The South Dakota high school football season has begun and the Argus Leader is ranking the top 10 high school seniors in the Sioux Falls area for the 2024 SDHSAA season.
This season’s top seniors include players who have garnered interest from the country’s top college football programs, but this list includes more than just players who play on Saturdays.
Here is the Argus Leader’s ranking of the region’s best senior players in alphabetical order:
South Dakota’s top high school football graduates in 2024
Landon Dulaney
Brandon Valley Secondary school
Dulaney was one of the best wide receivers last year, throwing for nine touchdowns and 858 yards on 41 passes caught. The rising senior received a lot of recruiting interest, but ultimately turned down an offer from Boise State to stay close to home and play for South Dakota State.
Lucas Feldkamp
Brandon Valley Secondary school
At 6’4″ and 295 pounds, Feldkamp is another “Brandon Valley beast” on the offensive line. The rising senior helped open up gaps for the Lynx’s running game and buy their quarterback time to make the right decision. Feldkamp’s protection led to the Brandon Valley offense rushing for 154.9 yards per game and throwing for 148.9 yards per game. He is committed to playing football at the next level for Augustana.
Carson Hughes
Jefferson Secondary school
Hughes, 6’3″ and 270 pounds, helped Jefferson’s offense with his size on the offensive line. With him, the Jefferson offense ran for 94.9 yards and threw for 153.9 yards per game. His size, agility and mobility make him an outstanding guard.
Justin Kaber
Harrisburg Secondary school
Kabera was a standout as a defensive back for Harrisburg last season, collecting three interceptions, 10 pass defenses and 31 tackles. His 6-foot-3 reach and physicality make him a tenacious defender.
More: Ranking of the best high school football juniors in South Dakota in the Sioux Falls area
Sam Knuth
Harrisburg Secondary school
Knuth has followed in his brother’s footsteps and become the best quarterback in AAA. The Harrisburg senior rushed for 2,491 yards and 25 touchdowns with a passing accuracy of 70.34% in his junior season. With a lot of talent returning to the Tigers, Harrisburg’s offense should get off to a strong start this season.
Lukas Krempges
Lincoln Secondary school
Krempges, a South Dakota State product, leads Lincoln’s defense with impressive physicality. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, his explosive first step, football IQ and Division I stats stand out.
Austin Miller
Jefferson Secondary school
Miller, with 36 tackles, three sacks and five tackles for loss, impressed as a junior last season with his quick reaction off the line and impressive length. His agility and football IQ allow him to overcome incoming blocks and read plays with ease.
Sullivan Schlimgen
O’Gorman Secondary school
Schlimgen’s outstanding performance with 88 tackles, including 10 for loss, six pass defenses and a fumble recovery underscores his sideline-to-sideline presence and instinctive vision, making him a player to keep an eye on this season.
More: Sioux Falls high school football standings prediction for the 2024 SDHSAA season
Lincoln Semchenko
Sioux Falls Christian Secondary school
At 6’5″ and 205 pounds, Semchenko was a dominant offensive lineman for the Chargers and drew interest from colleges around the world before officially committing to South Dakota State in early June. He posted 67 pancake blocks and allowed 0 sacks during his junior season.
Cain Wallner
Canton-Gymnasium
Wallner is arguably the state’s most versatile player. On offense, he played wide receiver, running back, halfback, tight end and quarterback. Wallner was the C-Hawks’ best runner and receiver last year, recording 1,070 rushing yards and 397 receiving yards. On defense, he played strong safety, free safety, cornerback, linebacker and nose tackle, and also served as a punt returner. Wallner joined South Dakota in early June.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at [email protected]Follow him on Twitter at@JFERN31
