New South Dakota State head football coach Dan Jackson seems to have effectively maintained a large portion of his returning roster; however, some significant departures were expected through the transfer portal following last Saturday’s news of Jimmy Rogers leaving for the head coaching role at Washington State.
On Saturday, several transfers were confirmed, including notable players who were likely starters for the upcoming Jackrabbit football season, among them a pair of South Dakota natives. Jefferson alum Griffin Wilde announced on Twitter/X that he is transferring to Northwestern to join former Jackrabbit quarterback and current Wildcats offensive coordinator Zach Lujan.
During his two seasons at SDSU, Wilde caught 90 passes for over 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns, with most of that production coming last year as a sophomore when he served as the team’s primary receiver. Griffin has two years of eligibility remaining, and interestingly, the Jackrabbits are set to face Northwestern in 2026, which will be Wilde’s senior year.
Additionally, Angel Johnson, a graduate of Viborg-Hurley, is also transferring to Washington State to join Rogers.
Over four seasons, he has accumulated over 1,100 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, and last season, he also stood out as a premier kick returner, averaging 25 yards per game and scoring a touchdown.
He has one year of eligibility left.
Currently, here are some other players we’ve been able to verify through direct sources or national outlets. We will keep this list updated as new information becomes available.
Starting senior offensive lineman Evan Beerntsen will be joining Wilde at Northwestern.
Northwestern adds its second notable transfer from South Dakota State today, as offensive lineman Evan Beerntsen is joining the Wildcats, according to sources. He was a first-team all-conference guard for SDSU, and joins a reshaped offensive line for Northwestern in 2025.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 4, 2025
The senior has made 41 starts at Brooking and has one year of eligibility left.
Freshman Bryce Hawthorne shared on Twitter/X that he is transferring to the University of Iowa, and the school has confirmed this.
A redshirt who participated in three games in 2023, Hawthorne appeared in 17 games over two seasons at SDSU. Last season, he recorded a total of 22 tackles, with 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
He will have three years of eligibility left.
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