South Dakota State lands Wisconsin running back Devon Williams Jr.

South Dakota State kept a key Upper Midwest pipeline open by landing Wisconsin running back Devon Williams Jr., a 2027 prospect from Waukesha Catholic Memorial High School who brought FBS interest with him into Brookings.

Williams’ path to the Jackrabbits started in April, when he visited South Dakota State for a spring practice and got a first real look at Dan Jackson’s first spring as head coach. Jackson had been formally introduced as the program’s 22nd head coach on Jan. 10, 2025, and the spring work that followed ended with the annual Spring Game on April 12. That visit gave Williams a chance to see how the staff operated, how the players carried themselves, and how the program’s culture felt from the inside.

The meeting in Jackson’s office, with Williams’ father and grandmother present, helped seal the impression. Williams was struck by the honesty in the conversation, the way the staff and players welcomed him, and the sense that South Dakota State valued him as a person as much as a running back. That mattered in a recruitment that included offers or interest from Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, San Diego State and Wyoming, giving the Jackrabbits a real win against multiple FBS programs.

The profile matches what South Dakota State has built its identity on: find skilled players early, build trust, and turn fit into production. Catholic Memorial brings its own cachet, too. The Waukesha program has won five WIAA state championships, and Williams has already shown the kind of burst that travels. He is listed at 6-foot-1 and about 178 pounds, and his junior season produced 1,110 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 172 yards and two more scores.

The speed is real, not just projected. Williams also runs track and has been timed at 21.86 seconds in the 200 meters and 11.19 in the 100. That kind of multi-sport profile is exactly why South Dakota State keeps winning these Midwest battles: the Jackrabbits are selling development, familiarity and a program that has become comfortable going head-to-head with higher-level schools.

For Jackson, the commitment is another sign that the staff’s message is landing quickly in a crowded recruiting market. For South Dakota State, it is another reminder that the road back to the FCS title picture still runs through relationships, regional credibility and the ability to turn a spring visit into a long-term fit.