New NDSU Coaching Staff Inks 13 Football Recruits on Signing Day

The Bison signed a total of 38 players to the 2019 class

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) — North Dakota State University first-year head football coach Matt Entz announced the addition of 13 new student-athletes to the Bison program on Wednesday, Feb. 6, the first day of the regular signing period for Division I football.

The latest signees include one quarterback, one tight end, three wide receivers, three running backs, four defensive backs and one linebacker. They join the 25 student-athletes who signed with North Dakota State during the three-day early signing period in December.

Combining the two signing periods, NDSU has added 38 new student-athletes to the football program — the largest National Signing Day class in the team’s Division I history. There are 27 who signed National Letters of Intent and 11 recruited walk-ons.

The current list includes players from eight states: North Dakota (5), Minnesota (10), Wisconsin (5), Illinois (6), Florida (3), Georgia (3), Iowa (2), Texas (2), Kansas (1) and Ohio (1).

By position, the Bison added eight defensive backs, five linebackers, five defensive linemen, five tight ends/fullbacks, five wide receivers, four running backs, three offensive linemen, two quarterbacks and one kicker/punter.

Here are the latest signees:

NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT SIGNEES
DJ Baptist, WR, 6-0, 175, Fr., Hutto, Texas (Hutto HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Hutto High School, where he played for coach Brad LaPlante…Three-year all-district first team wide receiver…All-state honorable mention as a junior with 1,100 receiving yards…Totaled 986 receiving yards as a senior for the Hippos who went 11-1 and advanced to the third round of the Texas Class 5A, Division I state playoffs…Also participates in basketball…PERSONAL: Plans to major in business…Son of Darrick and Sonya Baptist…Has one brother, Darius.

Logan Graetz, QB, 6-3, 189, Fr., River Falls, Wis. (River Falls HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of River Falls High School, where he played for coach David Crail…Three-year letterman…Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a senior…Went 126 of 181 passing for 2,129 yards and 32 touchdowns with just four interceptions…Set school records for passing yards and TDs…Led the Wildcats to a 9-2 record and the program’s first conference title in 12 years…First team all-region…Selected to the Wisconsin all-star game…Varsity starter on the hockey team since his freshman year…Also played baseball before switching to track and field his junior year…Conference champion and state qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles…PERSONAL: Plans to major in nursing…Son of Matthew and Elizabeth (Mayer) Graetz…Mother set NDSU’s indoor triple jump record as a freshman, still ranks ninth in the indoor high jump, and was an NCAA outdoor high jump All-American…Father was a rugby player in his college days at Wisconsin-Stout…Has a brother, Mason, and sister, Haley.

Braylon Henderson, WR, 5-9, 165, Fr., Wylie, Texas (Plano East HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Plano East High School…Played wide receiver, cornerback and safety for coach Joey McCullough…Three-year starter and two-time captain…Second team all-district wide receiver as a senior…Had 852 receiving yards and six touchdowns…Also charted 18 tackles with six pass breakups and one interception on defense…Career 2,000-yard receiver with 15 TDs over three seasons…PERSONAL: Plans to major in journalism…Son of Brandon Henderson and Angela and Raheim McFadden…Family includes five brothers and four sisters.

Kobe Johnson, RB, 5-9, 165, Fr., Lawrenceville, Ga. (Discovery HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Discovery High School…Three-year starter…Played wide receiver and running back for coach Efrem Hill, a former NFL receiver…First team all-region and second team all-county performer…Had 54 catches for 848 yards and rushed 52 times or 402 yards with nine touchdowns and 1,600 all-purpose yards his senior year…Career totals include 1,300 receiving yards, 600 rushing yards and 505 kick return yards…Rivalries of Gwinnett all-star game MVP…Selected to the Georgia vs. Florida all-star game…State track meet qualifier…2018 regional champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes…PERSONAL: Undecided on a college major…Son of Mondella Myles and Eric Johnson…Has two sisters, Ayana and Trinity.

Dominic Jones, DB, 6-2, 180, Fr., Duluth, Ga. (Peachtree Ridge HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Peachtree Ridge High School…Three-time letterman and two-year starter…Team captain his senior year…Played cornerback and safety for coach Reginald Stancil…All-region and all-county first team in 2018 after making 56 tackles with three interceptions and 10 pass breakups…Starting cornerback in the Rivalries of Gwinnett all-star game…Second team all-region as a junior…Made eight career interceptions with 25 pass breakups…PERSONAL: Intends to major in computer science and become a software design engineer…Son of Darnel and Monique Jones…Has three brothers, all Division I athletes…Darnel Jr. played basketball at Savannah State, Monte football at Kennesaw State and Montel track and field at Western Carolina…His uncle, Joseph Jones, played basketball at Bismarck State.

Cameron Smith, DB, 5-10, 175, Fr., Gulfport, Fla. (Admiral Farragut Academy)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Fla…Three-year starting defensive back under coach Rick Kravetz…Made 47 tackles with five interceptions, 12 pass breakups and three forced fumbles to help his team to a regional championship and the Florida Class 2A state semifinals in 2018…Career totals include 11 interceptions, 17 breakups and 10 forced fumbles…First team all-conference as a junior…All-county honoree…Selected to the Florida all-star game…Also participates in track and drama…PERSONAL: Plans to major in psychology…Son of Ashley Smith.

RECRUITED WALK-ONS
Caleb Beebe, DB, 5-10, 155, Fr., North Aurora, Ill. (Aurora Christian HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Aurora Christian High School…Three-year letterman and two-year starter…Played free safety and wide receiver…Team MVP as a senior when he made 81 receptions for 1,010 yards and 14 touchdowns…Had 62 tackles with three interceptions, four pass breakups and four tackles for loss on defense…First team all-area and all-state in 2018…Two-time all-conference first team…Career totals of 142 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four interceptions and seven breakups…Made 131 receptions for 1,583 yards and 19 TDs…The Eagles had back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018 and won their first postseason game in five years…Also competes in basketball…Two-time academic all-state honoree…PERSONAL: Plans to major in sport management…Son of David and Mandy Beebe…Father was his high school coach…Has a brother, Joshua, and a sister, Grace…Nephew of Don Beebe, an NFL wide receiver with the Bills, Panthers and Packers from 1989-97 who played in six Super Bowls and won a championship in 1996 with Green Bay…Cousin of Vikings wide receiver Chad Beebe.

Hunter Brozio, LB, 6-0, 220, Fr., Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Lake Gibson High School…Standout linebacker who also played long snapper…2018 Large School Defensive Player of the Year and all-county honoree…Recorded 120 tackles including 65 solo stops with 11 tackles for loss…Added one interception with two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles…Selected to the Florida North-South All-Star Classic…Credited with more than 400 tackles in his career…Played five years of varsity football, beginning in eighth grade as a special teams player on Victory Christian’s Class 2A state championship team before moving to Lake Gibson…PERSONAL: Undecided on a college major…Son of Jeff and Debbie Brozio.

Zach Gottwalt, TE, 6-4, 195, Fr., Rice, Minn. (Royalton HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Royalton High School…Played wide receiver and free safety for the Royals…Named to the St. Cloud Times all-area team…Helped lead Royalton to a 9-2 record and a runner-up finish in Section 7AA…Caught 36 passes for 494 yards and nine touchdowns…Made 33 tackles and two interceptions on defense…Also punted for the Royals, averaging 38.5 yards on 22 attempts with a long of 46…Averaged 34.9 yards per kickoff return with one touchdown and 27.0 yards per punt return with one TD…Also a three-year starter in basketball…Starting first baseman for the baseball team.

Jacob Halverson, WR, 6-3, 175, Fr., Casselton, N.D. (Central Cass HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Central Cass High School…Wide receiver and defensive back for coach Nathan Lutkemeier…First team all-state receiver his junior and senior seasons…Set the school’s career record with 1,645 receiving yards…Led the Squirrels to an 8-3 record in 2018 with an appearance in the Class 2A state semifinals…Had 38 receptions for 752 yards and six touchdowns his senior year along with 23 tackles and an interception on defense…Also competes in baseball…PERSONAL: Plans to major in agricultural systems management or precision agriculture…Son of Craig and Michelle Halverson…Has a brother, Devon.

Austin Schiff, RB, 5-11, 195, Fr., Springfield, Ill. (Glenwood HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Glenwood High School…Three-year starter for coach David Hay…All-conference honoree as a senior…Third-leading rusher in the conference with 986 yards and nine touchdowns…Averaged 6.2 yards per carry…Also had 11 catches for 107 yards and one TD…Led his team to a 9-2 record and conference championship in 2018 with an appearance in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs…Career 1,000-yard rusher with 10 TDs…Also made 104 tackles with three interceptions including one pick-six on defense…All-conference performer in track and field…Academic all-conference in both sports…PERSONAL: Plans to major in engineering…Son of Jayme and Michelle Schiff…Father graduated from NDSU’s civil engineering program.

Jenaro Wathum-Ocama, CB, 6-0, 174, Fr., Woodbury, Minn. (Woodbury HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Woodbury High School…Three-year letterman and two-year starter under coach Andy Hill…Made 26 tackles with three interceptions and 10 pass breakups in a standout senior season…Named to the all-conference first team, Star Tribune all-metro first team, USA Today all-state first team, and Associated Press all-state second team…Led Woodbury to a 9-2 record, conference championship, Section 6A championship, and the program’s first playoff appearance in 20 years…Career totals of seven interceptions and 27 breakups…Set a single-season school record with 17 breakups his junior year…Also participates in track and field and student council…PERSONAL: Undecided on a college major…Son of John and Faulata Wathum-Ocama…Family includes three brothers and two sisters.

Braden Zuroff, RB, 6-0, 185, Fr., Hebron, N.D. (Glen Ullin HS)
HIGH SCHOOL: 2019 graduate of Glen Ullin High School…Three-year starter under coach Steve Kleinjan…Played running back and linebacker for New Salem-Almont-Glen Ullin…The Holsteins advanced to the North Dakota 9-man state championship game in 2016 and 2018 and the semifinals in 2017 going 34-4 over that span…Three-time all-region honoree, including first team honors as a junior and senior…Totaled 2,110 yards rushing and receiving with 35 total touchdowns his senior year…First team all-state running back…Named the region’s Most Outstanding Back…Selected to the Mon-Dak all-star game and the North Dakota Shrine Bowl…Also competes in basketball and baseball…PERSONAL: Plans to major in civil engineering…Son of Jesse and Jessica Zuroff…Mother played basketball at Dickinson State…Has a brother, Dawson, and two sisters, Kennedy and Kinsey.

2019 NDSU FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS

RECRUITED WALK-ONS