GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- University of North Dakota head football coach Bubba Schweigert announced on Tuesday that Minnesota linebacker Jephete (JEFF-tay) Matilus (Ma-till-us) has joined his program and will play his final collegiate season in the Big Sky Conference.

"We are always looking for ways to improve our football team and I think we have done with that with the addition of Jephete," Schweigert said. "He is an athletic linebacker from a successful Big Ten program that will have one season to play for us. He contributed on a number of special teams for the Gophers and we expect him to do the same here, while competing for playing time at outside linebacker."

Matilus, a Delray Beach, Fla., native, spent four seasons with the Gophers' program and made the switch from linebacker to fullback during fall camp prior to his junior season in 2014. He will make the switch back to defense at UND.

Matilus played in 21 career games for the Gophers with most of his contributions coming on special teams. He was the 2013 Offensive Work Team Player of the Year as a sophomore and appeared in all 13 games for Minnesota that season. He was twice named to the All-Big Ten Academic Team in 2012 and 2013.

Matilus is the second Gopher to transfer to UND in the past 16 months. Defensive lineman Jordan Hinojosa joined the program in January of 2014 and played in eight games last season.

-- UND --