Bowman County’s Wallman among 13 new Blue Hawks

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Dickinson State football coach Hank Biesiot has a baker’s dozen more recruits for the 2011 season, giving the Blue Hawks 34 total incoming recruits.

Many of the 13 additional recruits are offensive position players with size who Biesiot could be moved to other spots on the field.

“We like the tight ends, they can play a lot of spots,” Biesiot said. “All these guys have some versatility.”

Among the new recruits: a former Bowman County High School standout, the brother of a former Blue Hawk standout, an ex-NCAA Division I basketball player who is switching sports and several high school standouts from Montana and Wyoming.

Bowman County’s Tate Wallman is like many of DSU’s latest group of recruits. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, he played receiver and linebacker in high school.

One player who Biesiot said could an immediate impact is 6-7, 240-pound tight end Steve Christensen.

Christensen played basketball at Portland State until the 2009-10 season. Numerous websites had him listed as a junior in eligibility during that season.

However, because he is moving between the NCAA and the NAIA and switching sports to football, the amount of eligibility Christensen has remaining has yet to be determined. He spent one season on the football team at the Frontier Conference’s Southern Oregon University but it is unclear if he used any eligibility that season.

Biesiot said Christensen made the first move about playing football for the Blue Hawks.

“He called and said, ‘I see you lost an All-American tight end,’ ” Biesiot said, referring to departed senior Derek Pauley.

Another player who hasn’t been on the football field for a while but is an intriguing prospect is J.T. Keith

Keith was a teammate of DSU running back Brennan Haughian at Custer County High School in Miles City, Mont. Though the 6-4, 200-pound former all-state wide receiver has been out of high school for two years, Keith never played college football.

Also signing from Miles City was defensive back Brian Askin, who helped the Cowboys win the Class A state championship last fall.

Cody Clausen is the brother of Dennis Morris, Dickinson High School’s head football coach who was an All-America selection for DSU.

Clausen is 6-4, 215 pounds and was an all-state honorable mention tight end in high school.

Tanner Apple of DSU pipeline school Baker, Mont., signed as a kicker but played receiver and defensive back in high school.

The Blue Hawks added two players from Belgrade, Mont., in quarterback Talon Taylor (6-1, 170) and defensive back Kade Page (5-11, 175).

Lane Millay of Casper (Wyo.) Kelly Walsh High School is a Class 4A heavyweight wrestling champion in Wyoming. He was an all-conference football player. He has not signed to wrestle at DSU.

Also signing from Wyoming are offensive lineman James Bushnell of Cody, receiver Wyatt Mirach of Sheridan and tight end Jesse Wilson of Cowley.

Tyler Campbell, a 6-5, 270-pound tight end from Redmond, Wash., transferred to DSU in the spring semester.

Brian Askin, 6-1, 180, DB, Custer County High School, Miles City, Mont.; Tanner Apple, 5-10, 160, K, Baker (Mont.) High School; James Bushnell, 6-1, 260, OL, Cody (Wyo.) High School; Tyler Campbell, 6-5, 270, TE, Redmond, Wash.; Steve Christensen, 6-7, 240, TE, Portland, Ore. (Portland State); Cody Clausen, 6-4, 215, TE, Great Falls (Mont.) C.M. Russell High School; J.T. Keith, 6-4, 200, WR, Custer County High School, Miles City, Mont. (Montana State); Lane Millay, 6-2, 265, OL/DL, Casper (Wyo.) Kelly Walsh High School; Wyatt Mirich, 6-4, 190, WR, Sheridan (Wyo.) Big Horn High School; Kade Page, 5-11, 175, DB, Belgrade (Mont.) High School; Talon Taylor, 6-1, 170, QB, Belgrade (Mont.) High School; Tate Wallman, 6-2, 185, WR/LB, Bowman County High School; Jesse Wilson, 6-2, 200, TE/LB, Rocky Mountain High School, Cowley, Wyo.;

Tags: blue hawks, college football, sports, recruiting