UND-FB-FAN

Although what you are saying is perhaps the most realistic, I think UND fans need to realize optimism is already perfectly okay in Bubba's year #2. Bubba has already established UND as having the best defensive unit/coaching/schemes in the Big Sky Conference. I mean, look what he did with the defense by comparing 2013 to 2014; basically all the same players, as well. Defense wins championships, and I think fans need to rally around the job that Bubba and Schmidty are doing and expect wins this season. Maybe not 8, but certainly 7 or 6. Very excited about UND football's present direction!

RB recruit and Winnipeg native Brady Olivera will be coming with Mason Bennett to GF starting in July. http://mytoba.ca/sports/vincent-massey-star-heading-straight-to-und-after-grad/

The Big 10 back that UND missed on would have been perfect. Now, I just hope UND can grab both Parks and another transfer RB, as UND needs more than just Parks if they want their backfield to be an above average FCS one.

Well, rumor is he cracked the 2-deep at New Mexico after spring ball, and given how Coach Bubba and Coach Schmidt like to rotate players, I think its fair to think that Baker will see time at ILB this season. He will spell ILBs Ratelle and Rich.

He's definitely not the answer, but he will provide depth.

According to SFI, Baker has now committed to UND. Has the potential to be a real good LB over the next 4 years.

Well, you do realize that Faison is next, right? Expect his retirement announced within the next year. New president and AD coming up real soon, and it's a good thing.

Absolutely, RB and corner are the two pressing needs remaining before the 2015 roster is ready for solid FCS competition. The staff appears to believe the same thing because they have been working hard on the recruiting trail looking for transfers at those two spots. I really hope they can snag one of each (CB and RB) before fall camp.

Yes, they are. Coach Knauf and Coach Baukol have done good work with that group in terms of weight. Now let's see how it translates to the field in terms of blocking ability.

Doubtful considering he's coming off an achilies injury.

Yup, I agree. It's Arrington and a bunch of freshmen. If the team doesn't add an FBS transfer, Norberg will certainly be at RB and not LB in the fall.

It has been an unfortunate fallout with the runningback situation. I think they need at least 1 RB transfer, but preferably 2. If you want to run the ball, you need talented ballcarriers. Right now, the backfield might be the weakest position group on the team, and that points to another bad offense in 2015.... Need more talent.

Thanks for that, Nostradamus.

http://millersports.areavoices.com/2015/06/03/some-und-football-recruiting-notes/

University of New Mexico linebacker Daquan Baker will be visiting UND on Thursday; very likely he will commit to the program sometime Saturday or Sunday. He will be a good, young addition at MLB. http://www.golobos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26000&ATCLID=209606616 Highlights from UNM spring practices:

http://www.undsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&ATCLID=210129288

These prospects are all top-profile prospects for UND. UND will need an on-campus visit for a commitment from any of these players, because, on paper, FBS offers always look better than FCS offers. However, UND's facilities are better than several FBS schools, particularly the MAC schools.

In Bubba's 3-4 defense, you can't have enough athleticism and talent at LB. Plus, they're great special team performers. Keep em' comin!

Absolutely. I hope UND can work a location out.

It can be justified; it maintains directionality with the center court ND logo. On to more important upgrades: video boards.

The arena name is on both sides of the court.... Hard to satisfy people these days... Enough with the floor; time and money needs to be spent on video boards now.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. If UND planned on just sitting around and waiting for NDSU to falter, UND would not have fired Mussman and replaced him with a competent coach and a staff with DI experience. UND is being proactive in this process, by going out and recruiting top notch kids, and with UND's new HPC coming online, Bubba and his staff feel very comfortable recruiting head-to-head with Midwest schools like NDSU, SDSU, and UNI, and yet winning many of those battles. Also, its not about just surpassing NDSU for Bubba and his staff, although that is a part of being at UND; rather, the big picture is to win the conference UND is in: the Big Sky Conference. That conference is up for grabs in a lot of ways; Montana and Eastern Washington aren't nearly as formidable as NDSU and some other MVFC schools, in my opinion.

Well, to be fair you did say: In other words, you yourself came up with the notion that there was no "visible" improvement during last season and that "most people" would say that UND hasn't proven a thing. Improvement is obviously relative, so what can you tell me about the 2013 season that led to Mussman's dismissal? That's the season that shows just how decimated the 2014 roster - that Bubba had to work with - was. I responded using your terms: UND did improve "visibly" by winning more games, playing in more competitive games, and producing the #1 defense in the Big Sky Conference. All of those things are quite "visible", aren't they? Also, "most people" would say Bubba has showed improvement under Bubba's presence; he proved he can coach defense, considering he took many of the same players Mussman had in 2013 and turned them into the #1 BSC defense in 2014, and he proved he can recruit, by bringing in many players in the short-term (FBS transfers and true freshmen) who played right away and played admirably. Lastly, we are talking about IMPROVEMENT here. No one is saying UND should have been a ranked team last year or is going to be a National Champion this season; however, the point being made by the rational people on this site (you're still trying to join that group, as far as I'm concerned) is that UND is improving. Bubba will continue to improve UND football given his assistants' ability to coach and the recruiting classes he has put together thus far. With that, I'll apologize to everyone else on this site for even arguing with you, and here's my logic:

Dear Sir, Please use some common-sense when you post. "Most people" who are familiar with UND football, and even honest NDSU fans, understand that UND football is improving. There is no reason UND can't be a top 3 Big Sky Conference team every season considering where its facilities and budget are at right now. Of course, this can only happen as long as UND is led by competent coaches; fortunately, Bubba and his assistants are just that. Unfortunately, before last season, UND was led by incompetent coaching. UND, in 2013, went 3-8, then, after Mussman was fired, they lost several key contributors, including a couple who will be playing/starting on FBS squads in 2015. Bubba, coaching a decimated, inexperienced roster, then went ahead and improved two games from 3-8 in 2013 to 5-7 in 2014. Now, UND has its entire defense returning (which was #1 in the Big Sky Conference in 2014) and several talent additions to the offense (including a few in progress) for the 2015 season. Also, the recruiting classes Bubba has put together so far are filled with ND/MN/Canadian talent which will better prevent defections. "Most" - as you put it - would look at that and see improvement in 2015 for UND. Mark my words, UND will have a winning season in 2015.

This "ND kids who are multi-sport athletes" focus in recruiting was completely absent under Mussman. Now, with Bubba going all in on it, UND will actually have a recruiting pool of talent that is consistent. I see this paying off big time for UND football.