Theis' first start comes in home state

Travis Theis is in his third season as a University of South Dakota running back and he’s getting his inaugural start on Friday against Kansas in what will be the first chance for a lot of Coyote fans to see what he’s all about as a football player.

Theis is a native of Pratt, Kansas, something that may make this 2021 opening game in Lawrence on the KU campus pretty special. On the other hand, what game wouldn’t be a big deal for someone who played in four games last year and qualified as a redshirt the year before that?

He remains a freshman on the roster though in reality this 5-10, 215-pounder, who played quarterback his senior year of high school, is a familiar and respected presence within the Coyote program. This is the case despite accumulating just 54 career carries to this point in his time at USD.

“Travis has been hidden a little bit,” said USD running backs coach Dante Warren. “I think our fans should definitely be excited about what he can do. He’s not only been a visual leader, he’s turned himself into a vocal leader on and off the field. He’s taken what he’s learned in high school as a quarterback and applied that to becoming a college running back.”

He’s fast and he’s strong and he never really saw himself as a quarterback in college, though he did take snaps at Pratt High School as a freshman and again as a senior. His spectacular numbers – he ran for 6,744 yards and 101 touchdowns in four seasons – seem to bear out that he’s best suited for carrying the ball.

“We ran a Flexbone offense where we threw the ball three or four times a game,” Theis said. “It didn’t seem odd to me because I didn’t know anything different before I got here. In high school, we were a pound-the-ball kind of a team. I think that kind of experience made me a tougher ballplayer.”

No one would argue that in Platt, (pop. 6,603) where he left as its greatest player ever, or at USD, where he quickly made an impression after showing up. Since then, in the absence of the quantity of carries highly regarded backs get, he’s continued progressing.

“He was running 40s in that 4.4 area coming out of high school,” Warren said. “And he can squat out of this world. He’s got great instincts and pound-for-pound he’s the strongest player on our football team. I’d call him an all-around back who we’re going to be able to use in a lot of different ways.”

Last year’s spring schedule, which collapsed under the weight of COVID-19 after four games, means the Coyotes have a lot to prove going into this season. The 1-3 record wasn’t what they wanted, nor was the limited schedule.

A new season is always going to help with issues like that. In this case, there aren’t a lot of roster changes from last year because the entire squad has the same eligibility remaining that they had at the end of the 2019 season.

That’s not exactly an advantage to the Coyotes given that everyone in the Missouri Valley Conference had those same opportunities to keep guys involved, but it does underscore a team-wide resolve to do things better in the fall of 2021.

“I’d say there is a collective excitement to get the year going,” Theis said. “We’re excited about the chance to play together again after the spring. Just having the opportunity to have a normal football season is really something to look forward to. We still have to worry about outside things but we’re going to be able to prepare to play this week and then actually play the game.”

Theis has a reputation for looking around, assessing what needs to be done, then doing it. That applies to things like hustling to make a block or trying to fire up teammates on the field. Off the field, it applies to volunteering to pick up a fellow Coyote at the airport after a late flight or giving players rides to dinner.

“His parents raised a tremendous young man,” Warren said. “He’s the first one to jump up to help people out with something.”

Theis’ parents will be there on Friday night in Lawrence to see their son get his first starting assignment as a collegian. His older brother, who is a student in KU’s pharmaceutical program, will definitely be there as well, as will other assorted friends, relatives and former teammates and coaches.

“The part that makes it special for me is that a lot of people I know are going to be there,” Theis said. “A lot of people I know are going to get their first chance to see me play in college. Other than that, I’m just looking at it as another opportunity to play a football game.”

Theis has seen USD football facilities appear around him in his first two years with the Coyotes. What were computer-generated depictions of a new locker room, new seating and team offices during the recruiting process are now a reality. It’s a step forward for the program he’s witnessed up close.

Now it’s time for him and his teammates to take similar momentum to the field.

“It was a little eye-opening last spring to see how much room for improvement we had on every side of the ball,” Theis said. “But I think the coaches have done a great job of putting those things into practice and making us better in those areas.”