VERMILLION, S.D. — Back on the offensive side of the football, this week's spotlight is the Coyote wide receivers with first-year wide receivers coach, Isaiah Walker. South Dakota returns experienced wide out Jack Martens and fellow senior Javion Phelps.
 
2025 WIDE RECEIVERS

• Jack Martens (Sr., 5-11, 190, Cumberland, Wis.)
• Javion Phelps (Sr., 6-4, 200, Orlando, Fla.)
• Tysen Boze (Jr., 6-3, 200, Dublin, Ohio)
• Larenzo Fenner (So., 6-0, 180, Independence, Mo.)
• Selected receivers, full roster on GoYotes.com

Spring Ball Report
"Spring football has been absolutely tremendous, just a chance to get out on the field. On the field, the over the top effort and how they approach the game has been the great part of spring football."
 
"When you come in as a new coach, you sit down with each guy and get to know them. Then you try and figure out how competitive this person is but when you get out on the turf, you find out what you're looking for."
 
The focus this spring
"I'm looking for competitiveness. I know we're going to mess up schemes, we'll have technique issues we'll have to fix. That's my job, that's why we have meetings. I love coaching the techniques of football: you teach a technique, and it's all about trust between coach and player."
 
Heading into the 2025 Season
"Coyote Nation is going to see the wide receivers who work their tails off. A group that is going to put their hearts and souls into it and go to work every single day. I can't guarantee you any stats but you will see those hard-working wide outs every single Saturday."
 
Jack Martens, senior
Martens returns for his senior season at South Dakota in 2025, leading the South Dakota wide out room with his 18 career starts over the last two seasons (2023-24). He's played in 38 career games as a Coyote, grabbing three touchdown grabs and 766 career yards.
 
"Jack has been awesome, and he has the respect of all the wide receivers. Watching that man work day in and day out has been remarkable, he's the guy you want leading the room. He works his hardest every single day in every aspect of football."
 
Martens moves into a leadership role heading into 2025 as the oldest and most experienced wide out in the group.
 
Javion Phelps, senior
Phelps made a name for himself in the final regular season game of 2024 against North Dakota State. All three of his grabs came in the fourth quarter, including arguably the most important catch by any Coyote of the season with the game-winning touchdown grab to secure the program's first-ever Valley title (share). His 79 yards against the Bison was second-most in his career. On the season, he had 17 catches for 206 yards with the one touchdown.
 
"Javion is Mr. Consistency, he's going to be in the right place at the right time. He's going to be a guy we count on a ton this fall. One of the biggest things he's excelled at this spring, he's been a reliable target for the quarterbacks' he's been really good in that aspect."
 
In his South Dakota career, Phelps sits second-most of active wide outs with his 665 career yards with three touchdown grabs. He's appeared in 38 games and also sits second-most of active USD wide receivers with his 12 career starts with 10 of those coming in the 2022 campaign.
 
Tysen Boze, junior
Boze, coming off 13 appearances in 2024, also made his first-career start last season in former offensive coordinator Josh Davis' offense. He brought down one reception on the season for 15 yards but began to see the field more later in the season.
 
"Tysen is going to be our utility guy with his size and explosion, he can play anywhere on the football field and he's going to have an impact next year. For me, it's finding a way to plug him in. He's explosive in and out of breaks and can go up and get the football."
 
Larenzo Fenner, sophomore
Fenner appeared in 13 games as a redshirt freshman last year in Josh Davis' offense. He looks to take his next step in his career in 2025 in his sophomore season under new wide outs coach in Coach Walker.
 
"Lorenzo is what you look for as a coach. He has a great ability to get in and out of cuts and has taken a ton of reps this spring. He has only gotten better as the spring has gone on, he's going to be a big surprise for Coyote Nation this fall."
 
Note: roster notes and comments are of spring ball rosters and, in no way, are indicative of depth chart positioning. Rosters can fluctuate between the time of posting spotlight and the start of the 2025 season.