Longtime fan

JJ.....6’1” 250!!! Good lord. Big rb looks like the TEs lived in the weight room: 6’5” 265 6’5” 260 6’4” 260 if donnell and Everett start at ILB there will be a couple of 6’1” 250 in the middle Cieslak 290 and tank 290. Two out of three on the D front line.

These two if utilized correctly could add another dimension to the offense .....I’m sorry .... add A dimension to the offense. The quick two step drop pass to either one of these guys could relief some pressure up the middle. These two are perhaps small in height but are tough as nails. Not sure on straight line speed but they have the shake and bake effect that has the potential to gain large chunks of yardage. I would love to see these two in KO returns as well. Hope they prove themselves back there. One guy I would absolutely love to see have a breakout year is helgren. He came to und highly recruited but has been planted to the injury bench. He seems to have so much potential and definitely has the size. It would be a welcome site to the O line. With a complete overhaul on the special teams I’m hoping the entire ST group can “break out “. Or at least be effective and competent. The special teams are so under appreciated yet so vital. This group will be contributing in a lot of the outcomes of games this year .....need them to grow up immediately!

With the size/speed combination his assets would be best utilized at OLB. Not that he wont do well at DE but he would be a disadvantage for opposing Os lined up on the outside. Like gundy mentioned the heaviest OLB is 215. A lot of drop down safeties. Need more beef! With a 3-4 front und needs all the beef they can get behind the drop down 3. Having another couple of safeties up close is very rarely an advantage. Good teams will (and have) expose them.

Ive mentioned on here couple times that Zeke would make a fantastic OLB. Great size and twitch to go along the foot speed. He seems to carry the leverage point regardless of size of the opposing player. Kids going to special IMO. Would love to see him get a chance at OLB

Forgot Tobin. Tobin is a guaranteed imo. If helgren can get healthy he has the most potential of any o line.

I hear you I would like to add another frustration with a Rudy led offense.....if/when und falls behind, the odds of the offense winning are nearly zero. It’s frustrating as a fan knowing this. This offense is not built to come from behind.....actually it’s not even built. Rudy never attacks the opposing teams weakness/s (every team has ), no game plan, he simply has his couple of plays that produce 3 and outs expecting the D to bail him out. It’s like he never watches film as every game is exactly the same plays over and over and over again. Und doesn’t have the hogs to do what he’s trying to do. In fact not sure any team has the hogs to do it. Rudy thinks otherwise. These constant 3 and outs eventually wear out the D and the score shows it. Only then and aside the fact that opposing teams potentially brought in their 2nd stringers, und looks alright when they actually had to play catch up last year and sprinkled in the passing game along with the run game. Usually way to late but there seemed to be a nice flow! That’s why I was promoting Zimmerman to get a chance. Sprinkle in the pass game EARLY to offset the run game. Just never happens. Instead he powers Santiago up the middle like he has 5 nfl caliber lineman. He doesn’t and the 180 lb Santiago takes a hell of a lot of punishment. Ok I’m done with that ..... Again....I hope to eat plenty of crow rather then coming here and complaining. Hoping for a great season !!! Can’t wait.

He doesn’t deserve a number. I’ve been harping about Rudy for nearly four years ....and will continue to do so for long as bubba keeps him on. Without making changes this offseason, bubba made it clear that he rides with who chooses from day one and that’s that. I would love nothing more then to eat crow and watch the offense flourish in the D-less conference, or now, ex conference like the big sky. And then show something against the top non big sky teams. The predictably is killing Santiago! The non adjustments are mind boggling! His usage or lack there of is frustrating! Last four games of the year ( 1-3): Santiago had 8 total touches vs E Wash!?! Santiago had 10 total touches vs S Utah !?! Santiago had 11 total touches vs Port St Santiago had 9 total touches vs sac st !?!? Like him or not studsrud was an extremely bad passer. The opposing D would clog up the middle knowing studsrud had a hard time even completing a screen pass and waited to punish the rb. Why not give Zimmerman a try? He looked to be very capable of a deep pass to keep the D honest. I think bubba said something like senior or not all positions are open. Studsrud looked to be playing hurt most of the season as well. Yet they ride with him. Rudy or bubba or both? I believe that Zimmerman would of given UND a better chance to succeed ....last year. Why pull Izzys shirt ? Use the TEs ! I will agree the players have to do their part but it comes across as they are set up to fail from the beginning from ineptness

I have them 6-5 as well. Rudy’s incompetence is directly credited for 3 of those. If und can implement toughness and the secondary is prepared .... the Sam Houston game is a very winnable game. On the flip side ....if und is weak on the d front and is not getting to their qb and the secondary is average .....they will get blown out of the water. Sams WRs are real good. Great route runners and incredibly fast. Unds d line/lb need to make their qb run for his life to have a chance. Sams D is not that good but neither is rudy so there’s that

The offense regardless of experience will be stagnant and incompetent. Very unfortunate considering the talent. The biggest worry for me is the special teams....complete overhaul. Special teams play is very underrated. The field position play within special teams goes unnoticed to many. Having confidence in the special teams group can sway a HCs call in many ways. Just look at the punt return the last couple years...we as fans sweated out every punt from opposing teams. Imagine what the coaches were thinking. With a much tougher schedule UND needs every aspect of their game to be hitting on all cylinders. The defense will have to bail out Rudolphs offense again like two years ago. Definitely a make or break season for bubba.

I can't bring up Grady? It's a forum for UND football right? He was a scholarship player right? Seems like the possibility is warranted. Can I talk about Torrey hunt or demon Taylor? Just because you don't like Grady (he didn't take his exams, he didn't need the scholly money, stiffed his guys from rent, he had a second chance)....etc. doesn't mean that they didn't exist in UND football.

Exactly. In order to succeed with the level of play calling..... UND would need 5 starters on the line that are NFL ready.

You are entitled to an opinion but I won't engage in a dialogue to which I heard from a current player......I have no concrete evidence.... It's just what this player said last year when he re-committed.

UND won't/will not release his LOI. His only chance to play football is at UND. It sounds very much like he wants to play football...just not at UND.

This is straight from the mouth of a current player....Grady wanted to play for sdsu last year but UND wouldn't release his LOI. He obviously was on a return comeback as we all know...then rescinded. That is concerning ... why not here but sdsu

It's not just one deflection. To loose at least 3 high quality Ol ...Grady Merz and now Rain. If retained...UND could run their simplistic offense and occasionally succeed in the big sky....maybe nationally. They cannot afford to lose any quality in the trenches. If Rudolph was gone my mind set wouldn't be so gloom but it is what it is.

Do you have a source? If this is true what the !@#$ is going on with UND and it's inabilities to sustain OL!?! Rain, Grady, Merz....all three would of all been all conf to all American type players yet they all bail. As much as I love bubba and UND football ( and always will) there is something that is "off". With the lack of keeping quality OL and the horrible OC that UND has....this system seems to be a fail....offensively. They want a power offense (which I love and the type that succeeds) but with no quality power up front and 175 lb back ramming it up the middle...not happening. Add to that....no creativity....it all adds up to fail. The lack of attempting to recruit a quality qb in each class is another thorn in my ass. Playing in the big sky for another couple years should make it look a little better without quality up front but once they enter the mvfc.....ouch! Majorly disappointed if true.

1. Griebel/ McKinney. Very explosive players and if Rudolph was to find a playbook and use the screen , their talent would give UNDs offense two more explosive players with Santiago....of course it all depends on Rudolph 2. Ott. Unbelievable explosion. Would love to see him at OLB. 3. Helgren. Has been injured since his arrival. Was a great recruit and IF.....if he can stay/get healthy he would give UNDs line a staple to work off of. I like Tobin as well but helgren has the body along with the talent. 4. Ketteringham. Just because.

I mentioned earlier I would love to see him at OLB. His size and speed would be a great benefit to the backers. The DL seems to be deep with talent and the OLB as a crew is smallish in size. Regardless....can't wait to watch him light up some opposing offenses.

Good stuff. One thing I would like see...with the potential deep D line....is to have Zeke move to OLB. Incredibly talented and quick feet. Gives UND size at OLB and I have no doubts that he would excel on the outside. Very similar in size as Labat but 10x as explosive.

Looking ahead to next season there is much to like and to dislike. Likes - RBs Great talent if used right - DL Great talent returning and a great freshman class last year - upgrades at ILB - experience. With the incredible amount of injuries, a ton of young guys were able to get valuable playing time at nearly every position. In some incidence, the backups to backups had a chance to play. - as much as I liked Keaton , it will be nice to have a qb/qbs that are passing competent. With greibel and cam available UND will also have some quick slot guys Dislikes - Rudy is still employed at UND -OL needs to improve. I wasn't as hard on them as some do to the fact opposing defenses knew rudys 3 plays and the fact that freshman littered the starting positions. But they definitely need to improve. They will still be young as potentially there could be zero seniors starting. With the experience they got last year ....looking for better line control - special teams - New kicker , new punter and new snapper. Need to find punt/kick returners other than Santiago. He needs to be heavily used offensively, unlike last year. I believe cam could be that guy. - tougher schedule: miss valley st -W at wash - L at Sam- tough call.....L Idaho st- W at N colo- W bye Montana ...hmmm - L at sac st - L weber - L at Idaho - L port st - W at N Zona L 4-7 If Rudy was gone I could see 9-2. He alone is worth 5 losses....IMO. The D will/should be light years better. Overall they didn't lose much. Cole would of typically been a huge loss but he played so little last year that UND had time to digest it. Again....the game time experience with the young guys last year at the safety position, hoping to see improvements in 18. Very "green" last year, along with the ILB. I believe the ILB crew will be dramatically better. Donnell is a special player . Losing him was IMO the biggest lose in 17. Evan , when he played, was getting more comfortable at covering. Always had the speed ....now he seems to have found his coverage skills. He made a diffence in the secondary when not injured. If Deion is healthy .....I really like those two at cb Love bubba....but by being loyal to a fault and keeping Rudy ....his seat is now warm. Prove me wrong Rudy

If Rudolph is having a difficult time in the big sky ....he has absolutely ZERO chance against the 3/4 of the mvfc teams and all the fbs teams they have scheduled. Last year, Santiago didn't touch the ball offensively more then 16 times in a game. This includes 7 touches vs mont st, 9 vs sac st and 8 vs e wash. Simply incredible! Johanneson could of just as well been up on the catwalk with me as much as he was used. Izzy and the TEs are welcome as well. It's a great place to take in a game .... The predictability and lack of reading opposing D's ( using the talent the proper way) is astonishing given this is D1. It actually should come with ease to run up and down on a big sky team, regardless of personnel. UND can make an opposing teams D look like the Baltimore ravens. No way in hell that should happen with the talent they have. Bubba likes what he sees so no changes will be made....HUGE MISTAKE! Offensively....I think the optimistic few will believe next year will be better. Unfortunately, I will label myself as a pessimist....

Why were you salty when I asked UND biz if he knew why he backed out of his commitment ? Seems very personal to you.

I hope the coaches aren't like that. They do not work a 9-5 job...they should be working 24/7. There is no such thing as a wasted offer! Keep pursuing! A salesman never gives up when someone doesn't seem interested. You keep selling your goods....UND has a lot of goods to sell. UND needs to think big. By offers only....they have been sliding away from Minnesota each year ....sad! They have folded and given first rights to ndsu and other regional schools. This pisses me off like no other. Und offered 14 in 2015, 13 in 2016, 11 in 2017 and 9 for 2018. They should be offering 20-30 Minnesota kids a year. The team to the south built their dynasty by recruiting Minnesota. A ton of talent there and UND needs to capitalize on it.

I would have to say there is not a "move on "classification on their site. I will look into it for you Was bruner recruited by Iowa?

Hmmmm weird ...247 sports has him a decommit from the Hawkeyes April 25. His twitter showed him as an Iowa commit as well.