The UND Football Program has recently finished their second recruiting weekend of the year. Signing Day is Wednesday, February 5th, meaning there is nine days left for the new staff to fill out the class. UND will be holding their third and last recruiting weekend coming up on Saturday, Feb 1st.
To date here are the list of verbal commitments (13):
Quarterback (1)
- Keaton Studsrud – QB – 6’2″ – 185 – St. Louis Park, MN (Benilde)
Running Back (0)
Wide Receiver (2)
- Develyn Ferguson – WR – 6’1″ – 175 – Wauwautosa, WI
- Brandon Walker – WR – 6’0″ – 180 – Flint, MI
Tight End (1)
- Luke Fiedler – 6’5″ – 215 – Orlando, FL. (Freedom)
Offensive Line (2)
- Jacob Francis – OL – 6’4″ – 280 – Liberty, MO
- Adam Stiner – OL – 6’5″ – 270 – Verona, WI
Defensive End (2)
- Drew Greely – DE – 6’3″ – 225 – Wayzata, MN.
- Brandon Dranka – DE – 6’2″ – 235 – Huntley, IL
Linebacker (2)
- Dylan Harmston – OLB – 6′-1″ – 210 – Menomonie, WI
- Hudson Walton – OLB – 6’1″ – 200 – Cedarburg, WI
Safety (0)
Cornerback (2)
- Deion Harris – CB – 6’2″ – 175 – Hibbing, MN
- Josiah Montague – CB – 5’11” – 180 – Minnetonka, MN
Kicker (1)
- Reid Taubenheim – K – 6’1″ – 185 – Farmington, MN
As I analyze the positions, there are multiple areas that still need to be addressed.
I fully expect another cornerback to commit, maybe two, along with at least one running back. They currently do not have a RB commitment and cornerback is by far the weakest position on the current roster.
Look for multiple North Dakota kids to be in this last group of recruits. There are still a few ND kids who have yet to commit and can help UND.
With the graduation of so many linebackers (5), we expect at least 1-2 more LB’s to join the team, either from high school or Juco. They currently have two committed (Harmston and Walton).
There are currently zero safeties but I expect that to change. Even if they do not sign any, Harris and Montague can both play safety.
UND could also use a defensive tackle/nose guard to go along with the two defensive ends they have already. They need to shore up the run defense.
When I look at the roster they are very low on offensive lineman (9). 1-2 more commits along the offensive line would be ideal. Spring football will be real fun with only 9-10 offensive lineman.
The late start has definitely been a factor in the recruiting efforts of the new staff. An overlooked but very important part of recruiting is “recruit fatigue”. All weekend visits start in early December and most programs get in two weekends before Christmas. UND did not have that luxury with the hiring process going on during that time. By the time Coach Schweigert got his staff assembled most top recruits in the area had already been on two visits. Don’t underestimate the time/effort/money it takes to travel around the upper midwest in the middle of winter. These recruits play other sports which makes their schedules a buzzsaw during recruiting and some even have to concentrate more on their grades and schoolwork towards the end of their senior year. After a couple of those visits, some recruits are ready to call it good and make a decision. We have already seen this come to fruition with a few recruits from Minneapolis and Wisconsin.
The positive side of this year’s recruiting is the “over-achieving” that the staff has done to this point. When I say over-achieving, I strictly mean in the sense that they are doing better than they should right now given all the variables. Coach Schweigert’s staff has secured 13 verbal commitments to date with many of them being kids with several offers (some being FBS). It is quite apparent that they are not settling for certain kids simply to fill out the roster. They have been targeting higher-end kids that have other FCS offers and trying to get them to give UND a shot, even with the late start and little familiarity. They seem to know what they want and are sticking to the plan.
There is a real possibility that they only sign an average size class but then bring in an FBS transfer or a junior college player in May.
Lastly, I want to say that I am very excited to be a part of Sioux Football Insider and appreciate the opportunity to work alongside Fritz and Oskie, whose specialized coverage of UND Football is second to none. They bring a very different and unique point of view and knowledge and their passion for it has been evident since they started the blog 4 years ago on a volunteer basis. These guys do this because they love it and don’t get paid to do it, which I appreciate. When they asked me to join them, it was an absolute no-brainer. I hope to be able to keep up with them and contribute in the same manner that they do. Roll Tribe!
