The UND defense is coming off a 2018 season where they were dominant at times and dominated at times. Overall, their effort & results were playoff worthy, but we are sure ‘consistency’ will be the focus as they cast their gaze to the 2019 season.
UND allowed 22.6 points/game in 2018, which was good for 26th in the nation. A solid number and certainly good enough to help the Hawks win games. Their high total allowed was 45 vs Washington (FBS) and 35 vs. Weber State (FCS). Their low total allowed was 7 vs. MVSU.
The best defensive performance of the season was vs. Montana when UND obliterated the Griz at the Alerus Center 41-14. DC Eric Schmidt’s squad forced three fumbles, intercepted one, and had three sacks in what was the most entertaining UND home win in a long time.
The offense wasn’t the only side of the ball that had change amongst the coaching staff. We broke the news that UND defensive line coach Jordan Gigli will be leaving UND to head to Northern Illinois, where he will be the defensive line coach for the Huskies. Gigli did an outstanding job with his DL unit and will be missed. Of note: Gigli is a longtime friend of new NIU head coach Thomas Hammock.
Defensive Starters Returning: 7
Defensive Line (1)
- *Mason Bennett (sr) – 42 tackles – 15 TFL’s – 9 sacks
- Carl Engwall (sr) – 11 tackles – 3 TFL’s – 1 sack
- Quentin Seguin (so) – 10 tackles – 3 TFL’s – 0.5 sacks
- Zeke Ott (so) – 3 tackles – 2 TFL’s – 1 sack
- Jalen Morrison (so) – 2 tackles
The defensive line has been a strength of the Hawks defense for many years but this season may be a transition time this unit. Besides the loss of Gigli, the defensive will see the departure of senior four-year stalwarts Tank Harris (18 tackles-3.5 TFL) and Austin Cieslak (27 tackles-10 TFL-6 sacks). This opens the door for some talented young guys to show what they got but does leave a little uncertainty, as well.
The star of the 2019 Fighting Hawk defense will be senior Mason Bennett. The 6’4″-255 rush end from Winnipeg has progressed every year in the UND system to the point where he dominated games at times last season. Bennett is a explosive pass rusher off the edge in dime packages while also disruptive on the inside when UND is in their base 3-4 defense. Mason has a big future ahead of him and will most certainly be in the mix for a professional career after next season.
Senior Carl Engwall will most likely be the DE starter opposite Bennett. Engwall has been a steady contributor throughout his time at UND and we are interested to see him take the next step as a senior getting more reps. At 6’4″-250 he could possibly get some time at nose guard if Coach Schmidt needs to give those guys a breather.
The sophomore triad of Quentin Seguin, Zeke Ott and Jalen Morrison all saw playing time as freshman last year and gave us a taste of what they can do. This group came in with fairly big expectations and this could be the year where it starts to show.
Seguin will be a nice DE with growth and maturity in the Hawks defense, as he showed some flashes of play-making ability. He will need to make a big jump this season, however, because he is going to be counted on for consistent, starter-level reps in 2019.
Everyone knew that Ott was going to be special at UND and we saw it early in the 2018 season. However, down in against Sam Houston State Ott suffered a non-contact knee injury and was lost for the year. Ott is a slightly undersized, ultra-explosive DE that can be a big difference maker if he comes back strong from that injury. Having Ott on one end and Bennett on the other on passing downs is very advantageous for DC Schmidt.
Morrison is next in line for the starting nose guard position in the Hawks 3-4 scheme. At 6’3″-250, Morrison will most likely need to bulk up a bit to endure the rigors of playing NG in a 3-4 scheme. Constant double-teams and fighting for every inch are typical of that position. He has the ability to be a good one and could be the next star in UND’s long history of dominant nose guards.
Freshman Ryan Schoenfelder (6’5″-230) will be one to watch in spring ball. With UND needing to solidify depth at the end positions it will be the progression of guys like Schoenfelder that dictate the success of this group.
Jaelen Johnson (6’2″-225) is an interesting player. The freshman walk-on from Greendale, WI surprised everybody at fall camp and eventually worked his way into the lineup for a couple games. Johnson’s game is rushing the passer and making plays via UND’s twisting/stunting defensive line looks.
Fellow freshman Griffin Lickfeldt (6’0″-250) will be providing depth at the nose guard position. Lickfeldt will probably be playing some this year due to the loss of Harris and Steve Green at nose guard.
Outside Linebacker (1)
- *Jaxson Turner (jr) – 59 tackles – 7 TFL’s – 4.5 sacks
- Jade Lawrence (sr) – 20 tackles – 4.5 TFL’s
- Andre Steiger (sr) – 28 tackles – 3.5 TFL’s – 1.0 sack
The outside linebacker position is one that needs to makes big plays for the Hawks to be an effective defense. They need to be disruptive in the backfield, be able to drop into coverage effectively, and be able to cover opposing receivers one-on-one down the field at times. Last year this group was just OK. The injury to senior leader Tanner Palmborg certainly didn’t help their cause because Palmborg was having a solid year up until his knee buckled vs. Montana.
As you can see above, Jaxson Turner is the the only big-play threat back in this group. We have been high on Turner since his arrival on campus and he appears to be turning the corner towards dominance now that he is entering his junior season. He has the size, 6’2″-215, and speed to be a force in all aspects of the 3-4 defense. We are looking for Turner to have a huge season in 2019.
Senior Jade Lawrence was injured early in the season opener last year vs. MVSU and never seemed to recover. He did notch 4.5 TFL’s but seemed to lack the explosion he had in previous years. If Lawrence can come back healthy for his senior season it will be a major boost to the UND defense.
Senior Andre Steiger is one of those guys who has worked his way up the depth chart through solid special teams play and making the most of his reps. In 2018 it seemed that at least once a game he would be in the backfield disrupting a play – like vs. SHSU when UND had their goal line stand and Steiger blew up one of the run plays in the backfield.
We reported prior to Christmas break that OLB Ray Haas (junior) is back on the team and will be joining them for spring semester. Haas played for UND in 2016 and 2017 and was a solid all-around contributor. At 6’5″-220, Haas will bring some size to the OLB group that the Hawks desperately need. Don’t underestimate the impact Haas can make once he gets his football legs back.
Senior Bryce Crouch will be backing up the starters but participate on most special teams, once again. Sophomore Bryden Swenson (6’3″-215) will also be in the mix as he brings height to the position, much like Haas. Sophomore Leif Bungum (6’2″-210) hasn’t seen the field yet so this spring will be a big test for him to show what he can do.
Former safety Chavildo Van Ommeren (junior) transferred to UND last summer but didn’t play much until the end of the 2018 season due to eligibility/transfer issues. He has a big frame (6’3″-205) and it will be interesting to see if he can make splash this spring now that he is acclimated to the program.
Ted Mullin (6’1″-205) and Cade Salentine (6’3″-200) are the freshman that will be battling for backup spots and more importantly, spots on the travel roster. These are the types of players that perform well on special teams due to their size and speed, which can lead to reps at OLB.
Inside Linebacker (2)
- *Donnell Rodgers (sr) – 72 tackles – 8 TFL’s – 2.0 sacks – 1 INT
- *Noah Larson (so) – 64 tackles – 5 TFL’s – 2.0 sacks
- Cam Hunt (jr) – 12 tackles
- Hayden Reynolds – 5 tackles
- Jake Geier – 4 tackles
The inside linebacker unit was a major plus for UND in 2018. They returned many of the pieces that got injured the previous season it showed in UND’s ability to stop the run much more effectively than in 2017. The Hawks gave up 135 yards rushing per game last season.
The top two tacklers on the team are back and Hawks fans should be excited. Senior and leader of the defense, Donnell Rodgers, had a rock solid junior campaign that saw him notch 72 tackles and 8 TFL’s. We love the way Rodgers has evolved throughout his career and are putting him on another solid season.
The surprise of the defense to me was the play of freshman Noah Larson (6’2″-230). The Baraboo, WI product came to UND with a bit of hype behind him as the staff was ecstatic when he signed with the Hawks. Larson lived up to it last year by playing in all 11 games and combining with Rodgers to log the most reps at the ILB position. That isn’t an easy position to play heavy reps for 11 straight games.
Backing up those two will be junior Cam Hunt, who saw some playing time in 2017 and 2018, registering 12 tackles this past season. Hunt is a faster ILB and could be a nice compliment to the bigger Rodgers and Larson.
Hayden Reynolds (6’1″-210) has been somewhat of a surprise for the Hawks in this short time on campus. Reynolds is a walk-on from Sheyenne HS in West Fargo but worked his way into the lineup several times this past season while also playing special teams.
Junior Jake Geier will be a backup at ILB while competing full-time on special teams, much like the other backups. Geier is one of the guys we are hoping to see take the next step and demand some reps with his play. Joining him will be Caden White (6’3″-210), who brings good size to the inside linebacker position and is an intriguing prospect.
We also believe that Grand Forks Central freshman walk-on Zack Murphy joined the team at semester break and will compete at the ILB position this spring.
Safety (2)
- *Jordan Canady (sr) – 47 tackles – 1 TFL’s – 3 INT – 7 PBU
- *Lenny Nelson (sr) – 12 tackles – 1 INT (TD) – 1 PBU
- Tykeise Johnson (sr) – 37 tackles – 1 sack – 1 PBU
- Hayden Galvin (jr) – 7 tackles – 1 INT
- Ty Shannon (jr) – 25 tackles – 1 PBU
The safety unit brings back both of their starters from 2018 along with some other experience, as well. Starting strong safety Jordan Canady (junior) returns after starting all 11 games last season. Canady led the team with three interceptions and was second on the team with seven pass breakups. Now that Canady has had a full season under his belt we are looking for him to take that next big step into a leadership role on the defense. This unit needs to make more big, explosive plays and Canady has that ability. The team only had eight interceptions in 2018 – not nearly good enough.
Senior Lenny Nelson could very well get the nod at free safety if he enters spring ball healthy. Nelson was hurt a good portion of the 2018 season and it hurt UND’s production, no doubt. Nelson came back to start the last two games, making the game-winning INT for TD vs. Portland State that kept UND’s playoff hopes alive. He has been impressive in his time on campus and Nelson should have a solid senior season.
Tykeise Johnson started the first nine games of the season after Nelson went down and had a decent first season for the Hawks, notching 37 tackles and 1 sack. Johnson will be battling a host of players for the starting/backup free safety spots this spring.
A guy who showed some play-making ability early but ended up redshirting was junior transfer Hayden Galvin. He intercepted Jake Browning out at Washington in the first half, a play that helped keep UND in the game at halftime. Galvin could be a bit of an X-factor at the safety spot if he can develop in the weight room and learn the defense.
Junior Ty Shannon has seen some playing time behind the starters the past couple seasons and should be in the mix for more this season. He has been a special teams stalwart, while also notching 25 tackles. Shannon has the size (6’2′-200) and speed to be a playmaker in the Hawks defense.
Junior Derek Murph out of Red River High School will be a depth guy at safety and more than likely fight for a special teams role, which also gets him on the travel squad. Murph played in one game last season.
Freshman Kadon Kauppinen has drawn rave reviews throughout the program for play throughout his first fall camp and scout season. The 6’2″-195 safety out of Sun Prairie, WI will be one to watch at safety this spring. He brings more size to the group along with a history of making big plays in high school.
Fellow freshman Marcus Vaughn-Jones is another long safety (6’3″-200) that UND can run out there against bigger slot WR/TE’s. Vaughn-Jones will be slotted behind the aforementioned safeties but will be intriguing to watch.
Cornerback (1)
- *Evan Holm (sr) – 46 tackles – 10 PBU
- Hayden Blubaugh (jr) – 18 tackles – 1 INT – 6 PBU
As you can see above UND is a little thin at cornerback when it comes to experience. The departed Deion Harris played the majority of every game last fall so there wasn’t much clock for anybody else. That fact makes this spring session even more important for the cornerback group.
The starter opposite Harris for 2018 was Evan Holm. The 6’0″-190 senior out of Edina, MN had an above average season for the Hawks and really came into his own as the season went on. The highlight of Holm’s season was the matchup domination of All-American WR Nathan Stewart down in Huntsville, TX when UND beat the Sam Houston State 24-23. Holm broke up three potential touchdown passes in the end zone – all directed at Stewart.
The odds on favorite to start opposite Holm is true junior Hayden Blubaugh. The Colorado native took his lumps as a true freshman playing out of necessity, but really blossomed this past season. Blubaugh provided aggressive coverage and showed sound technique in man coverage. We look for Blubaugh to take yet another step and become a consistent playmaker at cornerback.
Senior Tyus Carter is another corner that played as a true freshman out of need but has been hampered by injuries throughout his career. Carter has given us glimpses of his potential but hasn’t been able to string anything together due to those injuries. Carter could add much needed depth heading into his final season as a Hawk.
Sophomore Kyle Hietpas was going to be counted on for depth this past fall but injuries derailed most of his season. The Little Chute, WI native will be back in the mix this spring and should contribute on multiple special teams.
Freshman Jacob Odom played sparingly during his true freshman season but really surprised many in fall camp. Odom came out of nowhere to be a guy the staff was going to turn to if injuries popped up again like had happened in previous years. That never came so Odom will now get his shot this spring.
The wildcard of the secondary group is freshman C.J. Siegel (6’0″-170), who showed no shortage of speed, quick’s and fluid hips during his time on the scout team last fall. The defensive staff has big expectations for Siegel and this spring will be a very important time for him.
In our most recent podcast, we talked about the one transfer that UND added on defense at Christmas time – Jeremie Dominique – who transferred to UND from Hawaii. Sidenote: It’s currently -5 degrees in Grand Forks and 76 degrees in Honolulu. However, Dominique is originally from Montreal, QC so the weather shouldn’t be an issue. He stands 6’2″-190 and played in 13 total games for the Rainbow Warriors – Dominique will be a junior. Very interested to see what he brings to the cornerback position.
Sophomore Terrell Jennings elected to redshirt this past season and will be a depth guy at cornerback and special teams for 2019. Fellow transfer Osayi Onaghinor also redshirted and will provide depth at corner.
