New UND head football coach Eric Schmidt won’t be the only one transitioning from San Diego State to Grand Forks this offseason. The Fighting Hawks have also secured the commitment of San Diego State quarterback. He announced his decision on social media Monday night.
A 6-foot-4, 220-pound dual-threat quarterback, visited UND over the weekend and has three seasons of eligibility left.
Originally from Oakland, Calif., he made one start during his redshirt freshman season in 2024, completing 13 of 29 passes for 156 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a loss to Cal. He also recorded 18 carries for 37 yards in four games last season.
He was a significant recruit for San Diego State, having chosen the Aztecs over offers from top programs like Oregon, Florida State, BYU, Arizona State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Nevada, and San Jose State.
As a senior in high school, he impressed with 1,679 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 803 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.
Last season, he was behind starting quarterback Danny O’Neil at SDSU, who has since transferred to Wisconsin.
In 2024, Schmidt, the defensive coordinator at SDSU, was named head coach at UND, where he returned to take over for Bubba Schweigert, who transitioned to an athletic department role after 11 seasons as head coach in Grand Forks.
The former Langdon-Edmore-Munich standout experienced both highs and lows during his first season as a starter. Offensive coordinator Isaac Fruechte also faced his first season calling plays in Grand Forks.
Following his press conference as head coach, Schmidt confirmed he would retain Fruechte, who had served as interim head coach after Schweigert’s departure.
Trey Feeney, one of the quarterbacks expected to compete with Romfo for playing time in 2024, left the program after fall camp when Romfo was named the starting quarterback.
Other quarterbacks returning from the 2024 roster include Jerry Kaminski, Jack Sulik, and Cole Hentges, with Etienne Higgins joining the competition as an intriguing 2025 prospect out of Council Bluffs, Iowa.
UND started the 2024 season strong at 5-2 and reached a Top 10 FCS national ranking but ended the year on a five-game losing streak and struggled on the road, finishing winless away from home.
Tupou’ata-Johnson becomes the fifth confirmed transfer portal commitment since Schmidt took over at UND. He joins defensive lineman Emmanuel Olagbaju from St. Thomas, wide receiver BJ Fleming from Northern Arizona, safety Nate Frankfather from Mt. San Jacinto Junior College, and defensive lineman Kyjuan Vengrowsky from Winona State.
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