UND has successfully wrapped up another spring ball season and it’s time to take a look at where they are at heading into the summer.
We will give an overview on what we have seen with the young guys, certain positions and so forth as an all-encompassing look at the state of the team. The Spring Game is essentially just another practice so making too much of it would be un-wise. And we are really wise. :/
At QB, junior starter Keaton Studsrud has taken the next step and appears to be the proven leader of the offense. He not only appears to have put on weight (200 lbs) but is as/more athletic than before. This should serve him well this fall pertaining to durability.
Being the staff knows what they got in senior QB Ryan Bartels, the main focal point at this position during spring drills was freshman Brad Heidelbaugh. He had a nice spring in seeming to run an efficient offense and is very intelligent football-wise (always a huge plus).
However, Heidelbaugh’s biggest obstacles right now continue to be mechanical. His footwork is improving, no doubt. Arm strength is not an issue. But, his wind-up and long release are. It is magnified on boot legs & roll-outs where he needs to turn his body and throw the ball. We saw several balls in the spring game that would have been intercepted in a Big Sky game (thrown late).
Having said that, at the end of the day he is still a freshman from Rugby, ND who wasn’t asked to improve his mechanics before arriving on campus. We understand that. He’s a work in progress; a long-term project.
We feel the offensive line improved immensely this spring. How could they not? They only had a total of eight lineman and were going against the deepest, most talented defensive line UND has ever had.
Much has been said about Demon Taylor taking over at right guard but a guy we are watching for to own his position is Dan Bell at left guard. If the UND offensive line is going to replicate 2015 and dominate teams up front they need Bell to become a consistent player on the line. He has the tools (6’5-310, runs well, strong) and will have the reps come fall camp.
The center position battle is going to go on into fall camp. Couldn’t get a feel for whether Grant Aplin or Patric Rooney got a leg up on the other. Our feeling is that neither did enough to cement themselves as the #1. Won’t be surprised if Mat Cox still takes reps at center come August.
RB Oscar Nevermann is going to be a very nice addition to the UND backfield. He ran well in the spring game, showing both speed and athleticism on his leap over Chris Carter in the 4-on-4 drill they ran. Nevermann could be a bit more physical than he is at the point of impact but is a big, powerful RB who will give a much different look than the speedy/shifty All-American John Santiago. We have been told that Nevermann is very good at catching the ball out of the backfield as well.
WR Clive Georges seemed to expand his game a bit this spring. He is a fast/quick type of receiver but was running pretty nice routes as well. Much like Santiago, we envision OC Paul Rudolph trying to get creative in how they deliver the ball to Georges.
Names of young guys were heard about this spring:
- Mason Bennett – DE. He brings high-end athleticism to a typically physical, tough position in the 3-4. He will play major reps this fall and be turned loose in dime package off the edge.
- Carter Wilson – DE. Like Bennett, Wilson is a very good athlete. Has some size to put on (230) but will get consistent reps.
- Carl Engwall – DE. While not as flashy as the previous two, Engwall is much bigger at 6’4″-250+ and should be able to play the run well from his 3-4 DE position.
- Torrey Hunt – CB. Hunt impressed pretty much everybody this spring and made the biggest splash amongst the young guys. He will be fighting to be in the rotation this fall.
- Austin Gordon – RB. The walk-on from Wayzata has shown good speed and a bit of power too in that 5’9″-190 lb frame. He will be on the field with the other three tailbacks and on many special teams.
- Stetson Carr – WR. The younger brother of former UND safety Baylee Carr really had a nice spring and could be in the Top 5 WR rotation by the time Stony Brook rolls around. Carr is a junior who transferred to UND from U-Mary a few years ago so he got his first real look this spring.
- Tanner Palmborg – S. The walk-on sophomore played as a true freshman last season out of need when Cole Reyes and Zach Arnell went down with injury. The 2015 obviously gave him a bunch of reps, exposing him to the college game. This spring he really stuck out not only physically (6’1″-205) but by making big plays and big hits. He will be fighting Arnell for that free safety starting spot all camp.
Look for UND to bring in help at the following positions (or at least look to see what is out there): Offensive Line – Wide Receiver – QB.
The easiest route for help is JUCO, although the recent history there is sketchy. We have heard they are trying to work on 1-2 FBS kids as well.
The offensive line will be returning Elijah Grady to the mix this summer (presumably). In addition, 6 true freshman OL will be arriving to add some depth. As many as 2 could end up playing (possibly Nguon and Hellgren), but we could certainly see the staff going to look for a depth guy at tackle this spring/summer.
At defensive back, UND will welcome Andre Randolph and Evan Holm to the depth chart this summer at corner. Jordan Canady, Tim Ryan and probably Jake Geier (originally recruited as an OLB) will help the back row at safety. We envision at least one corner and one safety playing next fall. Look for Canady to get the hardest look initially.
From a QB standpoint, if an insurance policy QB from the FBS ranks were to be an option, we would certainly welcome that. A 1 or 2 year guy would be ideal.
Wildcard thought: Wonder if UND is looking at bringing in a transfer QB over the summer? They only have three and one is a senior, one is a freshman. DB signee Andre Randolph looked pretty salty at QB on his senior tape. He would be a project at QB. But he’s probably a project at corner too. Just sayin……(think former USD QB Noah Shepard)
