Last Monday was a good day for the UND Football team, as their portal commits (along with one juco addition) were finally announced. All but one were known publically for weeks. But, it’s always good to see the final release on these signings.
The Hawks were looking for more depth and impact at a few positions and they feel like they’ve done that. Think of some of these late portal additions as the cherry on top.
About the additions:
TE Hunter Kallstrom, 6-4 225, made the decision to transfer to UND from Wyoming. Who was on that Wyoming staff? UND Associate HC/TE Coach Gordie Haug. Kallstrom is from Kerkhoven, MN which is just 20 minutes NW of Willmar.
Kallstrom will come to UND as a redshirt freshman. He did have a UND offer out of HS and can really move for his size. He clocked a PR of 11.02 in the 100 in high school which is outstanding. Kallstrom also placed 4th in the shot put at the state meet. He is a very good, albeit raw, athlete. There’s some quick twitch and explosion with the kid and the hope is that he can make an impact in the TE room. There’ll likely be a learning curve with Hunter still, but the size and athleticism check the boxes as a guy who could be a quality FCS TE.
Tyler Henry, a DT at Sacramento St, immediately was a priority for the UND staff upon entering the portal. At 6-3 285, the former star at powerhouse Concord De La Salle HS will be counted on to add immediate impact to the DT group. Although he spent three seasons at Sac St, the thought is that he will come in as a sophomore. He also answers an immediate need. It isn’t a secret that UND going from a 3-4 to a 4-2-5 means the DT need is immense.
Henry missed all but one game this past season due to injury. In that opening game he was a mainstay in the rotation and played well. That indicates the ability is there. His size and twitch are exactly what the coaching staff is looking for at DT. Hopefully Henry is a guy who is stout against the run and can create some push. The DT room is inexperienced and playing a new scheme. Expect Henry have a major impact along the DL for the Hawks.
The Hawks were looking for more help at TE and found it in Watson Hafer. The Hawks earned the pledge from the 6-4 230 transfer from West Plains, MO by way of Missouri St. He should come in as a sophomore. Former MVFC foe Missouri St was led by All-American TE Lance Mason, who also left the Bears in the spring and is now a Wisconsin Badger.
Hafer shows athleticism on film and the ability to win one-on-one battles in the blocking game. That blocking ability plays into his utilization in the waggle game, which was very evident on tape. The now departed Jaden Norby was a dominant blocker at times for the Hawks and that ability is tough to replace. The hope is that Hafer can do a lot of the same things in the blocking game, and add a new element to the passing game. This is a very good fit.
LB transfer Michael Devereaux has been committed to UND for a month but the release was the first time he was publicly linked to UND. The 6-1 235 Devereaux is an El Reno, OK native and spent the 2022 and 2023 season at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. There he was a teammate and classmate of UND DT Montre Samuels-Parker. He comes to UND after spending last year at Old Dominion. UND edge coach Jon Anderson was on the staff there. Devereaux played in 4 games last year at Old Dominion and should be coming in as a junior.
The portal can be a fickle thing because there’s a lot of dreaming on guys. Limited tape and experience. The ones where there’s a tie and you know exactly what you’re getting, that is the jackpot scenario. UND knows exactly what they’re getting in Devereaux. This is an immediate impact guy at a position of need. Watch the film. In his 4 games at Old Dominion he was on the field at important times and played a big role. At his juco he lined up all over the place on defense, from LB to S to NI to DE. Those last 2 sentences speak volumes – he has the speed, a knowledge of defensive assignments, and the coach’s trust. Devereaux will be on the field a lot and Coach Watkins should be elated with the addition.
The UND RB room is top heavy with playing time and experience. You have returnees Sr. Gaven Ziebarth and Soph. Sawyer Seidl, and no game experience at all after that. Finding an experienced RB addition was a priority for the Hawks and they found their guy in Xavier Leigh. Xavier, a 5-10 189 senior, comes to UND from FCS Sacred Heart University and is a Troy, NY native. There he rushed for over 500 yards this past season on 5.6 yards per carry. He was also involved in the passing game, hauling in 11 catches. That is a key stat.
Last year we saw OC Isaac Fruechte going with a 3-back mix and spreading carries extremely evenly amongst them. Leigh jumps right into that mix and now UND has a similar experienced trio. We saw Ziebarth do a lot of his work inside the tackles. Siedl was the home run threat speed guy who often worked off-tackle, and graduated Sr Isaiah Smith did a little bit of both in addition to being a good receiver. Leigh looks to fit more into the Smith role. This is a fantastic fit!
UND was in the cornerback market and found their guy with the addition of Idrique Carmichael. He is a 5-10 180 highly decorated kid from Pasadena, CA and Pasadena City College. Pasadena CC is an excellent football school in the CA juco system and they went undefeated this year. The year prior, Carmichael was named his conference’s defensive player of the year, 2nd Team All-American and had 7 ints.
Carmichael is an impressive kid on film. No wasted steps, good hips, quick reactions, and shows well in the run game. The ball skills are evident based solely on the 7 ints in ‘23. Of course with juco kids there is always a transition period from one level to the next, but Pasadena City College has a great history of producing quality FBS and FCS players. UND needs a game ready CB, and Idrique fits that well.
Will there be any other additions? Maybe a CB. Maybe a LB. Maybe a WR or DT? Indications are that they are at or near their UND roster cap. They are at or near their allotted 85 student-athletes on athlete aid. In the NIL age there are ways around being out of scholarships though! The 1883 Collective. It needs a pitch before the article ends!
If UND is out of scholarships, we as fans can give to the 1883 Collective, and in-turn the football program can get “walk-ons” through that financial means. Everyone is doing it. The NCAA has scholarship limits, and if the Hawks are already at the scholarship limit a player can receive NIL money in place of said scholarship. Kind of a “6 of 1, half dozen of the other” situation in terms of the athletic aid.
We urge all alumni, fans, family, supporters, North Dakota residents, Minnesota residents, and every single person in the Northern Red River Valley to get involved with the 1883 Collective! Go to their website and contribute to the cause please! Any amount is great. If you can afford to give $1, please consider doing so. If you can afford to give $1000 per month, please do so. It’s the new way of the college athletics world.
Jonathan Holth and Matt Bonzer do an amazing job donating their time and energy to the cause. And that cause it singular – Make the University of North Dakota Athletics Great! Please consider donating to the 1883 Collective today!