geaux_sioux

QB No other position group is a bigger question going into next season. This group loses two very good QBs that produced at a record level this year. It was extremely fun to watch both Hendrickson and Hanson tear it up this year. Many people will think about what could have been had Braden Hanson not been injured in the first game of the year. From Braden's tragedy came Marcus' opportunity, and he ran with it to the tune of a 6 TD performance in his first career start and followed that by nearly single handedly leading UND to their first FBS win at SDSU. Both guys had spectacular performances in their final college seasons and should be extremely proud of the way they carried the team this year. Key Losses: Braden Hanson, Marcus Hendrickson Key Returners: Joe Mollberg, Ryan Bartels Joe Mollberg (Fr 6-2 214) will have the tall task of living up to outlandish expectations that will be thrown his way as perhaps the most celebrated recruit in the past 20 years. Everyone seems to have already anointed him as the program savior and sure fire starter for next season. That said, he is a very impressive looking young man. He's built like a Mac Truck already and looks like he could easily play LB. I was lucky enough to get to see him in action a little this fall camp and I must say I came away impressed. He has a very quick and compact release and really spins the ball out of his hand. You don't notice his arm strength because he has nice soft touch on short throws. But when he uncorks it it is a sight to be seen. In a skelly session this August I saw him calmly survey the field and then flick the ball 60 yards down field to Greg Hardin. There were a few times where he made the type of throw that made practice stop for a brief moment as defenders and offensive teammates alike looked on in awe. It will be interesting to see how good of a runner he is next spring as he had a reputation to be a very effective runner in high school before he had his ankle injury. I would not be surprised if he was around 230 lbs by next fall but his main focus should be chemistry with his receivers and knowing the playbook like the back of his hand. Ryan Bartels (6-4 220) is the 'other guy' to most fans. DO NOT SLEEP ON MR. BARTELS. He also came in as a very accomplished QB and a highly rated recruit. He is a big kid and has 'prototypical' pocket passer height. He's not overly mobile but defiantly doesn't have stone feet and runs much better than Braden Hanson (before the leg). He has some serious arm strength and a very strong sturdy looking base. He doesn't seem quite as polished and poised to this point as Mollberg but that doesn't mean things can't change over the course of the winter and spring as he continues to gain comfort and respect from his teammates. His release isn't as quick as Mollberg's is but it is good and high and the ball comes out of his hand with good velocity and spin. With all of the pressure on Mr. Mollberg don't be surprised when Bartels at the very least pushes him to his limits for the starting job. This winter he will continue to mature and get stronger and quicker. The program appears to be in very good hands with these two youngsters. This will be a very entertaining QB battle in the spring and fall camp. I for one cannot wait to see what these guys can do on the field next year. Next DE/DT

DE Zach Skibinski from Sioux City IA needs to get signed. The kid is a freak.

WR: Easily the best group of WRs that have ever been at UND. This next season will bring unmatched depth and experience at the position. The group losses not a single major contributor. Whoever plays QB next year is inheriting a dream scenario with playmakers all over the field that get open every play. Key Loss: RJ McGill's ACL Key Returners: Greg Hardin RJ McGill Jameer Jackson Kenny Golladay Blair Townsend Romon Bridges Anthony Fletcher Zach Oliver Casey Young Greg Hardin (Sr 5-11 167)is coming off of the second most prolific season in UND history. His stats this year were amazing, in 5 games. He was completely average for the other 6 games. He also had way too many drops this year that cost the team at least 4 TDs and multiple first downs. He was outstanding this year but was entirely too inconsistent. Had he been in every game and concentrated on every ball thrown to him his numbers would have been astronomical, possibly 1600 yards and 19 TDs. Don't get me wrong, his numbers were still fantastic this year and he opened up opportunities for all of his teammates just by being on the field. This winter he needs to get alot bigger and stronger. If he gets up around 180-185 he will be unstoppable. Imagine Hardin with enough strength to break more tackles and have one extra step to blow past defenders. Mentally he needs to find a way to stay sharp and focused on the easy catches just as he does on the spectacular ones. He has a chance to be better than Dressler, which is something most people thought wouldn't happen at UND for many more year. But that will only happen if he is hungry this off season and focuses on the little things. RJ McGill (Sr. 5-10 170) suffered a torn ACL against Cal Poly. I firmly believe that we win that game if he hadn't been injured. He was on fire and the go to guy in that game up to that point. Without him the offense sputtered. Anytime UND needed a big 3rd down conversion it seemed like RJ was wide open in the middle of the field for the first down. He was more consistent this year than last year even. He needs to get his knee healthy this winter and add some more strength. I hope he can regain all of his quickness and speed for next year. Jameer Jackson (So. 6-3 240) is the biggest receiver I have ever seen at UND. His strength and size are matchup nightmares against every DB. I was impressed with his maturation over the year as he became a very nice #2 WR and when Hardin didn't produce he stepped up and led the team with some big games. He, like Hardin, had too many drops this year. His numbers were good enough to be named for the Rice Award but they should have been much better. He is one of the only guys on the team that shouldn't gain any weight. He should get a little leaner but most of all get more flexible and quicker and faster. If you put a couple steps of quickness and a step of speed on this kid you are gonna have yourself a freak. He should have an absolute monster year next year if he focuses on every catch. Kenny Golladay (So 6-4 183) is another unprecedented WR in UND history. Just watch his catch against Poly or the blown TD call against Montana and you will see Chris Cater type ball skills. He is obviously frail and needs to hit the weights with Jake Miller and get up near 200 lbs. He also needs to get faster, which will happen with added strength. He seems to have adequate quickness and run decent routes for an 18 year old. As he continues to mature he will turn into the type of WR that we always hoped was at UND. He has special written all over him. Blair Townsend (Sr. 6-3 220) is another guy with great hands. Unfortunately he is slow as molasses. Part of that has to be due to the devastating ankle injury he suffered as a redshirt freshman. Hopefully he can get alot faster this winter because he has great size and strength and is an excellent possession receiver. He didn't get alot of opportunity this year but look at what he did in the Montana game. All you can say about that game is wow. He would start for most teams and is a big part of the ridiculous depth that we are currently blessed with at WR. With more speed and quickness he could have a much larger role more often next season. Romon Bridges (So 5-8 154) is a little waterbug type of slot receiver. He is probably the quickest player on UNDs team and possesses surprising strength as the reigning 'Beef Master'. Perhaps he will step in to RJ's role as RJ rehabs his knee. Romon is a converted RB and needs to keep improving his hands and route running. He has a great upside that we may not see until RJ and Hardin graduate and open up more room in the rotation. Anthony Fletcher (Fr 6-3 195) is a beast. Thats what I've heard when I've asked about him. He possesses nice height and great ball skills. He needs to get faster and quicker this winter while he continues to build his body. He was highly recruited out of high school and could force the coaches to put him on the field with his work ethic and undeniable talent. It will be scary to see what he becomes over the course of his career. Zach Oliver (Fr 6-3 190) is a classic possession receiver. He has great height and an amazing pair of mitts. With his size and body control he will be able to make plays without separation. He needs to get alot stronger and faster. Lots of potential, it will be up to him to make something of it. Casey Young (So 6-1 200) made an impact this year on special teams. He has yet to play as a WR but has proven valuable on KO coverage and punt coverage. Was highly recruited out of high school but has found himself surrounded by better players and is not yet in the rotation. I wouldn't sleep on his career as a WR yet. I feel that he will make a contribution later in his career after players like Hardin and McGill and Townsend graduate. Next up will be the QBs

Can't disagree with that. Never once saw a player take charge on the sideline this year and start demanding better from their teammates. When things went wrong the year before you saw guys like Dan Hendrickson get really pissed off with his teammates. Leading by example is great, but every team needs a couple generals that aren't afraid to call people out and demand excellence.

The coaches were basically recruiting with one hand tied behind their back before the nickname being voted away and getting into the big sky if you think about it.

Having a hard on for the coaching staff and knowing how to make valid comparisons are very different.

Ndsu didn't have the ncaa up their ass about their nickname and also didn't have huge questions surrounding a controversy of that scale directly determining conference affiliation as their conference was in the process of folding.

Yup thats exactly what I said. Did you copy and paste that from my post?

That wasn't a prediction its just the only way to get a fair comparison of how we are relative to years coming out of the transition. In 4 years we will have a full roster of players recruited when we were not transitioning.

They only won one more game first year out of the transition and didn't have near the schedule we did. Compair this years ndsu team to our team in 4 years.

I feel like he means over his career.

Recruiting is such an inexact science though, look at ndsu's senior class this year

That NT you speak of is in the program as we speak. As far as the coaching, you cant expect them to turn water into wine.

Yea. I forgot to throw that in at the end.

I got higher top end speed and was a stronger runner but didn't get any quicker other than the first step having a bit more pop. I didn't gain any fat though, which is obviously key.

I had one hell of a time gaining weight when I played. One winter I stuffed myself like none other and before I knew it I had gained 10 pounds. Some people gain weight easily. Naturally skinny people have to eat like crazy to gain but when they gain it's nice and lean which is why he'd get faster and more explosive. Basically he needs to eat like Michael Phelps and lift like it's his job.

Generally people look at the kicker when we're presumably about to attempt a game winning FG from 51 yards. I kicked among other things in high school so I tend to notice kickers when I watch football. I'm a fan and a former player that is apparently psychic.

Maybe you should be at the game and be more observant? And how am I getting called out when that moron is clearly making things up?

RB/FB/TE: RB The only loss from this group is Mitch Sutton who was a very serviceable strong runner but had little to no tread left on his tires. Returning is a group that is very quick and has some good experience but lacks size in a big way. I haven't heard if the coaches are looking to find a JUCO RB or not but it might not be a terrible idea. Key Loss: Mitch Sutton Key Returners: Jake Miller (SR 5-11 167) Jer Garmin (JR 5-9 177) PJ Sparks (SO 5-9 192) Adam Shaugabay (JR 6-1 202) Kodee Varner (FR 6-0 180) Jake Miller has a ton of experience and is obviously a very fast runner with great vision and open field ability. He, however, requires his lineman to get him to the second level untouched to be effective. He does not possess to ability to make something out of nothing ala Zach Bauman. He needs to hit the weights harder this winter and hit the buffet equally as hard to gain weight. There is no way his slight frame can withstand the pounding of a Big Sky schedule. He needs to get up to at least 195. If he gets up to that weight he will not only be more powerful and hard to bring down but also faster and more explosive. Jer Garmin has yet to get enough carries in his career. He has shown flashes of brilliance and quickness but just hasn't quite made the plays that he is expected to (as a RB or PR). Jer is listed at 5-9 and that is extremely generous, at 177 he is decently thick but could still use more weight and strength to be more effective. He needs to get leaner and get up around 190 so he isn't so easy to bring down. He also needs to get a step faster, he has unreal quickness but lacks the burst to hit a long run or return. He has alot of potential and could be a playmaker if he gets more touches next year. PJ Sparks is built like a pit bull already. He is also listed at 5-9 but may be more of 5-8. He is the thickest of the returning RBs and showed some good skills against very inferior competition in the Mines game. He could end up being the surprise player next season and I expect him to turn some heads this spring. He should get over 200 lbs this winter and get leaner as well to increase his speed. He's still a bit of an enigma as there is such a small sample of his play. Adam Shaugabay is a very violent runner. He also possesses surprising speed. When he has gotten opportunities to carry the ball he has made the most of them. He is also noticeably a physical force blocking on the KR team. It will be interesting to see his role in the offense next year as he is by far the most powerful and hard to bring down of the returning RBs. He's another guy that could turn some heads if given the chance. Kodee Varner is about a year away from being physically ready to contribute as a RB. He may already be ready to play special teams and possibly make use of his smooth speed as a KR. He has a good frame and will be able to easily get above 200 lbs and keep his speed by the time he's a soph. If he does things right this winter he should get up to about 190 or 195 easily. It will be exciting to see him come spring. FB Key Loss Ethan Magstad Key Returners Zack Adler (So 6-3 237) Keven Bayer(Fr 5-10 235) Adler is a big good looking football player. He is a little stiff and needs to improve his flexibility. Will probably be around 250 next year. Could prove very valuable both as a blocker and receiver given his conversion from being a TE. He is a true H back that gives the offense extra versatility. He needs to also get quicker and faster. Could prove to be a very good unsung hero of the running game. Keven Bayer is already built like a cinder block. He is low to the ground and will be a load when blocking or running. Needs to get leaner and faster this winter and get around 240. Could end up being a devastating blocker. TE Key Losses Seth Nichols Seth Wisthoff Key Returners Taylor Grant (JR 6-5 235) Tucker Norby (FR 6-4 245) Luke Mathewson (FR 6-5 235) Taylor Grant is a very good long snapper for the punt team. He is painfully slow and lumbers down the field when covering punts. He needs to get much faster and quicker and stronger. This winter he should get up around 250 lbs. Hopefully he can provide a receiving threat out of the TE spot which has been missing for years. Norby and Mathewson are very similar players and needs to get wayyyy stronger and bigger this winter. Both have tons of room left on their frames and should be up around 260.

The coaching tree of Murphy is amazing. He never went big time though. Ndsu has had some really good coaches and a lot of guys get bigger jobs. That happens with success. And yes players need to buy into the program like previous classes. I feel like its a product of getting playing time too early because of lack of talent at und when they came in. Once the competition gets ramped up for playing time with added depth the program will seem more legit to the players and they will have to buy in the have any chance at playing.

He's got potential but things don't seem to have clicked yet with him. Much like a lot of the younger inexperienced linemen its up to him to dedicate himself this winter to become a factor. I'd like to see him succeed as an ND kid so hopefully he gets it and does what it takes to get to that next level and be apart of the rotation. I did see him on the sidelines in Greeley so the coaches have him ahead of Windfelt at this point. I just feel like Windfelt has greater potential so I put him ahead of Barton.

This season was a failure. The goal of any offense is to outscore the opponent which they did not on the season and in most games. The goal of the defense is to not allow an opponent to score more than you which obviously was a massive failure this year. Neither of them did their fundamental jobs this year. Both sides of the ball have huge weaknesses that need to be fixed in order to be a legit program and make the playoffs every year. I will outline each position group for the 2013 outlook and what they need to improve on and what they should bring to the table next season. -OLine Key losses, Lynch McGurran Key replacements, Windfelt Hoerchner Hellman Possible starters Windfelt (So 6-6 296) Anderson (So 6-6 293) Walker (Jr 6-2 314) Kleason (Sr 6-4 291) Denui (Sr 6-8 304) Outlook, Kleason ended the season playing left tackle and playing very well. I wouldn't be shocked if he played OG or OT because he's a fantastic run blocking guard but also proved more than proficient at LT late this year. Walker will most likely replace McGurran, he's twice the athlete McGurran is and is more powerful, we'll see if he can close the gap on the scheme side of things. If he does he could be a great C. Anderson has HUGE upside, we're talking a taller Kuper type of upside. If he dedicates himself to being a lean mobile beast like Kuper then we may have ourselves an All American type guard for the next three years. Windfelt was very highly recruited out of high school and also has loads of upside. He looks to be a bit sloppy still and will need to trim down alot and get quicker and stronger this winter. He could end up being the key to the OLine next year since the other starters will have plenty of experience. Denui is obviously a very tall young man, he is also very agile for his size. He needs to get alot bigger and alot stronger this year. With his frame he should be able to dominate players and seal off his side of the line in pass protection and plow in the run game. Hoerchner has come a long way since last year when he got thrown around in his limited playing time. He matured nicely in the off season and could be a very valuable backup and will at the very least push the starters. He needs to continue to develop and get stronger and bigger. Hellman looks alot like McGurran at C. He's got nice size at 6-5 302lbs but needs to trim down and gain more muscle and strength to get more mobile and powerful. He should push walker at the C position and could even end up allowing Walker to move to OG to add depth. Meehan is a big boy at 6-6 306lbs but looks very sloppy. He needs to slim down and then bulk up this summer and get bigger all over. He is another one of the highly recruited guys from the 2011 recruiting class and needs to live up to his potential by putting in the work this winter. Next Up: RB/FB/TE

The talent isn't as much a question as is the work ethic and attitude of the team. You can be damn sure that the coaches will be all over guys this winter like they should have been all along. Sometimes you need to take a step back to take a leap forward.

I'm calling bull$%!#. I was there. I was looking at zeb to see what he was doing to prepare himself and he was just standing there ready to go. He never approached the coaches let alone started pleading with them. Basically everything you post should not be read by anyone because you're fabricating things to make the situation seem even more negative.

Montana's season has left their fan base reeling. Hell no I don't want a losing record, I want a team that wins the close games and doesn't get blown out by not showing up. Your post needs a good dose of pink font. This season was a complete failure. Davis' coach is retiring by the way.