There’s been a lot that’s gone on with UND Football in the last month. We had an article ready but with Minnetonka QB Caden Gutzmer committing, some things have changed! There’s a lot going on in this update article.
Reminder: The annual Spring Showcase is coming up this Saturday, April 18th at 12:30pm!
9 Spring Standouts
We’re nearing the end Spring practice at UND. A staff always hopes some things shake out, some kids take the next step and separate, or that simply some flash more than they had previously.
Through our own evals and conversations, we’ve identified 9 players who have elevated their game amongst their peers this Spring. Not that others haven’t at all. But we’re looking for younger guys who’ve taken a jump, newcomers who’ve taken a jump, and even returning starters who’ve elevated their game to another level. Let’s take a stab at it:
WR Deng Deng – 6-4 217 So from Tokio, ND and Four Winds HS
Starting off with Deng isn’t cheating. Yes, he came with much hype because of his athleticism and body type. But he’s taken a jump through his hard work. Tales of him working by himself into the night at the Pollard.
Can’t teach his God-given size and athleticism. He needs to continue to stay hungry and take the next step to be an upper level MVFC WR.
WR Caleb Goodloe – 6-1 200 So from St Petersburg, FL and Clearwater Central Catholic
Goodloe was advertised as a kid with the potential to be an early factor. Coach Maye’s eval has proven on point with Goodloe. He’s shown the ability to make plays, stretch the field, and be a factor in the run game.
He has the tools and makeup to be a leader in the WR room. A pretty high level compliment for a good football player who the Hawks hope to see big things from.
TE Nathan Hromadka – 6-6 225 So from Maple Grove, MN and Maple Grove HS
Had it not been for an injury last year, we would’ve seen a lot more from the true Fr TE. Has prototypical size and showed in his time last year that he’s a true Red Zone weapon and more. Like any true Fr, putting on good weight and strength is very important and Hromadka has done just that.
Been described as a “football player”, meaning he can do a lot of things well, handles physicality, and pays attention to the details. With continued growth he has the tools to be an elite FCS TE.
RB Matt Lawson – 5-10 197 So from Hoffman Estates, Il and Hoffman Estates HS.
Lawson addition was crucial to the UND RB room. His experience is just what the Dr ordered in what is a very young group. As a true Fr at IL St he had a very solid year and has shown UND the same.
His ability is very exciting. The playbook is a big thing, and if he keeps taking strides in mastering it UND may have found a gem.
QB Jerry Kaminski – 6-2 204 Jr from Sun Prairie, WI and Sun Prairie East HS
Is including the returning starters at QB cheating? Maybe, but it’s clear Kaminski has taken his game to another level. The passes seem crisper and the leadership has ticked up a notch. He knows this is his team and he has something to prove.
Maybe he’s just healthier than he was in 2025? But he’s definitely playing at a higher level now than he was last year. That bodes well for the Hawks in 2026!
OL Alton Williams – 6-8 296 So from Sun Prairie, WI and Sun Prairie East HS
UND returns 4 starts on the offensive line. In the transfer portal era that’s an amazing stat. RT Seth Anderson did a great job in his 3 years as a starter and leaves big shoes to fill. There aren’t many bigger than Alton Williams and he’d fit those shoes nicely. Size you can’t teach that Coach Olson has been trying to get to be nastier. And he’s succeeding.
Williams is getting more physical and has the inside track at replacing Anderson at RT. A high ceiling as he gains more experience.
Edge Brody Thornton – 6-5 235 rFr from Menomonie, WI and Menomonie HS
The Hawks return both starters at edge in All-American Lance Rucker and All-MVFC Kaden Vig. Identifying the next man up at each of those spots is crucial and Thornton has made strides. Playing as much as he did in the playoffs last year was a tip that he had a bright future.
Another kid with the perfect body type for his position, and he’s added weight and strength to his frame. Thornton is an exciting player who continues to get better.
DT Kylyn Macklin – 6-3 266 Sr from Cincinnati, OH and a transfer from Albany
Going into ’25 the DT position was a question mark. Going from a 3-4 to a 4-2 is a tough transition for depth alone, but luckily the Hawks made it through the season fairly injury free at DT and survived with 4-5 guys. In ’26 the DT depth has taken big strides, and Macklin is part of the reason for that. He’s seen a lot of things and played a lot of football. What was a 4-5 man rotation will have a lot more capable bodies in ’26!
Word is Macklin is starting to turn the corner and has the talent to be a good player on the inside for the Hawks. UND overachieved at DT in ’25 given their depth. In ’26 the expectation will be much greater.
CB Evan Kludt – 6-3 186 So from Alexandria, MN and Alexandria HS
What a story Evan Kludt is. Came to UND last summer after leaving USD. Not promised anything. He ends up playing all year and being a big contributor on special teams as a true Fr. Injuries piled up at CB late in the year and Kludt jumps over to play CB. Was it perfect? No, but remember he was in HS just a few months prior and was a safety just a few weeks prior! Major respect for the kid. There is a learning curve and Kludt has a rare combination of size and athletic talent. A high ceiling.
Kludt has the body type UND wants at CB and has taken positive steps this spring. All you need to see is what he did last year and you know this kid is a winner. Any role, any scenario. Whatever the team needs. To show that as a true Fr speaks volumes.
UND Gets Their QB
Big news broke on Tuesday, with UND receiving a commitment from Minnetonka HS quarterback Caden Gutzmer. Gutzmer represents the highest ranked quarterback commitment UND has ever received! According to 247 Gutzmer is a 3 star recruit, the #61 QB in the country, and ranked as the #9 player in MN. Rankings aren’t the end all, be all, but they are reason for excitement.
Gutzmer had earned FBS offers from the likes of Bowling Green, Memphis, and Miami (FL). Can’t recall too many UND commits who had earned an offer from the Miami Hurricanes. He’s indicated he plans to graduate HS early and enroll at UND for the Jan ’27 semester.
Gutzmer, standing 6-2 and 205lbs, shows ability with his arm and his legs. You can watch his Hudl jr highlight film here. Shows a strong arm in completing 15+ yard out routes thrown from the opposite hash. Buys time with his feet and makes plays down the field. Has no problem in the QB run game executing zone reads or just running QB power in exploiting the numbers game.
Obviously the hopes are high for every kid who commits/signs with UND. Gutzmer’s ranking elevates that excitement and for good reason. Congrats to him for choosing to partner with UND and the staff definitely looks forward to further developing this talented young man!
Tidbits
– Still no word on the status next year for UND Srs DT Montre Samuels-Parkers, and NI Johnnie Wiltshire. The thought, or maybe the hope, was that this would be settled by now but no such luck. The pair continues to practice.
– There is a chance that CB Avery Scott will get another year also. He had an excellent year in ’25 and would add a lot to the CB room.
– The Athletic writes what has to be the largest and most comprehensive NFL Draft guide every year. It’s called ‘The Beast”. The thing is massive! 2700+ player profiles and rankings. It does have rankings and profiles for 9 UND graduating Srs. Xavier Leigh and Gaven Ziebarth and ranked as the #122 & #170 RBs. Nate DeMontagnac is ranked as the #146 WR. Seth Anderson is ranked as the #121 tackle. Kyjuan Vengrowsky and Myles Terry are ranked as the #198 & #220 edges. Malachi McNeal is ranked the #70 LB. Zach Lewis is ranked as the #99 CB. And Avery Scott is ranked as the #217 safety.
– There’s a noted uptick in the play of Sr WR Kristen Hoskins this spring.
– The transformation of the TE group is really something. Last year at this time there were a lot of unknowns. Now there are 8 returnees in the group – 6 who have played a good amount of football and there is a lot of confidence in, 1 who redshirted last year as a Fr, and Hunter Kallstrom who…….
– If there’s one player whose name keeps coming up in the “potential through the roof” category, it’s So TE Hunter Kallstrom. He’s put on good weight and maintained his speed (if not gotten faster). Last year learning and putting on good weight was a big positive in his development. He has a great athletic profile with high-end positional speed.
-UND picked up a late addition to the class of ’26 at RB a few weeks ago, as Owen Reynoso, an RB out of suburban Phoenix committed to the Hawks.
-Using last year as a pretty good gauge, we should be seeing a flurry of verbal commitments in the coming weeks. The staff has identified their top ‘27 targets and done a great job with them. Some kids have been on campus a number of times and are nearing a decision. Amazing how much the recruiting game has progressed in the sport in the last 10ish years!
-UND received a big early pledge from ’27 Minot North HS edge Ethan Howey. Very big! He was the first commitment in this class and chose UND over other in-state schools. With them adding 4 true Fr to that room this fall, the expectation is that they’d only take 1 more class of ’27 edge.
-The same can be said for the LB room relative to the Class of ’27. A large class of LBs was added and will be on campus in a few months. They may only take 1 this cycle. Rumor is things are going nicely with a few targets, including one who isn’t a North Dakota kid but has huge local ties.
-Whereas the classes will be lighter at edge and LB, that will never be the case at OL. UND will always look to bring in at least 4. It all starts up front and you can never have too many OL. You can have too few, though.