UND held their annual spring game/scrimmage on Saturday and it could not have gone better, IMO.  The weather was fantastic, the crowd was surprisingly good, and the game itself was very entertaining.  You can tell the players know that very few spots are wrapped up on this team.  The intensity level of the game was high.

Thunder Lake Lodge
  • The defense dominated most of the scrimmage.  They are really starting to look the part of a good FCS defense.  The front seven played well all day vs. an undermanned UND offensive line.  They still are going to be a lunch pail group but they play so damn hard every play.  Effort is never an issue and the pursuit is noticeable.
  • DE’s Drew Greely and Brandon Dranka have really put on some bulk in the weight room.  Both players are around 20 pounds heavier than when they came to UND last fall.  But, those two don’t want to weigh much more than 240-250 cause speed and twitch is their game.  Combine those two with the leader of the DL, Jordan Hinojosa, and UND has a nice starting unit.
  • DE Austin Cieslak has made some nice strides and had a nice spring game.  He adds a bigger, taller body to the defensive line rotation and should see some decent snaps this fall.
  • S Domo Blackmon had a solid spring and should fit in somewhere come fall.  Blackmon could play corner as UND has a void there with only three healthy corners (Brown, Carter, D. Harris).  After getting a year in the system, Blackmon really played fast this spring.
  • Freshman OLB Dylan Harmston had a good spring overall and should be a special teams fixture and fight for reps next fall.
  • CB walk-on Garrett Bollant made an outstanding interception on a fade route in the end zone.  He played the receiver and reached up late with one hand to knock it down but it richoted right into that hand and he cuffed it for the INT.  Huge play.
  • Don’t be surprised if OLB Jake Disterhaupt enters fall camp as a #1 OLB.  The battle is between Dayo Idowu, Brian Labat and Disterhaupt for the two spots.  Disterhaupt has shown a knack for making plays at his new position.
  • The biggest question mark areas as we exit spring ball are Cornerback and OL.
  • Deion Harris is a special talent.  We saw him progress and grow all spring.  His length at corner is unprecedented at UND.  He still needs to mature as a player and will no doubt take his lumps in the Big Sky (all corners do) but his upside is huge.  Outside of him, someone needs to step up on the right side and stake claim to a starting job.  Depth is still a concern and they need to develop a nickel for passing downs.
  • The UND QBs had a few issues with handoffs in the game.
  • In our unofficial and amateur opinion, after watching this spring, we expect UND to name Keaton Studsrud #1 on the depth chart heading into fall camp.  He did not light the world on fire this spring by any means, but we feel outplayed Ryan Bartels.  In our mind, the difference is that Studsrud brings much more to the table athletically and can extend plays like he did against Northern Arizona last fall as a true freshman to win the game.  He always has his eyes downfield on the run and is able to make throws after leaving the pocket.  With incumbent Joe Mollberg coming back from achilles surgery, fall camp could be interesting to say the least.  However, barring a huge digression and/or setback, we predict Studsrud starts week 1.
  • Studsrud’s mobility is what will set him apart from the other QB’s.  Early in the game he got loose and bought time, finding WR Clive Georges late across the middle for a big gainer.  With the offensive line still a work in progress, UND is going to need a QB who can buy a little time around the pocket.
  • The UND offensive line was a beat up bunch this spring.  They need AJ Stockwell to come back healthy in August.  They need a center to emerge as the “the guy”.  The left tackle spot this spring was noticeably a weak spot.  This has to be fixed next fall.  If Stockwell continues to be hampered by injuries, Mat Cox will be the guy at LT.
  • There is a chance freshman OL Jake Francis may move to fullback or tight end depending on his recovery time from injury.  Francis was only around 260 or so when he came to UND and may be more suited to play at a lighter weight.  Will be interesting to see where he lines up this fall.
  • Walk-on WR Luke Stanley emerged as a consistent threat in the passing game.  He is UND’s only big WR (6’4″-200) but showed pretty good athleticism in his routes.  Stanley could play alot this fall and be the tall receiving threat that UND was missing last year.  They move him around a lot too from inside to outside, which tells us they want to find ways to get him the ball.
  • Another former walk-on WR, sophomore Josh Seibel, continues to impress and overachieve on the field.  The Bismarck native will be a leader at this position group and lead by example for the next 3 years.  We love the intangibles and toughness he brings to the table.
  • The team is starting to physically look like they are supposed to.  The coaches have added much needed height at several positions – Tajhe Hartley at ILB looks really good and sticks out at 6’3″.  The team is getting so much longer, which was a high priority in recruiting the past two years, according to defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt.  They saw what the Big Sky had to offer and knew they needed to get taller and add more range.
  • Don’t be surprised if incoming freshman Iwarri Smith gets a look at RB early in fall camp.  Smith was an “athlete” recruit with options for positions, but they may want to see if he’s a difference maker. We have been told that Patrick Sharp is no longer with the team, leaving a void on the depth chart at RB.  UND currently has only three running backs on the roster in Ja’Won Arrington, Oscar Nevermann (ineligible for 2015), and Kyle Norberg.  They need quality depth in a bad way.  Incoming freshman Brady Oliveira will help but they need at least two more on the roster.
  • Speaking of which, we fully expect an FBS running back to visit UND in the next week or two.  Will obviously be keeping tabs on it and update as we know any info.
  • They are not there yet but a few more recruiting classes and this team will look completely different than the one’s from the past 4-5 years.
  • Following that point, we are very excited about what the depth chart will look like next fall between the injection of a new freshman recruiting class, transfers, and the return of injured players who did not participate this spring.  We will take a look at that aspect soon in a blog post.