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Feb. 27—GRAND FORKS — The UND football program opens spring ball Wednesday at the Fritz Pollard Athletic Center.
The Fighting Hawks are turning the page from an offseason that saw three offensive coordinators in January and the high-profile offensive exits of veteran quarterback Tommy Schuster to Michigan State and standout offensive lineman Easton Kilty to Kansas State.
Two UND coaches will be making debuts in offensive coordinator Isaac Fruechte and offensive line coach Trevor Olson.
At quarterback, UND will have its most wide-open battle in years with junior Trey Feeney and redshirt freshman Jerry Kaminski headlining the new options.
In many ways, a new era opens at the Pollard with a new offensive coordinator, a new strength and conditioning coach, ongoing facility construction nearby and uncertainty at quarterback.
The Herald has selected five young players the program will be looking at to break through during spring ball. To make the list, players needed to spend the 2023 season with the Hawks and quarterbacks were excluded as too obvious to pick.
The 6-foot-7, 285-pound Thaden is the front-runner to replace Kilty at tackle, despite his lack of experience.
The Omaha product spent his first season at UND at tight end but was often labeled as the next in line late in 2023 by outgoing offensive coordinator Danny Freund.
Thaden’s athleticism as a former tight end is considered a strength, but he’s going to be asked to continue to gain weight to look the part of a Missouri Valley Football Conference offensive tackle.
If Thaden doesn’t shine at spring ball, UND also has the possibility of swinging Sam Hagen back outside from his 2023 guard position. Hagen played at tackle in 2022 and has a 6-foot-6, 325-pound frame that might be best-suited outside.
UND has struggled at the safety position the past few years and loses…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/5-young-players-und-needs-153300565.html
Author : Grand Forks Herald
Publish date : 2024-02-27 15:33:00
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