Fond du Lac’s Maratik picks South Dakota State
Fond du Lac all-time leading rusher Justin Maratik verbally committed Sunday morning to play Division I football for South Dakota State.
Maratik, who set at least six school records during his time as a Cardinal, accepted a preferred walk-on offer from the Jackrabbits, a Football Championship Subdivision program based in Brookings, S.D.
“Speaking with the coaches and the players, what really stuck out to me was how family-oriented the college was,” Maratik said. “I’d be leaving a family back home but I’ll be gaining a new one out in South Dakota. It’s just real cool how tight-knit everybody was.”
During his time with the Fond du Lac football team, Maratik was the team’s primary running back and was named the Action Reporter Media All-Area Offensive Player of the Year for the past two seasons in addition to setting school records for career rushing yards, career total offense, career points scored, career touchdowns, points scored in a game and points scored in a season.
However, when he joins South Dakota State, he’ll likely be switching sides of the ball and playing safety for the Jackrabbits. Having not played much defense at Fond du Lac, it will certainly be an adjustment for Maratik but one he’s confident he can make.
“It’s a totally different position and there’s many things I have to adjust to,” Maratik said. “You have to have the athletic ability, but there will be a lot of mental work, watching a lot of film and reading offensive tendencies. Being an offensive guy, that might be tough. … The mental aspect and the discipline I’ll need to have as a safety, that’s a huge thing I’ll need to learn.”
Fond du Lac coach Mike Gnewuch, who helped guide Maratik through the recruitment process, noted that while Maratik didn’t play many defensive snaps in high school, it all comes down to being a good football player.
“I think he’s kind of been prepared (for a position switch) for a year and a half, two years now in that if he decided to go on to the next level, he’d be playing on the defensive side of the ball,” Gnewuch said. “I always tell him football is football. So now he’s going to be on the other side of the ball and he’s going to be tackling the runner, but the mentality he had on offense was more of a defensive mentality. He punished guys because he ran hard.
“There will be some adjustments and he’ll have to learn scheme and stuff like that. But what they do defensively is very similar to what we do and even though he didn’t get a ton of snaps on the defensive side of the ball, he still read schemes. He’s not going in blind. Football is football.”
Maratik plans on redshirting next season, which will give him time to bulk up, learn his new position and adjust to the lifestyle of Division I college football.
“Obviously everyone wants to play the game and play under the lights, but I know I need to get bigger, faster, stronger,” Maratik said. “High school football is a lot different game than Division I football.”
Last season, South Dakota State finished 8-4 and lost in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
With his decision now made, Maratik said he’s happy the process is over and is looking forward to preparing for the next level.
“I’m just relieved today,” he said. “I didn’t have the opportunities a lot of other kids had, with a bunch of offers and stuff like that, but even with the few schools that were looking at me it was stressful. I’m excited.”