Aug. 6—VERMILLION, S.D. — When Nathan Laperi arrived at the University of South Dakota a year ago, his focus was simply to earn a spot, learn a new defense and adjust to life as a transfer.
Now, just one season later, the Plano, Texas, native has entered the Coyotes' preseason football practices carrying a different responsibility. Laperi is no longer simply fighting for playing time. He is being asked to help lead a developing Coyotes defense.
It has been an outstanding rise for a player entering only his second season with the program after transferring from North Texas, where he spent his true freshman season in 2024. Yet within the program, Laperi has become one of the voices teammates lean toward, a role that was reinforced when he represented USD alongside teammate Tysen Boze at Missouri Valley Football Conference Media Day in July.
For a defense replacing several experienced players, particularly along the defensive line, the trust that the coaches have placed in Laperi says as much about his consistency off the field as it does on it.
"I feel a lot more comfortable coming into this year, especially rotating behind two really good players last year in Caden Crawford and Nyle ***** el," Laperi said. "And the biggest thing I have done this offseason is going back and watching some of the games from last year and watching the reps I was in, as well as the reps those two guys were in. Those were two guys that I watched and learned from every day last year."
#simply #program
Now, just one season later, the Plano, Texas, native has entered the Coyotes' preseason football practices carrying a different responsibility. Laperi is no longer simply fighting for playing time. He is being asked to help lead a developing Coyotes defense.
It has been an outstanding rise for a player entering only his second season with the program after transferring from North Texas, where he spent his true freshman season in 2024. Yet within the program, Laperi has become one of the voices teammates lean toward, a role that was reinforced when he represented USD alongside teammate Tysen Boze at Missouri Valley Football Conference Media Day in July.
For a defense replacing several experienced players, particularly along the defensive line, the trust that the coaches have placed in Laperi says as much about his consistency off the field as it does on it.
"I feel a lot more comfortable coming into this year, especially rotating behind two really good players last year in Caden Crawford and Nyle ***** el," Laperi said. "And the biggest thing I have done this offseason is going back and watching some of the games from last year and watching the reps I was in, as well as the reps those two guys were in. Those were two guys that I watched and learned from every day last year."
#simply #program
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