UND Football Fall Camp: Day 4 Observations on Key Position Battles and Rising Stars

GRAND FORKS — The University of North Dakota football team wrapped up its fourth day of fall camp Saturday morning, with several notable developments emerging from the practice field. From a reshuffled secondary to a disruptive defensive tackle, here are five key observations from Day 4.

Safety Shuffle Opens Door for Owen Thielges

Redshirt freshman safety Owen Thielges has seized an opportunity early in camp, running with the first-team defense opposite Tyler Erkman. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Moorhead High School product stepped in when starter Avery Dixon sat out with what appears to be a minor injury. The move comes as safety Jett Sutton is no longer on the roster, opening up competition at the position.

Thielges, who played in two games last season and recorded three tackles and a tackle for loss against Valparaiso, brings a strong pedigree. At Moorhead, he was named Section 8 Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year and intercepted 11 passes during his high school career, earning three all-conference honors.

Grant Noland Continues Steady Play at Cornerback

Sophomore cornerback Grant Noland, who emerged as a starter last year, remained consistent on Saturday. He was in perfect position to break up a deep pass from Jerry Kaminski to Deng Deng, who had been making highlight-reel catches earlier in camp. Noland finished last season with 48 tackles and six pass breakups, earning FCS Football Central Freshman All-American honors.

Matt Lawson Shows Versatility at Running Back

Transfer running back Matt Lawson, who came to UND from Illinois State, is bringing a unique skill set to the backfield. Lawson has a background as a slot receiver, a position he played growing up, including catching passes from Kaminski during 7-on-7 leagues. On Saturday, UND used a convoy of blockers to score on a screen pass during 11-on-11 drills.

Lawson appeared in 12 games for Illinois State in 2024, rushing for 447 yards and averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He had a career-best 84 rushing yards on 16 carries with a touchdown against Northern Iowa. He is competing for a role vacated by the transfer of Sawyer Seidl to Wake Forest and the graduations of Gaven Ziebarth and Xavier Leigh.

Brody Thornton Emerges as No. 3 Edge Rusher

While starting edges Lance Rucker and Kaden Vig are locked in, redshirt freshman Brody Thornton is making a strong case for playing time. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Menomonie, Wisconsin native, now wearing No. 22, has been consistent enough through camp to be considered UND's No. 3 at the position. Thornton played in three regular season games and two playoff games last season, recording a sack against Indiana State and three tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss in a playoff loss at Tarleton State.

Kylyn Macklin Brings Speed to Defensive Tackle

Former UND defensive tackle Emmanuel Olagbaju, who transferred to Iowa in the offseason, played at about 295 pounds. His replacement, Kylyn Macklin from Albany, weighs in about 20 pounds lighter. But through four days of camp, Macklin has used his speed to spend significant time in the Fighting Hawks' backfield. He was disruptive again Saturday, starting opposite Logyn Eckheart.

UND continues fall camp as the team prepares for the upcoming season. The Fighting Hawks will look to build on these early developments as practices progress.