GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Bubba Schweigert's fourth recruiting class as the North Dakota football head coach features 20 new additions from the high school ranks of six different states. Fifteen of those players signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, while the remaining five were guaranteed a roster spot and committed to playing collegiately for UND. With four mid-year additions on the roster already, UND's 2017 recruiting class now stands at 24.
"National Signing Day is always something that we look forward to as a football staff. Today is the culmination of all the hard work put in by our coaches and it's always a special day to enjoy with them and share the news with our great fan base,” Schweigert said. “Overall, I think we accomplished our goal of bringing in another athletic class that I think will certainly help us down the road and there is some potential in this group to help us right away. We are always going to target the same body type as years past and I think this class fits that profile well. We have several multi-sport athletes and I think that really shows the competitive nature that we want on our football team."
2017 University of North Dakota Football Recruiting Class
National Letters of Intent (15)
Name | Pos. Ht. Wt. | Hometown (Previous School)
Izzy Adeoti | WR 5-10 180 | Plano, Ill. (Plano HS)
Hayden Blubaugh | DB 6-0 180 | Aurora, Colo. (Grand View HS)
Brock Boltmann | QB 6-1 195 | Edina, Minn. (Edina HS)
Leif Bungum | LB 6-2 190 | Dodge Center, Minn. (Triton HS)
Graham DeVore | TE 6-4 230 | Mahtomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi HS)
Mikey Griebel | WR 5-9 180 | Littleton, Colo. (Columbine HS)
Kyle Hietpas | DB 6-0 175 | Little Chute, Wis. (Little Chute HS)
Nick Honerlaw | DL 6-3 240 | South Milwaukee, Wis. (South Milwaukee HS)
Jeremy Jenkins | OL 6-6 280 | South Elgin, Ill. (South Elgin HS)
Connor Kruse | OL 6-5 300 | Waconia, Minn. (Waconia HS)
Noah Larson | LB 6-2 230 | Baraboo, Wis. (Baraboo HS)
Jalen Morrison | DL 6-2 240 | Woodbury, Minn. (Woodbury HS)
Zeke Ott | DL 6-3 225 | Caledonia, Minn. (Caledonia HS)
Wil Prine | OL 6-6 250 | Council Bluffs, Iowa (Lewis Central HS)
Tyler Shannon | DB 6-2 185 | Arvada, Colo. (Ralston Valley HS)
Preferred Walk-Ons (5)
Andrew Jones | FB 5-11 220 | Hunter, N.D. (Northern Cass HS)
Brady Leach | PK 6-3 175 | Moorhead, Minn. (Moorhead HS) Moorhead, Minn.
Jack Pifer | WR 6-3 190 | Fargo, N.D. (South HS)
Hayden Reynolds | LB 6-1 195 | West Fargo, N.D. (Sheyenne HS)
Bryden Swenson | LB 6-3 200 | Hallock, Minn. (Kittson County Central HS)
CLASS BREAKDOWN
By Position: Fullbacks (1), Quarterbacks (1), Wide Receivers (3), Tight Ends (1), Offensive Linemen (3), Linebackers (4), Defensive Backs (3), Defensive Linemen (3), Placekicker (1)
By State: Colorado (3), Illinois (2), Iowa (1), Minnesota (8), North Dakota (3), Wisconsin (3)
RECRUIT BIOS
IZZY ADEOTI - Highlights
WR | 5-10 | 180
Plano, Ill. (Plano HS)
High School Coach: Brad Kunz
Finished senior season with 35 receptions for 745 yards and 12 touchdowns and led team with 1,119 all-purpose yards … Also averaged 30.3 yards per kickoff return and had one return for a touchdown as a senior ... Earned All-Interstate 8 Conference honors as a junior and senior and named IHSFCA Academic All-State … Earned Champaign N-G All-State honorable mention honors as a junior … Also lettered in track and field and basketball during prep career … Illinois Class 2A finalist in the 100-meter dash as a junior.
Schweigert on Adeoti
“Izzy is a young man that is very athletic. A lot of the players in this class played multiple sports in high school and he is one of those that is very explosive on the football and the basketball court. We think he is going to be a great addition to our offense and really add some explosiveness to our wide receiver unit.”
HAYDEN BLUBAUGH - Highlights
DB | 6-0 | 180
Aurora, Colo. (Grandview HS)
High School Coach: John Schultz
Earned first team Class 5A All-State honors by the Colorado High School Athletic Association as a junior and senior … Named the Mount Massive Conference Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,911 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior … Totaled 30 touchdowns during final prep season … Named for the second-straight year to the Denver Post All-Colorado football team, which recognizes the top 32 players in the state … Rushed for 2,386 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior and eclipsed the 100-yard mark in all 12 contests … As a sophomore at Smoky Hill High School, rushed for 530 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a team-high 24 receptions for 196 yards and a score.
Schweigert on Blubaugh
“Hayden was a two-way player in high school that excelled on both sides of the ball. He possesses a balanced skill set and we noticed him at a camp last summer where he was one of the top players. He is a player that had some FBS offers, but we were able to attract him to UND and we feel like he is going to really add depth to our cornerback position.”
BROCK BOLTMANN - Highlights
QB | 6-1 | 195
Edina, Minn. (Edina HS)
High School Coach: Reed Boltmann
Named to the 2016 Minnesota Vikings All-State Team … Finished prep career with more than 3,000 yards passing and accounted for 32 total touchdowns playing for his father, Reed … Also rushed for 1,002 yards and collected 81 tackles and 10 passes defended in three varsity seasons … Selected to play in the Minnesota Football Showcase All-Star Game at U.S. Bank Stadium and was named the game's Defensive MVP after sealing a 15-7 victory for the South team with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown … Named to the KARE11 All-Metro Team as an athlete … Earned Associated Press All-State second team honors as an all-purpose player and was a Class 6A Minnesota Mr. Football nominee … As a junior, passed for 1,460 yards and nine touchdowns and earned all-district and Edina's Offensive MVP honors … Earned All-Lake Conference honors and was named Edina's Rookie of the Year as a sophomore defensive back, racking up 60 tackles and five passes defended … Also an accomplished baseball player … Named Edina's Rookie of the Year and Offensive MVP as a sophomore after batting .385 and collected second team MVP honor as a junior after raising average to .461 … Also played varsity hockey for two years.
Schweigert on Boltmann
“We think Brock's style of play really fits the type of offense we run here at UND. He is a three-sport athlete that always seemed to be in the leadership role on the teams he played on. We really like the total package that he is going to bring to our football program in terms of athletic ability and leadership qualities.”
LEIF BUNGUM - Highlights
LB | 6-2 | 190
Dodge Center, Minn. (Triton HS)
High School Coach: Don Henderson
Participated in the 2016 U.S. Army National Combine in San Antonio in February … Suffered season-ending injury in opening game of senior season … Returned to play for the South Team in the Minnesota Football Showcase All-Star Game at U.S. Bank Stadium … As a junior, racked up more than 1,200 all-purpose yards and rushed for 650 yards and 14 touchdowns … Also added 23 tackles and three interceptions en route to earning All-Southeast White Conference accolades.
Schweigert on Bungum
“Here's another player that we had at our camp and did a very good job in showcasing his skills. He showed us his explosiveness and athletic ability. He's a track standout as well and we've had a good history of those athletes being really productive and excelling at outside linebacker for us and we expect the same to be the case for Leif.”
GRAHAM DEVORE - Highlights
TE | 6-4 | 230
Mahtomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi HS)
High School Coach: Dave Muetzel
Played for the North Team in the Minnesota Football Showcase All-Star Game at U.S. Bank Stadium … Ranked second in the Minnesota State High School League with eight sacks and shared the league-lead with four fumble recoveries … Finished season with 55 total tackles, including 14 for loss … Named to the MFCA Class 5A All-State second team and also collected all-metro, all-district honors and was named Mahtomedi's Defensive MVP as a senior.
Schweigert on DeVore
“He really caught our eye at our summer camp. He has a real competitive spirit and we think he has a strong desire to get better. He played both sides of the ball in high school and also played on a very good baseball team. We think he's going to be one of those players that develops into a great run blocker and pass-receiving threat at tight end.”
MIKEY GRIEBEL - Highlights
WR | 5-9 | 180
Littleton, Colo. (Columbine HS)
High School Coach: Andy Lowry
Named first team Class 5A All-State honors by the Colorado High School Athletic Association as a junior and senior … Finished high school career with 3,702 rushing yards and 56 touchdowns and 38 receptions for 789 yards and 11 touchdowns … Also added 226 career tackles as a defensive back to go with four interceptions … Selected to play in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl following senior season … Named for the second-straight year to the Denver Post All-Colorado football team, which recognizes the top 32 players in the state and was one of four Denver Post Gold Helmet Award finalists… Switched to quarterback for final prep season … Threw for 635 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 774 yards and 16 touchdowns … As a junior, earned all-state accolades as a running back, accumulating 1,480 rush yards and 22 touchdowns, while adding 24 receptions for 444 yards and eight touchdowns … Led Columbine to the Class 5A semifinals … As a sophomore, rushed for 703 yards and 11 touchdowns and added 14 receptions for 345 yards and a score … Earned All-Jeffco League first team honors as a defensive back … As a freshman at Heritage High School playing for his father Mike, started at quarterback and threw for 654 yards and six touchdowns … Also rushed for 745 yards and seven touchdowns en route to earning first-team all-conference honors … Earned four varsity letters.
Schweigert on Griebel
“We had him at our camp as a junior and we saw early on that he is a guy that really likes to compete. He's another multi-sport athlete that will bring a real toughness to the receiver position. He's not overly big, but he has really good hands and excellent quickness, but it was his toughness that really appealed to us.”
KYLE HIETPAS - Highlights
Little Chute, Wis. (Little Chute HS)
High School Coach: Brian Ryczkowski
Named to the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Northeast Region Team … Repeated as an All-North Eastern Conference first team honoree at wide receiver after finishing senior season with 79 receptions for 1,096 yards and 17 touchdowns … Also collected second team All-North Eastern Conference honors as a defensive back … Named to the Post-Crescent Media's Elite 11 Team … Finished prep career with 152 receptions for 2,457 yards and 30 touchdowns … Named to the Wisconsin All-Academic State Team as a senior.
Schweigert on Hietpas
“He's one of those three-sport athletes that we are attracted too and really likes to compete. He's an explosive leaper on the basketball court and we think that will carry over to the cornerback position for us. That is one thing we need to improve on our football team is become better in coverage and really compete for those 50-50 balls.”
NICK HONERLAW - Highlights
DL | 6-3 | 240
South Milwaukee, Wis. (South Milwaukee HS)
High School Coach: Mike Bertok
Named to the WFCA All-Region Team and collected All-Woodland East Conference first team honors as a junior and senior … Totaled 188 career tackles and 15 sacks in three varsity seasons … Finished senior season with 72 total tackles and a career-high six sacks … Added 72 tackles and five sacks as a junior … State qualifier in the shot put as a sophomore and junior … Placed 15th at the Division I State Meet as a junior.
Schweigert on Honerlaw
“He came to our camps the past two summers and is one of those types of players that we felt like we really needed to get on our football team. He is extremely competitive and we think he can become a really good pass rusher for us. We just like his high motor and how he displays that all the time.”
JEREMY JENKINS - Highlights
OL | 6-6 | 280
South Elgin, Ill. (South Elgin HS)
High School Coach: Patrik Pistorio
Paved way for two of the top three rushers in the Upstate Eight-Valley Conference as a senior team captain ... Starter at left tackle and earned all-conference honors and was named to The Courier News All-Area First Team after leading team to 3,700 yards of total offense, while only allowing five sacks … Earned Fox Valley All-Area honorable mention honors … Starter on conference championship team as a junior … Also lettered in basketball.
Schweigert on Jenkins
“We're excited about the potential of this young man. He's not even 18 yet and is already 6-6, 280 pounds. He plays basketball, has good feet and we look forward to developing him into an offensive tackle.”
CONNOR KRUSE - Highlights
OL | 6-5 | 300
Waconia, Minn. (Waconia HS)
High School Coach: Sam Baker
Played for the South Team in the Minnesota Football Showcase All-Star Game at U.S. Bank Stadium … Named the Suburban White Conference Lineman of the Year and to the all-conference first team after senior season … Helped lead Wildcats to a five-game turnaround from junior season … Also named to the KDUZ/KARP/KGLB All-Area Team … Three-year starter along the offensive front.
Schweigert on Kruse
“Connor is one of those players that really loves the weight room and that is a quality that really appeals to us. We had him listed at 280 pounds when we started recruiting him and he's already added 20 pounds of good weight since he committed to us. We look forward to seeing his development as a guard along on our offensive line and being a physical player for us.”
NOAH LARSON - Highlights
LB | 6-2 | 230
Baraboo, Wis. (Baraboo HS)
High School Coach: Steve Turkington
Finished senior season with 1,572 rushing yards and 15 touchdown en route to All-Badger Norther Conference first team and Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Southwest Region honors at running back … Defensively, finished with 61 tackles to earn all-conference second-team honors … Rushed for a career-high 423 yards and four touchdowns in opening game of senior season vs. Oregon High School … Earned four varsity letters and was a three-time team MVP in football … Also an accomplished swimmer, won WIAA Division 2 state titles in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle events as a junior … Earned All-American status with his performance in the 50-meter freestyle event … The 100-meter freestyle state title was his second in a row … Father, Scott, played running back at UND from 1987-90.
Schweigert on Larson
“He's a player with some strong ties to UND and came to our camp. He's a state champion swimmer and is really athletic for guy with his frame. These types of athletes really excel in our style of defense because he can really run well sideline-to-sideline.”
JALEN MORRISON - Highlights
DL | 6-2 | 240
Woodbury, Minn. (Woodbury HS)
High School Coach: Andy Hill
Led Woodbury to back-to-back Class 6A playoff appearances as a two-way player … Rushed for 255 yards and a four touchdowns, while collecting 17 tackles as a senior … Earned Played for the South Team in the Minnesota Football Showcase All-Star Game at U.S. Bank Stadium … Three-year starter with most of his action coming on the offensive side of the ball.
Schweigert on Morrison
“He played running back in high school, but we think he's going to develop into a top-notch defensive lineman in our program. We know we're getting a good athlete because he did carry the ball in high school and that shows what your coaches think of you. He's already starting to get bigger and grow as we thought he would.”
ZEKE OTT - Highlights
DL | 6-3 | 225
Caledonia, Minn. (Caledonia HS)
High School Coach: Carl Fruechte
Named to the Minnesota Vikings All-State Team and earned Associated Press All-State first team honors as a senior …
Played for the South Team in the Minnesota Football Showcase All-Star Game at U.S. Bank Stadium … Racked up 33 total tackles and led the Minnesota State High School League with 13 sacks in final prep season, helping lead Caledonia to its second-consecutive Class 2A state title … Also collected Post Bulletin All-Area accolades … Missed part of junior season, but still earned All-Conference honors.
Schweigert on Ott
“He has a huge upside as a pass rusher and defensive lineman. He comes from one of the top high school programs in the Midwest. They were state champs this past year and he understands the hard work and commitment it takes to be in one of those programs. He is also competes in track and field and is an excellent athlete for his size.”
WIL PRINE - Highlights
OL | 6-6 | 250
Council Bluffs, Iowa (Lewis Central HS)
High School Coach: Jim Duggan
Played three varsity seasons and started senior season at left tackle … Team captain as a senior and earned All-Southwest Iowa second team honors following final prep season … Also earned three varsity letters in basketball and played golf as a s a freshman and sophomore.
Schweigert on Prine
“Wil is a really big kid that we think will develop into a great offensive lineman for us. He starts for one of the top high school basketball programs in Iowa. His upside is huge and once he gets into our program and concentrates on football, we think his potential is really going to take off.”
TYLER SHANNON - Highlights
DB | 6-2 | 185
Arvada, Colo. (Ralston Valley HS)
High School Coach: Matt Loyd
Rushed for 441 yards and six touchdowns and added 36 receptions for 505 yards and four touchdowns during final prep season … Played both sides as a senior, finishing the campaign with 34 tackles and two interceptions … Named to the All-Jeffco Conference second team as a senior and junior … Rushed for 764 yards and nine touchdowns to go with a trio of 100-yard rushing games as a junior … Also added 28 receptions for 320 yards and six touchdowns … Earned three varsity letters in football and was also a standout in track and field … Earned first team all-state honors in track and field and was the Jeffco Conference MVP in the 110-meter hurdles as a junior.
Schweigert on Shannon
“He was another two-player in high school that we are going to play at defensive back. He is an outstanding track athlete in the jumps and hurdles. He has those long levers that we look for in our safety and we think his athleticism and ranginess will really help us in the secondary.”
PREFERRED WALK-ONS
ANDREW JONES - Highlights
FB | 5-11 | 220
Hunter, N.D. (Northern Cass HS)
High School Coach: Craig Lachowitzer
Earned NDHSCA Class A First Team All-State honors as a linebacker after racking up 110 tackles, including 72 solo stops during senior season … Collected Class A Second Team All-State honors as a junior linebacker … Earned Class A All-Region 1 honors three times during prep career.
Schweigert on Jones
“Andrew was part of a program at Northern Cass that is really improving in our region. He was a big part of their recent success. He's a hard worker and dedicated weight room guy. Those are the types of players we want in our program.”
BRADY LEACH - Highlights
PK | 6-3 | 175
Moorhead, Minn. (Moorhead HS)
High School Coach: Kevin Feeney
Two-year starter at placekicker … Finished as one of the top players in his section with 29 touchbacks as a senior and also connected on 16 extra-points.
Schweigert on Leach
“He is another player we had in camp and really showcased his skill set as a kicker. We like his demeanor as a kicker. He plays other sports and we think that helped develop the demeanor you need to possess when kicking in pressure situations. We look for him to develop and become our kicker of the future.”
JACK PIFER - Highlights
WR | 6-3 | 190
Fargo, N.D. (South HS)
High School Coach: Troy Mattern
Earned NDHSCA Class AAA First Team All-State honors as a quarterback following senior season … Threw for 1,659 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 498 yards and six touchdowns during final prep season … Named to the All-Eastern Dakota Conference Team as a quarterback and defensive back.
Schweigert on Pifer
“He's another three-sport athlete that played quarterback in high school, but will play wide receiver for us. He gives great effort in each of the sports he plays and is just an all-around good athlete.”
HAYDEN REYNOLDS - Highlights
LB | 6-1 | 195
West Fargo, N.D. (Sheyenne HS)
High School Coach: Jeremy Newton
Earned NDHSCA Class AAA First Team All-State honors as a linebacker following junior and senior seasons … Led the Eastern Dakota Conference in solo tackles and was second in total tackles with 93 … Named to the All-EDC Team as a linebacker during final two prep seasons … Also rushed for 723 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior … Led the EDC in solo and total tackles as a junior and was second in both categories as a sophomore … Three-year varsity starter at linebacker.
Schweigert on Reynolds
“This is a kid that loves to play football and you can really see that on his film. He plays aggressively and that is the mentality that we want our inside linebackers to play with.”
BRYDEN SWENSON
LB | 6-3 | 200
Hallock, Minn. (Kittson County Central HS)
High School Coach: Cory Waling
Team shared the 9-Man North 1 Conference title as a senior … Played both tight end and linebacker during prep career … Finished senior season with more than 40 tackles and an interception … Also added 16 receptions for 227 yards and a touchdown … Part of the MFCA 9-man Gold All-Academic Team for 2016.
Schweigert on Swenson
“We had Bryden in our camps and feel like he has so much potential. He is a kid that is going to continue to grow and mature into his body. He's another multi-sport athlete that competes year round and that's always a trait we look for.”
— Go UND —
