Now that UND is nine practices into their 2018 fall camp it’s time to brain dump on you a bit about what we have seen and heard from the team thus far.

Thunder Lake Lodge

I would go as far as to say this is the best camp UND has had in several years. There have only been minor injuries so far, which means it’s already way better than last year. The talent level is up across the board with veterans looking like they are supposed to.

  • Offensive Coordinator Paul Rudolph told us in our recent interview with him that he expects to name a starting quarterback by practice 15 or 16.  That means Monday, August 20th.  Which makes sense because it’s the start of a new practice week and would give the starter seven good practices with the #1 offense to bring things together.  The home opener is August 30th vs. MVSU.
  • Staying on the topic of quarterbacks, we fully expect UND to name junior Nate Ketteringham the starter.  It certainly isn’t a slam dunk as fellow junior Andrew Zimmerman is playing well himself and has control of the offense.  Freshman Brock Boltmann is the future at the position and has shown flashes this fall but in our opinion the person most ready to lead the offense on August 30th is Ketteringham.  The depth at QB is better than it has ever been.  Even transfer Noah Grover has shown promise with a nice release in limited reps.  All four could run the offense effectively.

  • Ketteringham throws the best deep ball of the group.  His “8-ball” or post route goes over the barn consistently.  Not too much air underneath, not too flat.  He can run when flushed and move around the pocket quite effectively.
  • Running backs John Santiago and James Johannesson have both sat out recent practices with what appears to be hamstring injuries.  Nothing too serious but those can linger.  Let’s keep an eye on that.
  • Due to injuries to the aforementioned Santiago and Johannesson, UND has been using freshman Cam McKinney at running back – a position he played in high school with great success.
  • RB Brady Oliveira is going to have a big senior season.  He looks to be in as good of shape as ever and his punishing running style should be fun to watch in 2018.

  • I wonder if Tank Harris is getting sick of going against Patric Rooney & Grant Aplin in 1-on-1’s everyday…and vice-versa?  Those three have been battling for four years on the inside now.
  • Freshman WR Mikey Greibel has a cast on his right hand after injuring his finger before the first practice.  He is still wearing pads, though, and practicing when he can.
  • Freshman punter Cade Peterson is doing quite well early on.  Strong leg with good hang time.  Plus, he is a sprinter who ran a sub-22 second 200 meter dash and consistently ran low 11’s in the 100.  Fake punt anyone?
  • Junior Mason Bennett is poised for a breakout season.  The 6’4″-262 DE from Winnipeg has shown flashes of pass rush dominance but has not taken over a game yet in his first two years with the Hawks.  We think that time is coming real soon.  Bennett needs to be the leader of the defensive line.

  • CB Osayi Onaghinor had two interceptions in practice the other day.  He has a ways to go but the transfer is an aggressive corner who will add quality depth.
  • We expect junior safety starter Lenny Nelson to be back at practice within a week or so.  He apparently suffered a shoulder injury but it was deemed not too serious.  Like we said earlier – the camp is already WAY better than last year.
  • With all the additions to the secondary this past year the biggest benefactor may be the Fighting Hawk special teams units.  Kickoff and punt coverage should be solid.
  • It’s not ideal to have to play a true freshman along the offensive line but a guy who has surprised most everybody is tackle Matt Waletzko.  He moves and bends quite well for such a large man (6’7″-320).  With UND still having depth issues I would not be surprised if Waletzko played more than his allotted ‘freshman four’ games.
  • It’s not much of a secret anymore but true freshman Garett Maag will be playing the entire season.  The 6’5″ wide receiver is bigger than both Noah Wanzek and Travis Toivonen and moves with almost the same fluidity.  Just needs reps and route work.  Wanzek and Toivonen have been tireless workers when it comes to perfecting their route running.

  • Want a sneaky name that may just play a bit more than expected this season?  WR Tyler Burian of Red River.  The true freshman walk-on has turned some heads in camp already and at 6’4″-205 he moves quite well.  Burian was a standout sprinter for the Riders.  I realize it’s only one play but Burian did beat CB Deion Harris on a post route during a team session last week.
  • Speaking of wide receivers, sophomore speedster Izzy Adeoti is starting to show signs of picking up the offense and more importantly, his role in that offense.  If UND can get Adeoti loose on some single-coverage post routes and jet sweeps they will be much more dynamic on offense.  Much like how they used Clive Georges a few years back.