South Dakota State junior receiver Cade Johnson is a first-team Associated Press All-American.
Two of his teammates were also named to the AP All-America Team — Senior linebacker Christan Rozeboom (second team) and sophomore running back Pierre Strong (third team).
A native of Bellevue, Nebraska, Johnson led the team with 72 receptions for 1,222 yards (17.0 ypr) and eight touchdowns. He hit the century mark for receiving yards four times and averaged 120.5 all-purpose yards per game while seeing spot action as a kick returner.
A senior from Sioux Center, Iowa, Rozeboom posted his fourth consecutive 100-tackle season with a team-high 111 stops, including six tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. He also recorded two interceptions, forced three fumbles and recovered a pair of fumbles. Rozeboom tallied double figures in tackles six times during the 2019 season en route to becoming the Jackrabbits’ career tackles leader with 475. He anchored an SDSU defense that limited the opposition to 16.7 points and 294.8 yards of total offense per game.
Strong posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard season, rushing for 1,018 yards in 11 games for an average of 92.5 yards per game. The Little Rock, Arkansas, native also averaged 7.1 yards per carry and scored a team-best nine touchdowns — eight rushing and one receiving.
South Dakota State made its eighth consecutive appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs during the 2019 season. The Jackrabbits finished with an 8-5 overall record, including a 5-3 mark in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
