Anyone that has a pulse on High School Football in the state of South Dakota has become very familiar with Lincoln Kienholz.

The T.F. Riggs High School standout has wowed coaches, fans, and recruiters alike over the course of his high school career.

After choosing Washington as his destination of choice back in June, the quarterback continued to receive interest from other big name programs, giving him further decisions to make.

One of the programs that came calling was the Ohio State Buckeyes. The four-star recruit had a visit during the regular season, and officially announced his commitment today on Twitter:

He's one of the biggest recruits to ever come out of the state of South Dakota, and will be the 20th recruit in the 2023 class for the Buckeyes.

Per 247Sports:

The four-star Kienholz is coming off a terrific senior season. In leading his team to a state championship he completed nearly 67 percent of his passes for 3,422 yards and 46 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He ran for another 1,436 yards and 24 touchdowns.

With Kienholz in the fold, Ohio State moves past Miami and back into the top five of the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings. He is a three-sport athlete that also shines in basketball and baseball.

Sources: 247 Sports and Lincoln Kienholz Twitter

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Know Your South Dakota College and University Mascots

The college football experience is an ultimate high for football fans and it takes several other teams to make that happen week after week during the season.
Just think about what goes into gameday? First and foremost, the players and coaching staff who put in hours and hours of practice and training to play in front of their fans. Then there's field prep, game officials, live broadcasts, concessions, and on-the-field entertainment. Yep, entertainment.

Second to the game, who do you watch? The cheerleaders? The band at halftime? What about the mascot? That's a job not many people can do.
I asked Sioux Falls native and former Cagey mascot for the Sioux Falls Canaries and Little Red & Herbie for the Nebraska Huskers Nate Welch about being a mascot:

  • What does it take to be a mascot?
  • "Losing a bet or filling an opportunity!" Welch says, "An internal energized desire to love life. After meeting great performers who are introverts out of costume, they become the center of attention when they take the stage. And also feeding off the performance of others."
  • Why does the mascot never talk?
  • "Know your role and shut your mouth. You are there to entertain. Tell the story with your actions and not your voice."
  • Advice to someone putting on that costume for the first time?
  • "Remember you are now in a costume. Have fun. Otherwise, you're just a dork in tights. If the fur ain't flying you ain't trying."

Nate Welch has moved on from his days as a mascot to Executive Director of the Vermillion Area Chamber of Commerce and Development Company in Vermillion, South Dakota.

So, can you name the mascots at our South Dakota Colleges and Universities? Check out the gallery below:

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