ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The award season continues with three Coyotes earning a spot on the 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) All-Newcomer team this season, as announced by the conference office Tuesday morning. The trio of transfers: Caden Crawford (transfer), Almarion Crim (transfer), and DeJuan Lewis (transfer) all earned spots on the one-team Newcomer squad from the MVFC.
 
Transferring into the program this year, Crawford was a dominant force on the Coyote defensive line. Starting all 12 games, Crawford sat 35^th in the MVFC with his 5.5 tackles per game and sat fifth for USD in tackles (66). He led the team with his 9.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, while tying for the MVFC-best 2.0 sacks in the win at Northern Iowa.
 
In his first season at South Dakota and a transfer from Chattanooga, Crim proved to be an anchor on the offensive line unit for the Coyotes. He stated all 12 games at left tackle for the Yotes for a team that sat fifth in the MVFC in rushing yards per game (2,250) and blocking for the Valley's leading rusher in Phillips Jr. He was also part of a O-line unit that surrendered just 16 sacks in the regular season.
 
Coming to Vermillion for his final season from Lamar, Lewis stepped into a starting role at safety and started all 12 games. He was a force to be reckoned with for opposing offenses, forcing a pair of fumbles with a pair of fumble recoveries. His 80-yard scoop-and-score secured the win over No. 8-ranked North Dakota (Nov. 1) and led him to win MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He also had 55 tackles, one interception, and a pair of pass break-ups this season.

All three Yotes were named Second Team All-Conference performers yesterday (Monday morning), by the conference office, in their first season at South Dakota.