Grand Forks, ND — Spring football is returning to Grand Forks. On Saturday, April 18, fans got their first taste of the team at the Frederick “Fritz” D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center as Green took on White in a scrimmage. The event was one of the first held with fans in attendance, and it was an exciting one.

Friendly Competition

Saturday’s game was formatted a little differently from an average football game. Since White comprised the offensive corps, it would score the same as any other game. Green would score on defensive plays, gaining seven points from takeaways, six from stops in offensive territory, five from midfield to the 26-yard line, four from the 25-yard line to the goal line, three from three-and-outs, and two from missed field goals.

The game got underway as Luke Silvernale (P/K, Sr.) put one through the uprights from the 28-yard line, giving White a 3-0 lead. Silvernale featured for the Hawks as a punter last season but now stands as the most experienced member of the punting or kicking staff after C.J. Elrichs’ (K, Sr.) portal entry. Elrichs was not signed in the January transfer window.

After going down three, Green knew it had work ahead to get on the board. The defensive corps quickly rose to the challenge, halting White in back-to-back three-and-outs. The score was now 6-3, White ball.

Jerry Kaminski (QB, Jr.), a key returner for North Dakota, got White back in front with a scrambling touchdown after a 23-yard completion, bringing the score to 10-6. Kaminski completed 223 of 382 passes (58.4%) he attempted in 2025, but was also successful as a scrambler, making 133 carries for a total of 607 yards, scoring 8 touchdowns. The junior from Sun Prairie, Wis., succeeded Simon Romfo behind the line, becoming the coaching staff’s preferred choice over the senior.

With the score set at 10-3, Silvernale would come back into the fray, putting White up by seven after a 47-yard kick.

Undeterred, Green’s Carter Kleinsasser (Edge, Rs. Fr.) came up with a fumble in the end zone to make it 13-13.

White got straight back to work, keeping Green off the board over the next three drives. On the first drive, a 48-yard field goal put the offense up 16-13, followed by a 5-yard toss to Grand Forks-native Tray Kuntz (TE, So.) to extend the lead. Now solidly in front by ten, White kept rolling, bringing in Brooks Hendrickson (QB, Fr.), who completed a touchdown pass to Aidan Behymer (TD, Jr.), another underutilized tight end.

The defense earned a few points on the third drive, putting the score at 30-16.

Saturday’s scrimmage ended 30-28, with two defensive 4th-down stops making up the last 12 points for Green. Fans took to the pitch to seek autographs and pictures with players after the game, per UND Athletics.

Portal Moves

14 Fighting Hawks moved on after the 2025 season ended.

Notable offensive exits include Sawyer Seidl (RB, Wake Forest) and B.J. Fleming (WR, Tarleton State). The defensive corps lost Antonio Blueitt (CB, Utah State) and Emmanuel Olagbaju (DT, UConn) to the portal. Cornerback Idrique Carmichael and kicker C.J. Elrichs were unsigned when the portal closed on Jan. 16.

The NCAA’s decision to move college football to a single portal has provided stability for Eric Schmidt, who prefers the new format.

“I think the thing I love about it is we have our team here now and [we] can build relationships with [them],” said Schmidt.

North Dakota’s staff brought in 14 players through the portal to fill out the lineup.

“I feel like we have addressed a lot of our needs,” the UND head coach said after the portal closed. “These guys are high character, high-achieving young men that love playing football.”

Recruiting is set to fill out the remaining spots for the Fighting Hawks. Most recently, UND landed a commitment from Caden Gutzmer (QB, Fr.), a highly-rated prospect out of Minnetonka. Gutzmer announced his commitment on Apr. 7, declining to take up offers from Miami, Bowling Green, Memphis, Sacramento State, and South Dakota.

Having seen the exponential improvement last season, it seems more is still to come in Eric Schmidt’s second year, which — after North Dakota State’s exit to the Mountain West — the Fighting Hawks look to be well positioned for.

North Dakota will begin its 2026 season on Aug. 27 against Long Island University.