2026 FCS Football Spring Preview: North Dakota Fighting Hawks

It's time for another edition of our all-new FCS Spring Football Preview series.

In this series, we will take a look at where some of the top teams in the FCS stand entering spring camp. This will allow us to take a snapshot of the roster, key returning starters, potential breakout players, and discuss some of the biggest storylines for each team.

Our series continues with North Dakota, which is looking to build on its FCS Playoff appearance last season. The Fighting Hawks are projected to be one of the top contenders in the MVFC with 19 significant contributors expected to return for the 2026 college football season.

Positional Battles To Watch

Cornerback

There's really only one cornerback spot that will be up for grabs this spring after Grant Noland announced his return after his Freshman All-American season. The bigger question is, who will replace Bennett Walker on the other side? The Hawks also lost Idrique Carmichael, who was a backup player at the cornerback spot.

Evan Kludt returns after playing roughly 100 snaps last season. He actually saw significant action against Tarleton State due to injuries, and played fairly well against a really good offense. North Dakota also added Travis Hines II from the JUCO level, where he won a national championship. He has the versatility to play multiple positions in the secondary, but could be a factor in this battle at cornerback.

I think the real x-factor in this battle will be Akron transfer Ben Kamara, who played nearly 300 snaps for the Zips last year. Before his stint at Akron, he was an All-GLVC selection at Upper Iowa, recording 44 tackles, 2 INTs, and 7 pass breakups in 2024. At 6-4, 200 pounds, Kamara has an elite frame and has shown the potential to be a true breakout star for the Fighting Hawks.

Running Back

One of the biggest mysteries for North Dakota this offseason is the running back position. Gaven Ziebarth, Xavier Leigh, and Sawyer Seidl all departed, which left sophomore Colton Brunell as the leading returning rusher. He only rushed for 209 yards and two touchdowns, showing the need for an experienced transfer to join the rotation. That's where Matt Lawson enters the conversation, bringing experience from his time at Illinois State.

I think Lawson is the heavy favorite to receive a majority of the carries, but don't count out Brunell, who showed some flashes in his limited action. Keep an eye on Charles Langama in this battle. He saw very limited action as a true freshman, but looked good with the ball in his hands, including a touchdown run in the playoffs against Tennessee Tech.

Wide Receiver

The Fighting Hawks lost 3 of their top 4 receivers this offseason, creating a major question about who will step up on the outside. Korey Tai and Deng Deng each played over 250 snaps last season, and both have the potential to be breakout stars. Tai finished 3rd on the team with 23 catches for 245 yards, while Deng Deng had 5 receiving TDs, which ranked 2nd on the team.

Sam Strandell and Kristen Hoskins saw limited action in backup roles last season, but neither offers much experience at the college level. The Fighting Hawks also added Caleb Goodloe from Bowling Green and Cameron Weir from Washington State, but neither had any production at the FBS level.

The potential breakout player may be Madden Thorson, who transferred in from Minnesota State-Moorhead. He brings over 30 games of experience, in which he had 1,951 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over the past three seasons. He has the potential to step right into a starting role, which would give the Fighting Hawks an excellent trio of starters if Deng and Tai can take another step forward.

Potential Breakout Players

Deng Deng (WR)

It feels like it's only a matter of time until Deng Deng explodes onto the scene. He should step into a much bigger role next season after the departures of Nate DeMontagnac and B.J. Fleming. At 6-4, 217 pounds, he's a matchup nightmare on the outside for smaller cornerbacks. Last season was a key year, getting him the necessary experience needed to step into a starting job this upcoming year.

Deng saw his role expand late last season, playing a key role against South Dakota State and Tarleton State. He also had a streak of 4 consecutive games with touchdown catches early in the season. He ended the season with 16 catches for 208 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. If Deng can develop into a more consistent down-to-down threat, there's a real chance he could push for All-American honors in 2026.

Grant Noland (CB)

Noland started multiple games as a true freshman last season, playing a key role in North Dakota's run to the playoffs. He earned FCS Freshman All-American honors and was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team, but I still don't think he got enough recognition for his play last year. Noland ended the season with 40 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and 5 pass breakups in only 10 games.

You could tell how important he really was to this defense when he missed the second-round game against Tarleton State. In his final two games against SDSU and Tennessee Tech, he was targeted 17 times, but allowed only 6 catches for 39 yards and zero touchdowns with 4 pass breakups. Noland still has a ton of untapped potential in only his second season, making him one of the best young corners in the FCS.

Key Transfer Portal Additions

Matt Lawson (RB)

North Dakota needed to find experience at running back this offseason. We discussed the overall positional battle earlier, but it's time to spotlight the heavy favorite to win that job, which is Illinois State transfer Matt Lawson. He already has proven experience in the MVFC and will now finally get his shot to be the No. 1 RB behind a really good offensive line.

Lawson had a breakout season in 2024, rushing for 447 yards and 3 TDs on 104 carries. He was a rotational weapon for the Redbirds, but made the decision to redshirt last season. His addition gives the Fighting Hawks a reliable workhorse in the backfield, who already understands how to produce in the toughest conference in the FCS. Keep an eye on Lawson as a potential surprise All-MVFC selection next season.

Marquis Edmond (S)

Edmond is one of two notable transfer additions at safety for the Fighting Hawks. He spent two seasons at Virginia State, where he was named the CIAA Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. In two years, he recorded 74 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.

Edmond has the versatility to fit perfectly into the Rover position for the Fighting Hawks. He played in a similar role for the Trojans after starting his career as a hybrid linebacker. It'll be interesting to see if he could also be used in a similar role as Jonnie Wiltshire, but I would expect Edmond to see significant playing time next season for the Fighting Hawks.

Avery Dixon (S)

As we highlighted earlier, the Fighting Hawks have a ton of production to replace in the secondary. That led to North Dakota adding another All-Conference safety from the Division II level. Avery Dixon was a two-time All-GLVC selection at Upper Iowa. Over the past three seasons, Dixon has recorded 109 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 1 INT, 8 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles.

At 6-2, 185 pounds, he has the size to make a smooth transition to the FCS level. Dixon and Edmond both have the experience to offer immediate starting upside, but at the bare minimum, they significantly raised the floor of North Dakota's defensive backfield. The biggest question is, where does Dixton fit into the defensive backfield? The most likely outcome is that he will replace Jy Martin at free safety, where he'll have to compete with Jett Sutton for the starting role.

Most Important Returners

Lance Rucker (EDGE)

Rucker ended last season as one of the hottest edge rushers in the country, which led to him earning FCS All-American honors. He recorded 64 tackles, 15 TFLs, 11.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and eight quarterback hurries. Rucker broke North Dakota's single-season sack record, which has stood since 1999.

He had an insane performance against Tennessee Tech, where he put up a career-high 3 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in the playoff win. If Rucker can replicate the dominance he showed late last year, the Fighting Hawks could have one of the best EDGE tandems in the entire country.

Jerry Kaminski (QB)

Kaminski exploded onto the scene, starting the year as one of the hottest quarterbacks in the MVFC, but really struggled down the stretch with turnovers and consistency. Some growing pains were expected for a true sophomore in his first season starting in one of the toughest conferences in the country, but overall, he had an excellent season for the Fighting Hawks.

I thought Kaminski really excelled with his short-to-intermediate game, but there was something missing with his deep ball. That's truly the next step in his development, generating more deep shots and connecting on those long throws that lead to explosive plays. Kaminski is also dangerous with his legs, rushing for 607 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2025.

Last season's learning experiences should go a long way in helping prepare Kaminski for the 2026 season. I think he could be due for a big season, especially if the Hawks find some weapons on the outside at wide receiver. He should have excellent protection with five significant contributors returning along the offensive line.

If North Dakota wants to elevate into a true championship contender, it will need Kaminski to take that next step at the quarterback position.

Kaden Vig (EDGE)

I mentioned that North Dakota could have one of the better EDGE duos in the country next season. That's because Kaden Vig also decided to return, along with All-American Lane Rucker, whom I discussed earlier. Vig played a huge role in North Dakota's elite run defense last season, finishing with 36 tackles, 6 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. He earned second-team All-MVFC honors.

Unlike Rucker, who played exclusively at EDGE, Vig offers the versatility to move inside in certain defensive packages. At 6-6, 253 pounds, he can be a real force off the edge or along the interior, which allows UND to be very creative defensively in how they defend opposing offenses. Rucker's presence is going to create some 1-on-1 opportunities for Vig, which could lead to another big season in 2026.

Jonnie Wiltshire (S)

Wiltshire went from a key rotational player to one of the stars of North Dakota's secondary last season. He started 13 games at nickel, finishing the season with 53 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 3 INTs, and 10 pass breakups. He was named an All-MVFC honorable mention.

I think the most impressive aspect of his game was his effectiveness as a blitzer. Every time the Hawks brought Wiltshire off the edge, he seemed to get home and make a play. His coverage grade jumped from a 57.5 in 2024 to an 86.9 in 2025, showing his development in that area as well. With some new faces in the secondary, Wiltshire's experience and leadership will be key as the defensive backfield gels early in the season.

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