UND Asst. Director of Communications Alec Stocker released the initial 2019 Fall Camp Roster and Depth Charts today via the UND Football twitter page. Typically, there are a few surprises and this year was no exception.
- Per Tom Miller, UND is adding yet another WR that stands over 6’3″. South Dakota State graduate transfer Alex Wilde (Brandon Valley H.S.) is going to be joining the team shortly once all the logistics are taken care of. Wilde joins Noah Wanzek, Travis Toivonen, Garett Maag, Tyler Burian, Hayden Overby, and Adam Zavalney in the 6’3″ & over club. Over the last two seasons Wilde caught 18 balls for 246 yards for the Jacks. UND OC Danny Freund actually recruited Wilde out of high school.
- OLB Leif Bungum and DE Zeke Ott are no longer listed on the roster. Ott is due to injuries and Bungum decided to transfer after spring semester.
- RB Otis Weah is still listed on the roster but is academically ineligible to play this fall. He will be able to practice with the team, however.
- Last year’s starter at LT, Noah Mortel, is listed as injured to start camp. He is joined by freshman DL Steven Keech and LB Kaden Wolsky.
- Sean Russo is listed as the starter at right tackle, which comes as a mild surprise. He will be battling fellow junior Bennett Helgren for the starting job.
- Former QB turned WR Brock Boltmann is not all of the sudden 6’4″. Must have been a typo.
- Senior James Johannesson is listed as the starter at running back. Cam McKinney will be backing him up.
- Interesting that UND lists an “H” tight end & and “H” receiver. We alluded to this a while ago that Freund wants his tight ends to look like big wide receivers. As you can tell by the roster – no shortage of those this season.
- Backup LG Donny Ventrelli is up to 284 pounds. Ventrelli came into UND around 230-240 and played all over the field in high school.
- Starting RG Kyle Hergel is listed at 288 pounds, which is down from his listed internet weights.
- Freshman DL Elijah Beach is listed at 267, while fellow freshman DE Chandon Pierre is 256. Both are candidates to play more than the allotted ‘freshman four’ games.
- The UND offensive line is going to be on the lighter side this season, it appears. The starters from left to right go 296, 274, 289, 288, 282. We are assuming the new offense will help as they won’t be asked to move/maul people off the line of scrimmage every other play.
- Former UND WR Alex Reed has joined the staff as an assistant coach.
