More than 30 high school seniors have signed letters of intent to play football at Chadron State College beginning next fall, CSC Coach Jay Long said Thursday. A majority of them are from the four-state area with nine of them Nebraskans, 10 from Colorado and three each from South Dakota and Wyoming.
Long said the list includes 10 offensive linemen and 10 defensive backs, the two areas that he said need the most bolstering. However, numerous all-stars who will play the skill positions also signed with the Eagles.
The recruits include quarterback Austin Payne of Grand Island Northwest, who led Class B in passing last fall by completing 233 of 365 passes for 2,662 yards and 20 touchdowns, and Aiden Kuester (Kooster) of Neligh-Oakdale, who set a national 8-man record for most career total offense yards, but is expected to play safety for the Eagles.
Linebacker candidates include Ben Andreasen of Lincoln Pius X, who was the second leading tackler in Class B last fall, and Liam Blaser of Columbus High, who earned the third most tackle points in Class A and was named the Class A Diamond in the Rough by Huskerland Prep magazine last fall.
Also on the list of Nebraska recruits is Devyn Jones, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards and scored 18 touchdowns for Papillion-LaVista High last fall, along with two players from Grand Island High, defensive tackle Bo Douglass and tight end Cole Thorne.
Long said he likes the potential possessed by Kaden Bohnsack of Gering at tight end and is glad the Eagles were able to sign Kyan Allen of Scottsbluff as a cornerback candidate.
The coach is especially pleased with that Chadron State landed three outstanding prospects from his home state of South Dakota. They include Cedar Amiotte, who led Wall to the 9-man AA state title last fall while rushing for nearly 1,100 yards and scoring 23 touchdowns. Amiotte intercepted 18 passes during his career.
The other recruits from South Dakota include linebackers Reese Jacobs of Sturgis, a two-time state champion wrestler, and Griffin Clubb of Howard, who averaged 10 yards a carry last fall.
The Wyoming signees include two outstanding receiver prospects. Wyatt Crogg of Star Valley set the state record while catching passes totaling 1,253 yards last season, and Garet Schlabs of Cheyenne East, who had 10 receptions for 239 yards in a game against Campbell County High his junior year.
The third Wyoming gridder joining the Eagles is Cooper Lakin of Burns, who participated in 126 tackles last fall, and, like Crogg and Schlabs, was a Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 selection.
Long also said that, as usual, several all-state and all-conference players from Colorado have signed to Chadron State. More information about them will soon be made available.
Long added that nine football players, most of them transfers, enrolled at CSC at the start of the second semester and are participating in the Eagles’ winter workouts. He added that all but two players who were on last fall’s team and had eligibility remaining are still a part of the program.
