Transfer defensive end Caden Crawford making a key difference for USD football

Nov. 26—VERMILLION, S.D. — During the offseason, the University of South Dakota football team was searching for answers on the defensive line unit with only one returning starter coming back in the fall.

After spending months reshaping the defensive front, the Coyotes landed Caden Crawford, a junior defensive end from Lansing, Kansas, through the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound University of Iowa transfer, quickly turned into one of the Coyotes' most reliable defensive assets this season, injecting Power Four program experience from the Big Ten Conference into a unit that looks more physical and confident. Crawford brings the kind of length, athleticism, and presence that has redefined their group up front.

"I just wanted to look for a new opportunity and get a fresh start," Crawford said on making the decision to transfer from Iowa to South Dakota. "I was trying to get on the field a little bit more, and I knew coach (Nathan) Nelson, our defensive line coach, because he was previously a graduate assistant at Iowa my freshman year. During my visit, meeting him and (head) coach (Travis) Johansen made me instantly fall in love with the program and I knew this was the spot for me."

Crawford is part of a reworked defense for the Coyotes, which took on 25 transfers ahead of Johansen's first season as USD's head coach. Thirteen of those were defenders like Crawford.

Fifteen of those transfers came from FBS programs, like Crawford, and has made a true impact on the deep, defensive line unit for South Dakota.

A year ago, Crawford was buried on a depth chart at the FBS level. In three seasons, one as a redshirt freshman, Crawford played in four games and had a career-high two tackles and recovered his first-career fumble as a sophomore in 2024. Now, the former Hawkeye has become a force off the edge for the Coyotes, proving that his pedigree translates in a big way during a breakout debut season.

Through the 12-game regular season schedule, Crawford is leading the team in sacks (3 1/2), tackles-for-loss (9), assisted tackles (45) and has posted 66 total tackles, with 21 solo and a pass break up off the edge. For Crawford, the move from Big Ten football to the Missouri Valley Football Conference at the FCS level wasn't a step down, it was an opportunity waiting to be seized.

Crawford said he is grateful to Johansen and Nelson for giving him a chance to play at USD and added that fighting for a starting spot at the beginning of the year was a challenge and a blessing.

"I think coach Johansen and Nelson have really helped me find my love back for football, and coming here has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me," Crawford said. "It was tough coming in and starting over. Everyone in the defensive line room is super competitive but we also encourage each other. So, we're all working together as one group, and I think we have a really good thing going on this year."

Adjusting to life in Vermillion wasn't immediate for Caden Crawford.

After growing up in Lansing, Kansas, and spending time at the University of Iowa for three years before transferring to USD, he suddenly found himself navigating a new campus, a new community, and a different rhythm of daily life.

The move forced him to step outside of every comfort zone he had known on the gridiron, in the classroom, and in the wider community, beginning the process of finding his footing all over again.

"That part was a little tough at first for me. Finding a new spot and starting all over again, in a sense," Crawford said on coming to Vermillion. "But at the same time, I felt like everyone on the team here was super welcoming, as well as everyone in the community. It didn't take me long to find a group of friends on the team to really grow close to."

As the Coyotes push toward the postseason, Crawford's growth could prove pivotal in defining just how far this group can go on the defensive side of the ball. And at noon on Saturday, he will see his first FCS playoff action as a Coyote, with a team searching for a first-round win at home against Drake.

"Every week we look at a way to get better, whether that is in the redzone, third down, stopping the run or preventing the pass," Crawford said. "I think we all just work together as a group on the defensive side. We had a little bit of a slow start to the year, but everyone has just attacked each week to find a way to improve and that is why we have been playing well as of late."