Excitement for North Dakota State football recruits has exploded this week amid the program’s move to the FBS and Mountain West Conference.
That’s especially the case for NDSU quarterback recruit Quieris Barnslater of Apple Valley, Minnesota, a three-star recruit. Barnslater, who didn’t receive an FBS offer, received interest from Minnesota, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Miami of Ohio before he signed with the Bison while still an FCS powerhouse.
“It’s a great opportunity for the program with more TV time,” Barnslater told the Star Tribune this week. “I feel like that will enhance my ability to make it to the [NFL] draft even more and being around the atmosphere of the FBS level.”
NDSU dominated the FCS with 10 national championships in 15 seasons, and the Bison have sent four quarterbacks to the NFL in that span. That includes former No. 2 pick in 2016 Carson Wentz, now with the Minnesota Vikings, and former 2021 No. 3 pick Trey Lance, now with the Los Angeles Chargers. Both Atlanta Falcons quarterback Easton Stick and Cam Miller of the Miami Dolphins previously led the Bison to national titles.
The Bison could have a fifth quarterback in the NFL this spring with Cole Payton as a serious draft prospect. ESPN ranked Payton at No. 10 for quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, and he’s projected to be a Day Three pick.
Nathan Hayes Poised to be Bison Starting QB
Barnslater likely won’t see the field anytime soon with junior quarterback Nathan Hayes as the frontrunner for the starting job this fall.
Hayes backed up Payton last year and both Payton and Miller the year before with 37-63 passing for 595 yards and seven touchdowns versus one interception. Hayes, who is also a potent rusher with 14 carries for 178 yards and two touchdowns, keeps things in perspective when it comes to playing FBS instead of FCS.
“I don’t think I look too much into that,” Hayes told the Fargo Forum’s Dom Izzo on Monday. “You look at this program and the history and the games that they’ve won, against Kansas State, Minnesota, and Iowa. I think in my head, I’ve always been an FBS quarterback, and I think that goes for everybody on the team that they know they can play at that level. I don’t think it changes anything.”
In fact, Hayes noted he and his teammates kept up the usual offseason routine on Monday but with a little extra excitement. The Bison players officially found out the news on Sunday.
“If you would have seen the weight room today, everybody’s fired up,” Hayes said. “We’re coming out to prove that we can play with these new teams. We’re going to have to be strong and fast and that’s our goal in the weight room.”
A Little Extra Recruiting Juice For Bison
While not necessarily a major factor in recruiting, NDSU’s likely inclusion in the EA Sports college football video game series could help brand awareness for high school football players. It is already for Bison players.
“I most definitely will be playing myself,” Bison junior linebacker Donovan Woolen told Izzo. “Everybody’s talking about that. The chance to be in a game, you grow up wanting to be able in a game like ‘Madden’ or ‘College Football,’ it’s awesome.”
QB Recruit Sends Message on North Dakota State’s FBS Move