Strength in numbers, in togetherness and a desire to get better. That's what offensive line coach Andrew Prevost, now in his seventh season at USD, boasts in his bloat of hippos.
 
Four returning starters are back including preseason all-American left tackle Alex Jensen, a team captain whose stock continues to rise. Isaac Erbes returns at guard, Colton Harberts to tackle and Joey Lombard moves from guard to center to fill the void left by the graduation of Kian Rexroat-Potts.
 
That leaves another starting position with a number of Coyotes champing at the bit, and another group of five clamoring to get on the bus. It has created a healthy competition throughout the spring and fall camps where every rep is incredibly valuable, especially with 21 linemen working into rotation.
 
"This is the closest group I've ever worked with," said Prevost. "They really look after each other, care about each other and work extremely hard to better themselves, to better each other, and to better our football program.
 
"I can push them and make things uncomfortable at times and they understand it's their job to love them up, bring them back up and make them feel involved. You can walk into our room and hear a freshman chiding Isaac Erbes. There's 21 dudes in that room and there's not one person more important than the other."
 
It is a balance that has been incredibly successful for Prevost as the strength of the unit has continued to rise with each passing season. That improvement has trickled down from five starters, to filling to the two-deep to the quality of the scout team. Prevost said it will be incredibly difficult to narrow this year's travel list.
 
"We actually sit in our position group by depth chart, and if you have a bad day you move up the seats and if you have a good day, you move down," said Prevost. "That has a lot of impact. Your goal is to get to the front of the room and be one of the starters.
 
"You can't afford in this group right now to take a day off. A bad day can take you from six to 12, and that's hard to come back from. You always have to stay on point, stay engaged and be ready to go."
 
Bryce Henderson, a third-year player from Aurora, Illinois, has emerged as a candidate for a starting role, Cliff Johnson has had a truly solid fall camp and Ben Kohls has impressed as well. Even several true freshmen like Joe Cotton and Jordan Larson have won their fair share of battles. Of course, it's quite possible that the strength of the younger hippos are pushing the veterans to even higher levels.
 
"Joey is a really smart football player, a good leader and is naturally gifted," said Prevost. "He can play all five positions, but having a really good center is important and we put a lot on that position.
 
"Isaac is probably the most improved kid that I've had from spring to fall, and that's saying something. He is really starting to focus on his craft and his consistency and fundamentals. He's always been exceptional because he plays violent and has the ability to move people better than probably anybody that I've coached. His discipline has improved immensely and he's really starting to trust the type of player he is and the type of tools that he has."
 

 
Returning Starters
Alex Jensen, 6^th-year senior (preseason all-American, 28 consecutive starts)
Isaac Erbes, 5^th-year junior (started all 28 games the last three seasons)
Joey Lombard, 4^th-year sophomore (13 career starts)
Colton Harberts, 4^th-year sophomore (12 career starts)
 
Returning Letterwinners
Trevor Shohoney, 5^th-year junior
Cliff Johnson, 4^th-year sophomore (played in three games in 2021)
Ben Kohls, 3^rd-year freshman (played in three games in 2021)
Paxton Swanson, 3^rd-year freshman (played in two games in 2021)
Cody Fayette, 3^rd-year freshman (played in one game in 2021)
Kel Stroud, 3^rd-year freshman (played in one game in 2021)
Bryce Henderson, 3^rd-year freshman
Caden Ellingson, redshirt freshman
Sam Kohls, redshirt freshman
Gerrit Poncius, redshirt freshman
 
Newcomers
Brady Koupal, Brandon, S.D.
Colton Rada, Chaska, Minn.
Josh Larsen, Harrisburg, S.D.
Joe Cotton, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Noah Smith, Lawrence, Kan.
Jordan Larsen, Harrisburg, S.D.
Brandon Vander Sluis, LeMars, Iowa