DULUTH – Expectations for the Minnesota Duluth football team are traditionally high in the preseason as the team hopes to join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference each year.
This year, however, the hype has reached a new level.
The Bulldogs were recently named preseason favorites in the NSIC coaches poll for the first time since the 2014 season – a testament to the team’s abundance of talented returners, led by redshirt junior quarterback Kyle Walljasper, who helped lead the 2023 team to a 9-2 mark.
Head coach Curt Wiese maintains a balanced approach despite preseason optimism and has maintained his mindset toward fall camp throughout his tenure.
“We’re not going to put too much stock in (preseason polls), but our guys understand we have high expectations for this team,” Wiese said. “We had a really good fall training camp… I think some guys who maybe didn’t play a lot for us learned a lot, and our veterans did a very good job of leading the way…”
A key member of this veteran group is second-year captain Walljasper, who is praised by Wiese for the leadership qualities he displayed during fall camp. Walljasper is coming off an electrifying sophomore season in which he totaled 39 passing and rushing touchdowns and was named to the NSIC Second Team Offense selection.
Clint Austin/Duluth News Tribune
“I think his leadership skills have improved even more this year. That’s going to be important for us to make sure he continues to control the offense, keep our guys on the field, move the sticks, control the clock and prevent as many mistakes as possible,” Wiese said.
The second-year starting signal-caller will have nearly his entire arsenal back at his disposal, as wide receivers Jimmy Durocher, DaShaun Ames and tight end Sam Pitz are back in the mix. Durocher was the team’s leading receiver in receptions (33) and yards (548) last season after transferring from Division III Wisconsin-Platteville.
Ames, a native of Cumberland, Wisconsin, finished last season as the vertical attacker with 441 yards on 25 catches for a team-leading 17.6 yards per catch, while the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Pitz led the nation among Division II tight ends with nine touchdowns and is currently being considered as a candidate for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Clint Austin/Duluth News Tribune
Second-year receivers Ryder Patterson and Chuck Gilbert III both took the field as freshmen last season and could also be in line for larger roles this fall.
Four wins at running back
Following on from last season’s running back-by-committee approach, the Bulldogs have four capable running backs vying for leadership roles this season.
“It’s a tough competition,” Wiese said. “We’re going to be in a situation where we only have one football and all four guys we can win football games with…”
Senior Daniel Mitchell is the most experienced of the group, having carried the ball 46 times for 353 yards and scored three touchdowns last season – more than ever before in his career.
Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group
Redshirt freshman Alex Riley and sophomore Ben Vallafskey showed promise in their limited appearances as freshmen in 2023, while South Dakota State transfer running back Derrick Johnson, a redshirt sophomore from Austin, Texas, is the freshman in the backfield. Johnson carried the ball just twice in two seasons with the Jackrabbits.
“We’re lucky that we have four men at this point,” Wiese said. “That also puts us in a situation where we have to make some decisions, and we hope that we will continue to have enough room in the running back room, which is what I expect.”
Last season, the Bulldogs led the NSIC with 243 rushing yards per game and were second only to Minnesota State with 25 rushing touchdowns. Walljasper had the most runs last season with 166 for 1,141 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Walljasper and the backfield alike will have the advantage of running behind a deep offensive line unit led by captain Aiden Williams at left tackle and Justin Hull on the right side.
Like Pitz, Williams is also attracting a lot of interest from NFL scouts as a possible 2025 draftee.
UMD’s defensive secondary will look completely different this season, as experienced defensive backs Marcus Glodowski and Tim Pokornowski are no longer in the midfield.
The graduation of last year’s cornerbacks Ty’Rhae Gibson and Ty’Rese Gibson creates an additional void.
According to captain and senior defensive back Jacob Mogensen, the high turnover this fall has led to healthy competition in training camp.
“I love what we have in the group, so you know it’s a wide field this year,” Mogensen said. “The motto for us this year is competition and we all benefit from that because there’s that competitive spirit of wanting to play and wanting to compete. It’s just brought out the best in everyone.”
Possible options for the safety position include Alex Sylvester and Jonathan Shrum, as well as Zach Wallace and Jarrett Bennett, both of whom served as primary backups last season.
“Whoever is named the starter, you know they’re ready to go. And for them to be able to sit behind Tim (Pokornowski) for three or four years was really, really big for them, being able to learn from a veteran,” Mogensen said.
At the cornerback position, Eyoel Desalegn and Kenneth Stevenson were the runners-up last season and probably have the best shot at the starting positions. Former Minnesota State track athlete Brock Unger is another name to keep an eye on.
As the newly formed defensive back unit continues to solidify ahead of Week 1 against Northern Michigan on Thursday, Wiese expects the strength of the defense to lie primarily behind experienced edge rushers Drew Hennessey and Landon Carter.
Terry Norton / File / UMD Athletics
Hennessey, one of three defensive captains along with Andrew Klopp and Mogensen, finished third in the NSIC with nine sacks last year, while Carter added four.
“The two guys on the perimeter have done a really good job all fall camp leading and being explosive,” Wiese said. “They’re both fifth and sixth year seniors now, at the point where they’ve got a really good handle on our defense, and we’re going to continue to add some new tweaks to the offense, so we expect those guys to have a good fall.”
The Bulldogs are coming off a dominant season on defense, having allowed just 18.6 points per game, making them the second-weakest defense in the NSIC behind Bemidji State. UMD also ranked second in run and pass defense.
