VERMILLION, S.D. — Announced on Thursday, senior running back Charles Pierre Jr. has been named to the Shriners Children's 1000 Watch List heading into the 2026 season, placing him among some of the top athletes being evaluated for the 2027 Shriners Children's East-West Bowl.
 
Being named to the Shriners Children's 1000 Watch List puts Pierre Jr. on a prestigious list of the top 1000 collegiate athletes across Division I – FBS or FCS. It highlights his athletic achievements and future NFL potential and puts him on the list on who will participate in the 2027 Shriners Children's East-West Bowl.
 
After missing most of 2025 with an injury, the 2024 All-American running back is primed to make his return to the gridiron in 2026 while being named a Second Team Preseason All-American and to the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List, both by STATS Perform
 
The First Team All-MVFC back was the first Coyote in the Division I FCS era to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, hitting the mark with his season-high 173 yards in the win at North Dakota (Nov. 16, 2024). He ran for 1,244 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season in South Dakota's two-back system that saw both him and Theis each rush for 1,000 yards.
 
Entering the 2026 campaign, Pierre Jr. sits fourth in the FCS era in career 100-yard rushing games with six. Four of those 100-yard rushing games for him have come in front of the home crowd at the DakotaDome.
 
Additionally, he sits sixth all-time in the FCS era in career rushing yards (1,716) and looks to become the sixth Division I FCS era Coyote to rush for 2,000+ career yards. He sits fifth in rushing touchdowns at 21, closing in on second-best in 2026 (26, Noah Shepard).
 
Pierre Jr. is one of 14 Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) athletes to be named to the watch list to start the season. South Dakota is also one of five MVFC schools to have an athlete named to the preseason watch list, joining Illinois State, North Dakota, South Dakota State, and Youngstown State.
 
The Shriners Children's East-West Bowl has served as a launching pad for future NFL talent for more than a century, bringing together standout seniors from across the country following the college football season. Invitations to the game are determined through evaluations conducted throughout the year by the East-West Bowl scouting staff.
 
2026 SOUTH DAKOTA FOOTBALL TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets for the 2026 South Dakota football season are available for purchase. Season tickets for the six home games are also still available for purchase.
 
For more information, visit GoYotes.com/Tickets, stop by the USD Ticket Office, or by calling (605) 677-5959.