We previously wrote about the size & projection of the UND commitments for the Class of 2026. The staff has been doing an outstanding job identifying good fits, pouring into them, and getting early commitments.
With the latest commitment things have ramped up a notch.
Central Cass High School star tackle Aiden Wunderlich pulled the trigger on his commitment to the Fighting Hawks this past Friday – and with it UND pulled probably their biggest in-state recruiting win in recent memory. With a big commitment comes momentum.
Wunderlich is easily considered the top ’26 prospect in North Dakota. He earned his first offer from UND last summer after camp, as Coach Schweigert offered the young man on the spot. Much credit needs to go to Bubba and OL Coach Trevor Olson. They got Aiden in the fold very early, established a connection and relationship, and helped him learn about UND.
Coach Schmidt continued that and made Wunderlich a top priority Day One. He has since made many more trips to campus to check out practice, facilities, and academics. The kid did his due diligence and made sure every box was checked.
Wunderlich earned offers from SDSU, Washington St, Northern Iowa, Dartmouth, Montana, and NDSU. Earning an Ivy League offer tells us he’s an intelligent kid. Wunderlich is also a multi-sport athlete, playing basketball and track.
Wunderlich plays right tackle for Central Cass HS, is 6-7 270, and has an 83 inch wingspan. A wingspan that long puts him on the very high end of that measurable, which is a big deal at the tackle position. With his size and athleticism, once he concentrates solely on football his ceiling is extremely high.
This is one to get excited about fans! All of them are, but when the staff can pull in the top ranked kid in North Dakota, who had all kinds of offers, it’s very cool for the program and it’s fans. The staff has done an excellent job and we are learning what a difference the ‘completed’ new facilities make. No more “vision” speeches of what UND will look like someday.
The Hawks now have six commitments for the Class of 2026. Of those six commitments, five are taller than 6-5, and three are 6-7 offensive lineman.
Again, ‘projection’. Find the body types. Weed out the ones who lack aggression and fortitude. Weed out the ones with questionable character. Highlight the ones who are good athletes with great work ethics, show leadership ability, are self-starters, and are great teammates. That’s what we have in these 6 commitments.
What’s next for UND on the recruiting trail? It would seem that a few skill position guys would be heavily targeted. RB Tyler Zdon of Illinois is one of particular interest and may not be far away. Many offers have been made to WR’s, DB’s, and ATH. Edge Blake Buhr from Wisconsin was on campus recently and it looks like there is a ton of interest with him. There are many more possibilities, as well. See our tweet from a few weeks back on more of these high-end guys.
Note: Hawks Fans and Alumni – we are seeing what NIL is doing in the world of college athletics. It’s imperative that we keep pace! Luckily we have the 1883 Collective helping our athletes.
Please consider giving to the 1883 Collective, as the Collective truly is making a difference. Giving is very easy and only take a few minutes. Whether it’s $50 a month, something less, or something greater, every dollar makes an impact. Being in the middle of the “second portal season”, more money in the Collective means a higher caliber of portal athlete we can attract. Visit their website at here for more information.
UND Class of 2026
QB Brooks Hendrickson – 6-3 210 from Mount Horeb, WI
TE George Rohl – 6-7 230 from Ellsworth, WI
OL Jackson Stein – 6-7 295 from Lake Mills, WI
OL Brady Goihl – 6-7 270 from Melrose, MN
Edge Brody Woods – 6-5 230 from Cold Spring, MN
OL Aiden Wunderlich – 6-7 270 from Casselton, ND