South Dakota State has 15 starters back from a football team that made it all the way to the second round of the FCS Playoffs in 2012, and now in 2013, four of those players are on the Missouri Valley All-Conference Pre-Season Team.

Zach Zenner, South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Robby Gallagher/South Dakota State University
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Junior running back Zach Zenner is one of two Jacks on the offense.  Zenner ran for 2,044 yards (157 yards per game) and went over 100 yards in nine games last season, topping 200 yards three times, including a school-record 295 yards in the opening round of the FCS playoffs against Eastern Illinois. He averaged nearly seven yards a carry and scored 13 touchdowns last season.

One of the key players opening holes for Zenner is offensive lineman Bryan Wtizmann, who's also on the first team offense.

2013 Missouri Valley Football Preseason Team (Offense)
QB- Brock Jensen, NDSU
RB- Shakir Bell, INS
RB- David Johnson, UNI
RB- Zach Zenner, SDSU
FB- Jordan Neukirch, ILS
WR- Dorian Buford, MSU
WR- Ryan Smith, NDSU
TE- MyCole Pruitt, SIU
OL- Chris Elkins, YSU
OL- Jimmy Holtschlag, WIU
OL- Dan Kruger, UNI
OL- Billy Turner, NDSU
OL- Bryan Witzmann, SDSU
PK- Adam Keller, NDSU

On defense, SDSU has a pair of selections, lineman Doug Peete and linebacker T.J. Lalley.

Peete, a senior, had 54 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles last season.

Lalley was second on the team in tackles (107) as a freshman in 2012. He also added six sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Tyler Starr
University of South Dakota
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USD linebacker Tyler Starr is the Coyotes' lone representative on the first team,  The senior from Little Rock, Iowa had 74 tackles last season along with four sacks and two forced fumbles.

2013 Missouri Valley Football Preseason Team (Defense)

DL- Cole Jirik, NDSU
DL- Doug Peete, SDSU
DL- Leevon Perry, NDSU
DL- Colton Underwood, ILS
LB- Grant Olson, NDSU
LB- T.J. Lally, SDSU
LB- J.J. Raffelson, WIU
LB- Tyler Starr, USD
DB- Calvin Burnett, INS
DB- Martinez Davis, WIU
DB- Caleb Schaffitzel, MSU
DB- Marcus Williams, NDSU
P- Ben LeCompte, NDSU
RS- Ryan Smith, NDSU

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