Photo by Jake McNeill Marshall football players (front row, left to right) Jake Allex, Jack Meier and Gavin Schaefer sit in front of head football coach Terry Bahlmann as they sign their collegiate letters of intent on Wednesday morning at Marshall High School. All three Tigers will be playing in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference next year, with Allex committed to Bemidji State and Meier and Schaefer staying in Marshall with Southwest Minnesota State University.

MARSHALL — Three former Marshall High School football players signed their letter of intent to continue their athletic careers to the Division II level with the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference on Wednesday morning at Marshall High School. Offensive lineman Jake Allex committed to play at Bemidji State University while teammates-turned-conference rivals Jack Meier and Gavin Schaefer stayed local with Southwest Minnesota State University just across the road.

Allex, the district’s 2024 Offensive lineman of the year, was a three-time letterman with the Tigers and was part of a line that didn’t allow a single sack his senior season. 

“Making it to state this year with my guys- this was my last year, so it was cool to see the guys I’ve been playing alongside for two, four years have all that hard work, all that time you put in, endless hours in the weight room and at practice finally pay off,” Allex said of his favorite memory from his prep career, adding that playing in US Bank Stadium for his last game was a highlight.

He said that some of the primary reasons why he ended up deciding to sign with Bemidji State were that they were the first program to reach out to him and that he felt that their program was a good fit. In terms of academics, he intends to study business with a minor in either finance or accounting.

Bemidji State went 8-3 overall and 7-3 in the NSIC last year in the regular season. The Beavers’ play on the field earned them a berth in the Division II NCAA tournament, where they upset No. 3 Angelo State 24-14 and No. 2 Western Colorado 20-19 before falling to Minnesota State in the national quarterfinals.

“I’m excited just to meet my new teammates, meet the program, and see what it’s all about,” Allex said. “Then hopefully just get right to work and resume where they left off last season, and hopefully get better during my time there.”

Schaefer was a two-time District Player of the Year and three-time all-district selection while running behind Allex as a fullback. On the defensive end, Schaefer set a Marshall record with 19 sacks and finished his senior season with 10 sacks and 20 rushing touchdowns. 

While he was a two-way athlete in high school, SMSU has Schaefer listed as a defensive lineman to start his time as a Mustang. He said the environment on campus was a key selling point in his decision, adding that he’s excited to be able to stay close to home for college. At the time of print, Schaefer has yet to determine what he will be studying.

Meier, a defensive front-seven teammate of Schaefer and another run-blocking contributor alongside Allex as a tight end on offense, is also slated to focus on the defensive side of the ball at SMSU as a full-time linebacker. Meier was the District Linebacker of the Year as a senior and finished his senior season with 50 tackles and two sacks.

Meier said that his decision was a recent one, stating that he wanted to keep his options open during the fall so he could focus his energy on his prep football career rather than the future.

“I was kind of putting college football off until I was fully done,” Meier said.

SMSU has struggled in recent years, finishing second-to-last in the NSIC’s South Division in 2022, 11th in 2023 at 2-8 in the NSIC, and going winless at 0-10 in the NSIC in 2024. Still, Meier and Schaefer are hopeful to be able to help turn the tide in the Mustangs’ favor.

“When they recruited me, they just said that they think I can help them turn their program around and help them start to go upwards. Just being a part of that would be really great, and just being a part of something great,” Meier said.

Aside from Schaefer, Meier said that he’s spoken with some other commits such as quarterback Julian Viramontes from Eastvale, Calif., and senior linebacker Thomas Mergen, who he had already known from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Meier intends to pursue entrepreneurship as his focus of study in college. 

Schaefer and Meier will have their first opportunity to play at the Division II Level on Sept. 6 when the Mustangs host Minnesota State University-Moorhead at Mattke Field, with a time yet to be determined. The game will also feature other Marshall alumni such as SMSU sophomore wide receiver Omar Abdi, SMSU junior offensive lineman Eddie Garcia and MSUM sophomore defensive back Jonah Vierstraete.

Allex, meanwhile, will have his first opportunity to taste collegiate action when Bemidji State goes on the road to face Michigan Tech in Houghton, Mich. on Aug. 28.