UMD Athletics

• 2018 TEAM CAPTAIN •

AS A BULLDOG:
2017: Continued to plow a path toward NCAA II stardom ... handled a team captaincy role last fall when he attained All-NSIC first team status after setting or equaling career highs for pass receptions (57), receiving yards (a league-best 1,003) and touchdown catches (eight) ... became just the sixth Bulldog to ever eclipse the 1,000-receiving yard mark in a single season ... has now caught at least one pass in 18 consecutive games ... ended the year with 112 career catches -- the eighth most in program history ... had quite the afternoon in the Bulldogs' 34-31 double overtime triumph at Wayne State on Sept. 23  ... rolled up 217 yards off pass receptions that day, which is the third highest single-game total ever turned in by a Bulldog (only All-American and UMD Athletic Hall of Famer Tim Battaglia, with 249 yards on Oct. 25, 2003 and 228 yards one year earlier, had more) ... his nine catches equaled a career best and he even took one snap (his first as a Bulldog) at quarterback in that win over the Wildcats ... hooked up with John Larson on an 81-yard strike against Minnesota Crookston on Nov. 4 .... That touchdown toss was UMD's longest pass play since the 2010 opener when quarterback Chase Vogler hooked up with wide out D.J. Winfield for a 89-yard score in a 35-10 triumph at Central Washington ... did the holding on UMD's field goal and extra point kick attempts ...  also made a name for himself in the classroom, receiving the NSIC Elite 18 Award for football in 2017 as well as landing a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-American first team with his 3.98 cumulative grade point average ... was a member of the NSIC All-Academic Team.
2016: Collared his first starting assignment (seven in all) as a Bulldog and responded with a career-high 51 pass receptions  -- the second highest total on the club -- and a team-leading eight touchdown catches en route to attaining All-NSIC honorable mention recognition ... also brought back a kick 90 yards for another score during his sophomore season in addition to rolling up 66 rushing yards on 10 carries (making him UMD's top returning ground gainer) ... opened the year with a personal-best eight-catch night at Southwest State ... cleared the 100-yard pass catch yardage plateau four times, including a 177-yard effort (the highest output by a Bulldog since 2005) at Minnesota Crookston on Oct. 29  ... was on the receiving end of the Bulldogs' longest pass play of the season -- a 74-yard scoring toss from Drew Bauer ... qualified for the NSIC All-Academic Team and was football representative on the UMD Academic Scholar List for maintaining the highest overall cumulative grade point average (a perfect 4.00) of any Bulldog during the 2016-17 school year.
2015: Hauled in four passes for 40 yards while taking part in seven of UMD's 12 games ... registered three of those catches (and his first Bulldog touchdown to date) in a 48-7 home-opener rout of Wayne State ... missed four outings while nursing a lower body injury during the season's mid-point ... was the football representative on the UMD Academic Scholar List for maintaining the highest overall cumulative grade point average (3.95) of any Bulldog during the 2015-16 school year.
2014: Was red-shirted as a first-year freshman and sat out entire year with a lower body injury.
BEFORE UMD: Three-year letterman (wide receiver, punt returner, kick returner, free safety) and three-year starter at Baron High School ... played under head coach Trent Nelson ... two year Bears team captain (2012-13) ... WFCA All-Region (2013) ... All-Conference first team defensive back (2013) and wide receiver (2012 and 2013) ... All-Conference second team free safety (2011) ... also lettered four times in basketball (point guard) and three times in baseball (catcher, short stop, center field).
PERSONAL: Is the son of Bill and Shelly Balts ... both of his brothers -- Josh and Justin -- played football at the collegiate level; Josh for the University of Wisconsin (running back from 2003-06) and Justin at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (strong safety in 2008) ... is majoring in physical education at UMD.
COLLEGIATE HIGHS:  Pass Receptions - 9 at Wayne State (9/23/17). Pass Reception Yards - 217 at Wayne State (9/23/17).  Pass Reception Touchdowns - 3 vs. Bemidji State (10/22/16). Longest Pass Reception - 81 yards vs. Minnesota Crookston (11/4/17).