With Spring Ball starting on March 20, let’s take a dive into the UND team as it currently sits. As we all know, the landscape of college football is changing by the week so what you see this spring may not be what you see next fall. But, the core of the team will come from the position groups described in this post.
Quarterback
This is an interesting mix of talent and youth. As Coach Schmidt announced in January, incumbent starter Simon Romfo is sitting out spring ball due to surgery. That is great for the development of the others. What we don’t know about the three who will be battling it out for the starting spot is how will they command the team?
Sophomore Jerry Kaminski was the backup in ’24 and got some light game reps. All signs are that he had a good fall camp last year and is poised to take the next step. What is his next step? Is it accuracy? Reads? Leadership? Who knows, but hopefully he is able to take the next step and battle for the job.
Freshman Jack Sulik redshirted this past year and the word is he was a very pleasant surprise. Not that he wasn’t expected to be a good player, but because he was as advanced as he was and showed an understanding beyond most true FR. Sulik is a good runner for his size (6’5″) and has impressed with his athletic ability.
The newcomer from San Diego St, Javance Tupouafa-Johnson (6’4″), is expected to come in and be a factor. He had offers out of high school from the likes of Oregon and Florida St. The talent is there. He passes the eye test with flying colors. On tape it looks like the arm strength is there. He had some success when he lead the Aztecs offense last year as a freshman. Can he learn the playbook and move enough for Coach Fruechte’s liking? JTJ runs the ball well on tape so he would need to show that ability in the plus-one run game.
My Thoughts: I really like this room. Simon has the most experience, followed by a whole lot of young talent. They got size and ability to affect the game not only through the air but on the ground. If you noticed, the best teams in the country all run the QB a significant amount. Let the battle begin!
Running Back
Workhorse Gaven Ziebarth is back for his senior year. We know what we have here- a guy who gets better as the game goes along, runs hard between the tackles, and is extremely dependable. He needs to continue to be the leader of this young, energetic group and lead by example. When Z gets going the crowd come alive and so does the team.
Sawyer Seidl is also back after a very good freshman year where he became a homerun threat in the backfield and return game. This is a true weapon. To get Seidl to return this year was a big win for Coach Schmidt. Seidl had plenty of opportunities to leave.
The freshmen, Randle Parker and Colton Brunell, will hopefully get a ton of reps this spring. Randle comes in with an impressive resume playing very good competition in Arizona. He averaged 13 yards a touch as a senior. Brunell is the all-time leading rusher in Wisconsin high school history and his film gives off a Ziebarth vibe.
We need one of them to grow quickly and be a factor in the ’25 season. If they both do that’s even better. Coach Fruechte has proven how he wants to utilize this group and keep them fresh. Spread some reps. “Pair and a spare”, according to the great Glenn Mason. With the OL we have returning it makes developing another RB easier.
My Thoughts: Having Z back is huge as the room gets young in a hurry after him. A nice mix of speed and power overall. Parker and Brunell need to show what they can do this spring because they are the depth. If there are any doubts come April I would assume UND will take a look in the portal.
Wide Receiver
This is the room with the biggest influx of talent on the roster. Starters Caden Dennis and Nate DeMontagnac return. Dennis is known as a speedster and hopefully we see more of that from him. DeMontagnac does the hard work, blocks very well, and is a very capable receiver when his number is called but needs consistency.
Returnee Sam Standell is cut in a similar mold. Dependable and willing to do the dirty work. Korey Tai is poised for a breakout as he played behind Bo Belquist last year and hopefully was a sponge. He has the ability to be an impact player as a quick, speed guy in space.
Fellow classmates Michael Gross, Adam Poncelet, and Vuciri Hakim will all look to improve their play and get in the mix. All are the longer, tall body types that suggest they could be red zone threats and mismatches. Keegan Ryan’s first spring ball will hopefully see a ton of reps in with the above three.
Fellow FR Deng Deng (6’4″) out of Four Winds High School, has some things you can’t teach. He saw some time as a true freshman and has a size and athleticism combo that is rare. There is a lot of hype behind Deng but now is the time to back it up.
The three portal transfer additions are Kristen Hoskins (Minnesota), BJ Fleming (Northern Arizona), and Jamaal Young II (Arizona St). Hoskins is originally from Alexandria, MN and garnered all kinds of accolades as a speedster and true big play threat. He is smaller at 5’9″ but should be a space guy. Hopefully a change of scenery for him is what he needed.
Fleming comes off a productive two years at Northern Arizona. Indications from winter workouts are that he is what they were projecting, and perhaps more. Young transfers in as a relative newcomer to football but can really run. Between he, Tai, Hoskins, and Fleming, they’re the types who lets get them the ball with some room to run or in the screen game & let them work. The three portal transfer WRs have definitely elevated the ceiling of this position.
My Thoughts: this group has the most to prove on the offensive side of the ball. Losing Belquist was a major blow as he was an all-timer for the Hawks. IMO, all jobs are up for grabs and it will be a battle into fall camp. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Schmidt add another portal addition after spring ball if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing.
Tight End / Fullback
Whereas the wide receiver room is packed with bodies, the tight end room is light on returnees. Only four total players return in junior Haydn Stay, sophomore Aidan Behymer, sophomore Kellen Kinzer, and freshman Tray Kuntz.
Stay has played in every game in his career as both a tight end and on special teams. Extremely valuable player looking for an expanded role cut out of the same mold as recently graduated Jaden Norby. Behymer (6’6″) played a good amount in his first season at UND after transferring from Air Force. Can he take the next step and expand his role as a downfield threat? Kinzer makes the move over from edge and has the frame for tight end (6’4″-240). Spring ball will be crucial for him and seeing how he fits.
Kuntz, he comes off a standout high school career at GF Central. The door is wide open for playing time for him and we have heard good things about his progress.
Based off of sheer numbers this is probably the one unit on offense that could use an additional portal transfer.
On the fullback side of the ledger, Mason South has played in every game in his career. Looking to follow in the footsteps Norby as that FB/TE/HB type who loves his role and takes extreme pride in it. Senior Grant Romfo moves over to the FB/TE position from running back. Great teammate, willing special teams contributor, and just an all-around winner.
My Thoughts: this group is as unproven as the wide receivers and will have a close eye on it all spring. There is some size but not a ton of production. Once again, if things aren’t panning out after spring ball look for the staff to sniff around the portal.
Offensive Line
Every year, spring ball is different for each position group. Are there guys who have been around the block? Who needs more reps and development? Who has an injury or is a grizzled vet and needs to take it easy? Who has really blown up in the weight room and is oozing with potential?
The offensive line room at UND this year has all of the above. An astounding 18 returnees on the OL with four of them being starters. That’s an insane number for a coach to work with and Coach Trevor Olson deserves a ton of credit for the status of his group. Coming off of the ’23 season, the OL had lost four starters and was a major question mark. The group performed, at worst, above average in ‘24. At best it was a big strength. With 18 returnees it is a major strength going into the year. Hard to not be very excited about this group!
I would expect that a few of the elder statesman will be limited in spring ball. Senior Seth Anderson is a 3 year starter at right tackle. He’s been there, done that, and doesn’t need big reps. Returning starters junior G Caleb Olson and junior LT Liam Beecher are two more guys who have been around the block. Olson is the leader of this group, and there is some chatter that Beecher is making a noticeable jump. The other returning starter is sophomore C Ben Buxa, who was named a 1st Team Freshman All-American. He’s another guy on the OL who has taken on more of a leadership role but is young and will practice.
Then, we have junior C/G Carter Gorder who played a good amount last year after transferring in from Iowa Central JC. Can he take the next step and push for a starting role? Junior tackle Trace Thaden (6’7″-290) is such an intriguing player because of his size and athleticism. He looks like a NFL tackle. Reports are that things are coming along nicely with him, as he has added more good weight. Junior transfer T Ayden Teeter is another tackle body who played a decent amount last year. That’s a solid top seven there. Seven isn’t enough, but no worries because there are a boatload of youngsters.
We have 11 more who all need reps and what can they become in the next six months? Tackle bodies like Matthew Schoenecker, Jacob Lopau, Tyler Thaden, Alton Williams, and Mark Bussan, & Kuba Tyszka. Then, you have the interior body types like Wyatt Bell, Isaac Cariveau, Lawson Lotysz, Jonah Reiling, and William Stobbe.
Those 11 guys will get big reps and some of them have extremely high ceilings. Iron sharpens iron,which is what’s this room is looking to do. If some of the younger guys can push the starters that is a great sign because those starters have proven to be quality players. What’s even more intriguing is there’s only 1 senior! The retention and development of this group impressive.
My Thoughts: UND can win with this group. They will need further body development to become a dominant unit like SDSU and NDSU run out there, but IMO it’s trending in the right direction. UND will inevitably lose a few of these guys to the portal but still be in good shape.
Overview
This offense has talent and it is all led by a deep and experienced offensive line. Last year we returned alot at the skill positions but the offensive line was a huge question. This year the development at the QB position will determine how good this offense can be. Does Romfo retain his job, and learn from last season? Does Kaminsky keep progressing and take the next step? Does Sulik kind of come out of nowhere (as the youngster of the group) and win the job? Or does the high-end transfer live up to the billing and take control? If we get improved all-around QB play this offense will put up a lot of points.
Additionally, the WR depth can be a difference maker here. Can Dennis or DeMontagnac fill the WR 1 shoes? Playmaking and speed has been added with the young receivers and transfers. All talent does is get you beat though. Who’s willing to put in the extra time to help this offense take the next step?
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