North Dakota State Bison
Mountain West
0-0 (0-0 conf)
Ratings
2026
- SP+
- —
- SP+ Offense
- —
- SP+ Defense
- —
- SRS
- —
- FPI
- —
- Elo
- —
- Talent
- —
- Recruiting
- —
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
7.0p10 6.0 — p90 9.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 8.3% | |
| Make CFP | 0.2% | |
| Quarterfinal | 0.0% | |
| Semifinal | 0.0% | |
| Natl. final | 0.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 6.1–5.9
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsJacksonville State | -6.7 | 36-18 | +18.0 | 90% | — |
| 1 | vsFordham | FCS | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | @Air Force | -3.2 | 21-31 | -10.4 | 24% | — |
| 3 | @Sacramento State | FCS | 21-27 | -6.0 | 33% | — |
| 5 | vsWyoming | -11.3 | 36-15 | +21.1 | 93% | — |
| 6 | @UNLV | +4.3 | 20-31 | -10.8 | 22% | — |
| 7 | vsNevada | -13.4 | 36-18 | +18.4 | 91% | — |
| 8 | @New Mexico | +0.9 | 19-34 | -15.0 | 15% | — |
| 9 | vsUTEP | -17.5 | 36-14 | +21.9 | 94% | — |
| 11 | @Hawai'i | +1.7 | 20-33 | -12.8 | 19% | — |
| 12 | vsNorthern Illinois | -16.7 | 36-17 | +18.9 | 91% | — |
| 13 | @San José State | -14.3 | 21-27 | -6.2 | 33% | — |
Quarterbacks · 3
2026 · 46
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Nathan Hayes | JR | 6'3" | 219 | — |
| QB | 2nd | Preston Brown | FR | 6'1" | 198 | — |
| QB | 3rd | Trey Drake | SO | 6'3" | 206 | — |
Running Backs · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | 1st | Truman Werremeyer | SR | 6'2" | 248 | — |
| RB | 1st | Barry Kpeenu | SO | 5'10" | 199 | — |
| RB | 2nd | DJ Scott | SO | 5'11" | 206 | — |
| RB | 3rd | Cortez LeGrant | SO | 5'10" | 189 | — |
| RB | 4th | Owen Johnson | SR | 5'11" | 212 | — |
| RB | 5th | Myles Mitchell | FR | 5'9" | 195 | — |
| RB | 6th | Brady Wavrunek | SO | 5'11" | 206 | — |
| RB | 7th | Charles Ross III | FR | 5'9" | 191 | — |
Wide Receivers · 9
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Jackson Williams | SO | 5'11" | 183 | — |
| WR | 2nd | RaJa Nelson | SR | 5'9" | 196 | — |
| WR | 3rd | Mekhi Collins | JR | 6'4" | 214 | ★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Chris Harris | SR | 6'3" | 210 | — |
| WR | 5th | Isiah St. Romain | FR | 6'0" | 195 | — |
| WR | 6th | Logan Conklin | FR | 6'4" | 202 | — |
| WR | 7th | John Gores | JR | 5'6" | 170 | — |
| WR | 8th | Cade Osterman | SO | 6'1" | 197 | — |
| WR | 9th | Chris Kiel | FR | 5'11" | 198 | — |
Tight Ends · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Reis Kessel | FR | 6'5" | 239 | — |
| TE | 2nd | Carson Williams | SR | 6'4" | 247 | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Finn Diggins | SR | 6'4" | 246 | — |
| TE | 4th | Jett Zabel | FR | 6'3" | 226 | — |
| TE | 5th | Kaden Zenzen | JR | 6'4" | 244 | — |
Defensive Line · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | — | Chance Symons | JR | 6'2" | 236 | — |
| DE | — | Zach Vanderpool | FR | 6'5" | 268 | — |
| DE | — | Victor Isele | SO | 6'2" | 235 | — |
| DT | — | Keenan Wilson | SO | 6'1" | 283 | — |
| DT | — | Jaxon Duttenhefer | SR | 6'2" | 289 | — |
| DT | — | Obald Niyonkuru | SO | 5'11" | 288 | — |
Linebackers · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | — | Donovan Woolen | SO | 6'4" | 219 | — |
| LB | — | Peder Haugo | FR | 6'1" | 222 | — |
| LB | — | Logan Kopp | SR | 6'1" | 221 | — |
| LB | — | Oliver Lucht | SO | 6'1" | 223 | — |
| LB | — | Keith Williams Jr.← Cornell | — | — | — | — |
Defensive Backs · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | — | Kegan Huber | JR | 6'0" | 184 | — |
| CB | — | Anthony Chideme-Alfaro | SR | 6'2" | 206 | — |
| S | 1st | Mikhale Ford | FR | 5'11" | 181 | — |
| S | — | Jaylin Crumby | SO | 5'11" | 196 | — |
| S | — | Taylen Eady | FR | 6'0" | 198 | — |
| S | — | Ryan Jones | SR | 6'3" | 204 | — |
| S | — | Darius Givance | JR | 6'2" | 208 | — |
Special Teams · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1st | Aaron Bickerton | JR | 6'3" | 201 | — |
| P | — | Caleb McGrath← Minnesota | SO | 6'3" | 195 | ★★ |
| PK | 1st | Drew Klein | JR | 5'9" | 175 | — |
Season History · last 12
0 AP top-10 · 10 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12-1 | 8-0 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 12-2 | 7-1 | — | — | 2-0 |
| 2023 | 8-3 | 5-3 | — | — | 3-1 |
| 2022 | 11-2 | 7-1 | — | — | 1-1 |
| 2021 | 12-1 | 8-1 | — | — | 2-0 |
| 2020 | 1-0 | 0-0 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 14-0 | 9-0 | — | — | 2-0 |
| 2018 | 13-0 | 8-0 | — | — | 2-0 |
| 2017 | 12-1 | 7-1 | — | — | 2-0 |
| 2016 | 12-1 | 8-1 | — | — | 0-1 |
| 2015 | 11-2 | 8-1 | — | — | 2-0 |
| 2014 | 13-1 | 8-1 | — | — | 2-0 |
Recruiting Classes
avg #146 · 0 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★22 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #133 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2024 | #142 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 | #167 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | #135 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | #141 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019 | #142 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2018 | #134 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | #135 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | #136 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | #132 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 3net -4Out 7
Portal avg stars (in / out)2.5 / 3.0
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Kene Anene | IOL | 3★ | ← Kansas |
| ▲ | Caleb McGrath | P | 2★ | ← Minnesota |
| ▲ | Keith Williams Jr. | LB | — | ← Cornell |
| ▼ | Toby Anene | EDGE | 3★ | → Colorado |
| ▼ | Beau Johnson | OT | 3★ | → Vanderbilt |
| ▼ | Nathaniel Staehling | LB | 3★ | → Michigan |
| ▼ | Trent Fraley | IOL | 3★ | → Michigan State |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
5 items
- North Dakota State can officially chase the CFP in its first FBS seasonOne of the most dominant programs in FCS history is officially eligible to win an FBS National Championship this season.NDSU1d
- NCAA Votes to Allow Immediate Postseason Eligibility for FCS-to-FBS Transition TeamsThe change eliminates the two-year transition period, making FBS newcomers North Dakota State and Sacramento State eligible for bowls and the College Football Playoff.NDSU3d
- North Dakota State is eligible for postseason play in 2026North Dakota State fans rejoice. The NCAA Division I cabinet voted to repeal the rule that effectively barred teams transitioning from FCS to FBS from playing in a bowl game in their first season. This means that the newest member of the FBS and MWC will be eligible to make a bowl game this upcoming […]NDSU5d
- Mountaintop View 6-25-26Bison are postseason eligible, Aloha Stadium looks like a war zone, branding updates and more from WednesdayNDSU5d
- NCAA votes to grant FCS-to-FBS transition teams immediate access to bowl games, College Football PlayoffThe NCAA Division I Cabinet has voted to do away with the two-year probationary postseason ban for teams transitioning from FCS to FBS, allowing North Dakota State, Sacramento State and any future programs to compete in bowl games -- and potentially the College Football Playoff -- in their first seasonNDSU5d