Offensive lineman John Pica maximizing his opportunity after transfer from DWU to Jackrabbits
· Yahoo Sports
Aug. 21—BROOKINGS — John Pica has taken the long road to playing for South Dakota State football.
After a successful pair of seasons at Dakota Wesleyan University playing at the NAIA level, the offensive lineman product from Dell Rapids St. Mary has carved out a reputation for the Jackrabbits as a player who is dedicated and committed to making the most of his college football experience.
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"It's been an interesting path but it's been a rewarding one," Pica said. "I've had a great experience to this point and I'm really just trying to maximize every chance I get to make an impact and help this team win."
Pica, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound senior for the Jacks, is one of 13 players who came to SDSU's roster from an institution lower than FCS on the college football hierarchy, and he's the only NAIA-level transfer at SDSU this season.
Jackrabbits head coach Dan Jackson, who brought in Pica to his program after being named head coach in early 2025, said Pica is a special individual on the team because he's bought into SDSU's culture and has become a leader.
"For a guy to transfer into our program, it's not always easy to come into a strong culture and make an impact, not necessarily as a player, but just as a leader, and John has done that," Jackson said. "He is very well respected among the team, and that is because he puts in the work and he gives his best every single second of every single day. Whether it's in the weight room or it's a workout where they're running and training, or if it's running plays, practicing, John is a special leader from that standpoint."
Pica has become a natural mentor to some of the younger offensive linemen on the Jackrabbits' team. In many ways, he's reciprocating how he was treated when he first joined the team, he said.
SDSU left tackle and team captain Quinten Christensen had Pica move into his house in Brookings in 2025, which helped him get to know Pica off the field and better understand what makes him tick during practice and games, too.
"He's a guy you can't say enough good things about," said Christensen, a Wessington Springs native. "He's been really impressive and, when we talk about approach and consistency, he's always chomping at the bit. He's always looking to find ways to get better and I think if you just always have a growth mindset like that, good things will happen."
"Quinten was great about welcoming me in, helping me understand what's expected and what needs to be done to be successful," Pica added. "He's been a great influence for me and I've gotten to know him as a friend, as well."
"It's like him and Quentin Christensen have grown up together or something," Jackson joked. "They're just best buddies."
After a redshirt season in 2022, Pica started 20 games between 2023 and 2024 for DWU, being named all-GPAC twice, including a first-team selection in 2024 as a tackle. When Pica finished his third year with the Tigers, he approached the DWU coaching staff and let them know he was considering departing to play football at a higher level. He was not greeted with resistance but rather encouragement.
"They were nothing but supportive of me when I talked to them about this," Pica said. "They helped me get to this stage. I met some of my best friends there at DWU, and I'll always be grateful for how they've supported me and did what they could to help me have success."
Transferring to SDSU prior to spring practice in 2025, Pica said he knew he would have to prove himself again to get a shot at playing for the Jackrabbits.
"I knew there were no promises and I'd have to show that I could play here," Pica said. "It was a challenge, but it was motivating to try to improve and give it everything I could to get on the field."
Last season, the Jackrabbits put Pica to work as a blocking tight end/offensive lineman combo, giving him the receiver number of No. 83 for plays in which he was an eligible receiver. He had starts during the season at both positions, and caught a two-point conversion pass in the Jacks' FCS playoff loss at Montana to end last season.
For the 2026 campaign, which begins Aug. 29 when the Jacks host Stetson (Fla.), Pica has been in a competition at the starting right tackle spot. Going into the 2026 season, Pica has already shown he brings versatility to the Jacks up front.
"Coming in, it was always what can I do to improve, and what can I do to help the team," Pica said. "The tight end thing, that was an idea from the coaches and I just embraced it. It was a unique role for sure."
Jackson said he believes his players love the competition that comes when the coaching staff brings in new players, either in recruiting or transfers. It's one thing to bring in transfers but it's another to see those players meet the challenge to perform on the field, he said.
"Whether you're coming down a level from the Power 4 to us, or you're moving up from a Division II, NAIA, Division III program, you have to be really confident and know that you can do it and believe it," Jackson said. "But also you need to know that you haven't arrived, and that there's going to be a level of work that needs to be put in to have success."