BROOKINGS — South Dakota State took the field for the first practice of the spring season dark and early Tuesday morning at the SJAC, and new faces were everywhere.

Gone is the entire coaching staff from last year, having migrated to Washington State under Jimmy Rogers, and a slew of veteran players have moved on, too, either by graduation or the transfer portal.

And yet, with a whole new staff and only a smattering of returning starters, things felt….familiar.

The vibe was relaxed and positive. The new coaches looked and sounded comfortable in their surroundings.

Returning players took it upon themselves to lead individual drills and help newcomers in team sessions.

Meanwhile head coach Dan Jackson got his steps in jogging from station to station, mostly observing. This is his first time as a head coach, and he admitted he’s still figuring out what to do with himself during practice now that he no longer has a specific position group to lead.

But if the first day is any indication, any concerns about losing the culture built by John Stiegelmeier and maintained by Rogers should soon be alleviated.

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“The culture is everything here, and I want to take it further than it’s been,” said Jackson, a longtime assistant under Stiegelmeier who was most recently the defensive coordinator at Idaho. “There’s one standard around this place and we’re not gonna let it slip. The guys have taken a ton of pride in that and the staff has, too.”

Practice started at 6 a.m., which Jackson admitted is not ideal, but with classes and SJAC availability their hands are tied for now. The players didn’t seem to mind the early start, but as a few coaches noted, being fired up and ready to go at 6 a.m. on the opening day of practice is one thing; maintaining that enthusiasm for 15 practices is another.

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The offense, led by quarterback Chase Mason, receiver Grahm Goering and tackles Quentin Christensen and Sam Hagen, was sluggish in the early going on Tuesday but finished the day strong. The defense started fast, but, Jackson said, had too many lapses in concentration later in the day.

Mason looked sharp. If anything the former baseball star needs to work on taking some heat off some of his shorter throws. Tak Tateoka, a transfer who started for St. Thomas last year, is athletic with an intriguing set of tools.

The Jacks added a handful of transfers after Jackson was hired, several of whom stood out Tuesday.

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Former Wisconsin Badger Nate White shared carries with Brenden Begeman while Iowa Hawkeye transfer Jalyn Thompson looks like a Mike Morgan clone as an H-back.

Safeties Koby Bretz (Nebraska) and Graham Eben (Iowa) were both impressive, while Jackson has repeatedly expressed high hopes for linebacker Matt Goehring (USF) and offensive tackle John Pica (Dakota Wesleyan).

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“They’re all out here ready to go,” Jackson said of the newcomers. “Koby had an interception today, Nate White got a lot of reps and he’s getting better already. Tak did a nice job, Goehring’s been really impressive since he got here and John Pica continues to stand out.”

As for the staff, Jackson has worked with several of them already, notably returning coordinators Eric Eidsness (offense) and Brian Bergstrom (defense), but he was on the field with some of them for the first time. Getting to see them in action and begin to build an on-field rapport with them is one of the first things Jackson wanted to accomplish, and after one practice he already feels like he’s there.

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“You see them in the office, putting in the work, gelling and meshing and building relationships with each other, but it was nice to get them out here,” Jackson said of his assistants. “I thought they did a great job today. The efficiency of practice, the drill work was really good. They have an understanding of what our players need and how to fill those needs in individual drills.”

* For the first time, the Jackrabbits will have a general manager on their football staff. No, he’s not in charge of Jackson, like an NFL G.M.

In college, the role is more of a right-hand man to the head coach, with an emphasis on the transfer portal, NIL and recruiting.

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Tyler Wrice, a former North Dakota State wide receiver, is Jackson’s G.M.. They met when both men were in Nebraska, and Wrice was most recently a high school coach in Omaha.

“Having someone who can focus in on the portal and NIL and those things and help me day to day is a game-changer,” Jackson said.

Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com.