RAPID CITY, S.D. --- On Wednesday, the Hardrockers welcomed 31 student-athletes into the Hardrocker football program.
 
"Our staff worked tirelessly to add these 31 student-athletes to our Hardrocker family," said head coach Charlie Flohr. "We are excited to continue to take steps forward with this program and are excited to see these 31 young men who fit our profile and will continue to help build our program in all facets."
 
The student-athletes listed on this roster have signed national letters of intent. These student-athletes have been approved by the South Dakota Mines compliance office as well as verified by the NCAA and will join the South Dakota Mines football program for the 2023 season.
 

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown (High School/Previous School)
Adekunle Alarape-Crowe	LB	6-0	220	Hudson, Colo. (Weld Central/Howard Payne)
Jarin Allen	C	5-10	175	Draper, Utah (Corner Canyon)
Emmit Anderson	FB	5-11	200	Commerce City, Calif. (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College
Matt Bohy	RB	5-11	220	Lincoln, Neb. (Pius X)
Cody Burkholder	DL	5-11	250	La Salle, Colo. (Northridge)
Isaac Engle	LB	6-1	200	Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Highlands Ranch)
Isaac Freitag	WR	6-2	195	Bloomington, Minn. (Jefferson/Minnesota State Community & Technical College)
Rickey Fletcher	RB	5-8	175	Colorado Springs, Colo. (Thomas B. Doherty)
Tobin Frost	TE	6-2	225	Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie)
Lang Gappelberg	S	6-0	190	Fountain, Colo. (Foutain Fort Carson)
Lucas Geiger	OL	6-6	280	Colorado Springs, Colo. (Cheyenne Mountain)
Austin Glimpse	QB	6-6	215	Glendale, Ariz. (Sunrise Mountain)
Levi Gunn	OL	6-3	230	Loveland, Colo. (Loveland)
Charlie Johnson	LB	5-9	195	Waverly, Neb. (Waverly)
Ian King	S	6-0	155	Des Moines, Iowa (Des Moines Hoover)
Ethan Kuyper	WR	6-4	190	Arvada, Colo. (Faith Christian)
Dylan Lindgren	LB	6-1	210	Loveland, Colo. (Loveland)
Aydain Mathis	DL	6-2	235	Frisco, Texas (Frisco)
Christian McCombs	WR	5-11	180	Arvada, Colo. (Pomona)
Ben Noland	WR	6-1	190	Jefferson, Ga. (Oconee County/Northern State)
Riley Peterson	OL	6-2	305	Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln Northeast)
Zach Piepho	S	6-0	190	Fort Collins, Colo. (Rocky Mountain)
Gunner Rohloff	RB	5-9	195	Sturgis, S.D. (Sturgis Brown)
Brayden Schatz	WR	5-9	165	Arvada, Colo. (Ralston Valley)
Griffin Taylor	TE	6-1	195	Longmont, Colo. (Longmont)
Gabe Tschetter	LB	6-0	200	Sioux Falls, S.D. (O'Gorman)
Ian Turner	OL	6-3	325	Littleton, Colo. (Columbine)
Austin Vincent	WR	5-11	175	Chandler, Ariz. (Williams Field)
Blake Vollbrecht	S	6-1	185	Tracy, Calif. (Tracy/Santa Barbara City College)
Rylan Walter	QB	6-1	175	Las Vegas, Nev. (Faith Lutheran)
Ethan Williams	DL	6-2	210	Longmont, Colo. (Mead)

 
Player Bios
Adekunle Alarape-Crowe
Prior to South Dakota Mines: 
Previously attended Howard Payne University • Redshirted during the 2022 season
High School: 
Attended Weld Central • Three-time letter winner in Football • Was a member of the track & field team.
Personal: 
Son of Karen and Bayo • Has one sibling (Adedokun) • Adedokun is also a member of the Hardrocker football program.
Jarin Allen
High School: 
Attended Corner Canyon High School • Was selected to the all-conference team • Won the team's Hardest Worker Award.
Personal: 
Son of Orin and Janet • Has six siblings • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Emmit Anderson
High School: 
Attended Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College • Was named a team captain.
Personal: 
Son of Tonya and Gregory • Has six siblings • Majoring in civil engineering.
Matt Bohy
High School: 
At Pius X, he was named a team captain. • Named all-conference and all-state • Was also selected to the academic all-conference team.
Personal: 
Son of Marg and Robb • Has one sibling • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Cody Burkholder
High School: 
Attended Northridge High School, where he was named team captain • Earned all-conference and all-state honors • Class president and student council president • Named academic all-state.
Personal: 
Son of Adrian and Ryan • Has two siblings • Majoring in chemical engineering.
Isaac Engle
High School: 
Attended Highlands Ranch High School • Named team MVP • Earned all-conference and all-state honors.
Personal: 
Son of Shane and Gloria • Has two siblings • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Rickey Fletcher
High School: 
Named a team captain and team MVP at Thomas B. Doherty • All-conference selection.
Personal: 
Son of Thomas and Falisa • Has four siblings • Majoring in industrial engineering.
Tobin Frost
High School: 
Attended Eden Prairie High School.
Personal: 
Son of Michelle and Andy • Has two siblings.
Lang Gappelberg
High School: 
Attended Fountain Carson High School where he was a team captain • Was selected to all-conference and all-state teams.
Personal: 
Son of Jason and Nancy • Has one sibling • Majoring in civil engineering.
Lucas Geiger
High School: 
Was a team captain at Cheyenne Mountain High School • Earned all-conference and all-state honors.
Personal: 
Son of Jennille and Ryan • Has one sibling • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Austin Glimpse
High School: 
Graduated from Sunrise Mountain High School • Earned academic all-conference honors.
Personal: 
Son of Mike and Jodi • Has two siblings • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Levi Gunn
High School: 
Attended Loveland High School • Earned all-conference and all-state honors • As a team, Loveland won a state championship and was runner-up during his career • He was named academic all-state.
Personal: 
Son of Darren and Brooke • Has one sibling • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Charlie Johnson
High School: 
Attended Waverly High School, where he was a team captain • Earned all-conference and all-state honors • Was selected to the 2023 Shrine Bowl and 2022 River Battle Bowl • Member of the National Honor Society • Academic all-conference and all-state selection.
Personal: 
Son of Tiffany and Todd • Has two siblings • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Ian King
High School: 
Attended Des Moines Hoover High School • Named team captain and team MVP • Named to the all-conference team • Academic all-state honoree.
Personal: 
Son of John and Susan • Has one sibling • Majoring in civil engineering.
Ethan Kuyper
High School: 
Named a team captain at Faith Christian High School • Earned all-conference honors.
Personal: 
Son of Megan and Mike • Has two siblings • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Dylan Lindgren
High School: 
He earned all-conference honors while playing at Loveland High School • Was picked as a team captain • In the classroom, he earned academic all-conference and all-state.
Personal: 
Son of Sarah and Chris • Has two siblings • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Aydain Mathis
High School: 
Attended Frisco High School • Earned honorable mention all-conference.
Personal: 
Son of Shronda and Chris • Has two siblings • Majoring in computer engineering.
Christian McCombs
High School: 
Graduated from Pomona Senior High School • Was named honorable mention all-conference.
Personal: 
Son of Justin and Brenda • Has three siblings • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Ben Noland
Prior to South Dakota Mines: 
Spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Northern State University • Played in 11 games in 2022, recording 40 receptions for 642 yards and 7 touchdowns • In 2021, he caught 11 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns • The 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
High School: 
Attended Oconee County High School, where he was a three-year starter and team captain • He recorded 700 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior season • Was named Region 8AAAA Offensive Player of the Year • GACA all-state team member, Athens Banner Herell first team honoree • Athens Banner Heroin Comeback Player of the Year.
Personal: 
Son of Travis and Julie • Has two siblings • Majoring in business management in technology.
Riley Peterson
High School: 
Attended Lincoln Northeast High School • Named all-state honorable mention and all-city • Academic all-conference and all-state honoree.
Personal: 
Son of Brent and Analisa • Has one sibling • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Zach Piepho
High School: 
Graduated from Rocky Mountain High School • Earned second team all-conference • Named to the academic all-conference team.
Personal: 
Son of Kelleen and Allen • Has two siblings • Majoring in civil engineering.
Gunner Rohloff
High School: 
Was named a team captain at Sturgis Brown High School • All-conference honoree.
Personal: 
Son of Nate and Jane • Has one sibling • Majoring in metallurgical engineering.
Brayden Schatz
High School: 
Attended Ralston Valley High School • Earned all-conference and all-state honors • In the classroom, he earned academic all-conference and all-state honors.
Personal: 
Son of Derek and Codi • Has two siblings • Majoring in biology.
Griffin Taylor
High School: 
Attended Longmont High School • Was a team captain at Longmont • Named all-conference and all-state • Academic all-conference and all-state honoree.
Personal: 
Son of Kimberly and Paul • Has one sibling • His brother, Connor is also a member of the Hardrocker football program • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Personal: 
Son of Jason and Teresa • Has one sibling • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Gabe Tschetter
High School: 
Attended O'Gorman High School • Named to academic all-conference and all-state teams.
Personal: 
Son of Ann and Grant • Has one sibling • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Ian Turner
High School: 
Attended Columbine High School • Was named team captain and was selected to the all-conference team • Named all-state academic honorable mention.
Personal: 
Son of Chuck and Allison • Has one sibling • Majoring in geology.
Austin Vincent
High School: 
Attended Williams Field High School • Was a team captain • Named all-region • Academic all-conference selection.
Personal: 
Son of Steven and Brady • Majoring in business management in Technology.
Blake Vollbrecht
Prior to South Dakota Mines:
Spent the first three years of his college career at Santa Barbara City College • In 2022, he recorded 27 total tackles with 2 tackles for loss in 9 games played • Vollbrecht intercepted 4 passes in 2022 • In 2021, he played five games, recording 5 total tackles.
High School: 
Attended Tracy High School • Earned all-conference recognition • Named a team captain and Tommy Greenhow scholar-athlete.
Personal: 
Son of Denise and Randy • Majoring in mechanical engineering.
Rylan Walter
High School: 
Attended Faith Lutheran High School • He was a team captain • On the field, he earned all-conference honors • Academic all-conference and all-state nominee • Won the Crusader Award for excellence in athletics, academics, leadership, and character • Also participated and was a team captain in basketball and track & field.
Personal: 
Son of Bret and Stacey • Has one sibling • His brother, Brevin is a member of the Hardrocker men's basketball program • Currently undecided on a major.
Ethan Williams
High School: 
Attended Mead High School where was named a team captain and team MVP • Earned an all-conference selection • Led his team in hustle points and won the MAV award (outstanding leadership and character, and what it truly means to be a Maverick).
Personal: 
Son of Heather and Todd • Has two siblings• Majoring in Civil Engineering.
 
About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 11 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.
 
MEDIA CONTACT
Josh Van Valkenburg-Gernert
Assistant Athletic Director
Athletic Communications
Joshua.VanValkenburg-Gernert@sdsmt.edu
605-394-2355