Upcoming Event: Football versus Stetson on August 29, 2026 at 6 p.m.
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6 p.m.
Football
vs Stetson
South Dakota State University Athletics
2026 Football Roster
Jersey Number 41
Max Pelham
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 195
- Position:
- Punter
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Ankeny, Iowa
- High School:
- Ankeny H.S.
- Major:
- Civil Engineering
PRONUNCIATION
HONORS AND AWARDS
2025: Earned All-America honors both for his efforts on the field and in the classroom ... in first season as the Jackrabbits' punter, he averaged 47.2 yards on 42 punt attempts, but did not have enough attempts to qualify for NCAA leaderboard ... booted 18 punts that traveled 50 or more yards and landed 14 inside the opponents' 20-yard line ... named Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after punting four times for an average of 49.8 yards in road win at Youngstown State (10/4) ... averaged season-best 54 yards on six attempts at Murray State, a game in which logged a career-best 68-yard punt (10/18) ... lone punt traveled 50 yards and also completed a pass on a fake punt for 28 yards versus Indiana State (11/1) ... landed four of his five punts in regular season finale at North Dakota inside the Fighting Hawks' 20-yard line (11/22)
2024: Appeared in four games in first season at South Dakota State ... lone punt attempt traveled 44 yards in Hobo Day game against Youngstown State (10/12) and resulted in a fumble that the Jackrabbits recovered ... served as a holder on placekicks in three games late in the season, including Football Championship Subdivision playoff games against Incarnate Word (12/14) and North Dakota State (12/21)
BEFORE SDSU: Played the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Minnesota State, Mankato ... averaged a combined 40.4 yards per punt during his two seasons with the Mavericks and landed 25 of his 84 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line ... was honored on the All-Academic Team of Excellence ... previously earned all-state honors as both a kicker and punter at Ankeny High School
HONORS AND AWARDS
- American Football Coaches Association FCS All-America First Team (2025)
- Associated Press FCS All-America Honorable Mention (2025)
- All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First Team (2025)
- MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 4, 2025)
- College Sports Communicators All-America Second Team (2025)
- College Sports Communicators Academic All-District (2025)
- MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award (2024, 2025)
- MVFC Honor Roll (2024, 2025)
2025: Earned All-America honors both for his efforts on the field and in the classroom ... in first season as the Jackrabbits' punter, he averaged 47.2 yards on 42 punt attempts, but did not have enough attempts to qualify for NCAA leaderboard ... booted 18 punts that traveled 50 or more yards and landed 14 inside the opponents' 20-yard line ... named Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after punting four times for an average of 49.8 yards in road win at Youngstown State (10/4) ... averaged season-best 54 yards on six attempts at Murray State, a game in which logged a career-best 68-yard punt (10/18) ... lone punt traveled 50 yards and also completed a pass on a fake punt for 28 yards versus Indiana State (11/1) ... landed four of his five punts in regular season finale at North Dakota inside the Fighting Hawks' 20-yard line (11/22)
2024: Appeared in four games in first season at South Dakota State ... lone punt attempt traveled 44 yards in Hobo Day game against Youngstown State (10/12) and resulted in a fumble that the Jackrabbits recovered ... served as a holder on placekicks in three games late in the season, including Football Championship Subdivision playoff games against Incarnate Word (12/14) and North Dakota State (12/21)
BEFORE SDSU: Played the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Minnesota State, Mankato ... averaged a combined 40.4 yards per punt during his two seasons with the Mavericks and landed 25 of his 84 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line ... was honored on the All-Academic Team of Excellence ... previously earned all-state honors as both a kicker and punter at Ankeny High School
Saturday, December 06
Saturday, December 06
Thursday, December 04
Tuesday, December 02
