While ESPN didn’t have North Dakota State quarterback Nathan Hayes in the upper echelon of college quarterbacks in preseason rankings, the network isn’t ruling out what he could do.
ESPN placed Hayes in Tier 11, which means Hayes is well down the list among the likely 138 FBS starting quarterbacks. He’s in good company with SEC and ACC quarterbacks, however, and ESPN’s David Hale sees the potential for the first-year starter.
“Don’t be surprised if at least one of the names in Tier 11 winds up being in the Heisman race by year’s end. There’s real talent here,” Hale wrote.
Hale grouped Hayes among Florida’s Aaron Philo, Georgia Tech’s Alberto Mendoza, Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey, Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz and Missouri’s Austin Simmons. The analyst notes “the fits are all intriguing” among these quarterbacks and their respective teams.
“The problem? Each of these guys has spent at least a couple of years riding the bench, losing QB battles with bigger names and waiting around for their number to be called,” Hale wrote.
For Hayes, he has been waiting since 2022 behind former Bison quarterbacks Cam Miller and Cole Payton.
NDSU Breaking the Norm in College Football
Waiting paid off for Miller and Payton, and it did for the three other Bison quarterbacks drafted since 2016 in Carson Wentz, Easton Stick and Trey Lance. It doesn’t work that way outside of Fargo, however.
“In college football, waiting has become a toxic ideology, but there’s something to be said for the guys who’ve gained experience, perspective and an appreciation for just how hard it is to become QB1 at this level,” Hale wrote about the Tier 11 crew.
Hale gave a nod to the Bison’s matching of Alabama [plus Ohio State] for the most quarterbacks drafted since 2016. The Bison’s system worked swimmingly in the FCS, and all five quarterbacks are still on NFL rosters.
Hayes will get his shot with the toughest schedule in NDSU history as the Bison begin competition in the Mountain West Conference. He will get tested by quality defenses, and he won’t have the FCS narrative hanging over him if he becomes a serious draft prospect.
NDSU Heisman Hopes
As for Hale grouping Hayes in with quarterbacks who could end up in the Heisman Trophy conversation, that’s not outlandish.
Lance ended up on the Heisman radar, 10th on ESPN’s Heisman watch list, after a dominant debut in 2019 when the Bison pounded Butler 57-10. He threw for four touchdowns and rushed for two in that victory.
His performance during a 16-0 FCS national championship season never gained more traction after that, but the Bison dominated all year and didn’t have an FBS team on the schedule. Hayes will play in a conference that produced a Heisman runner-up in former Boise State running back Aston Jeanty in 2024.
Therefore, if Hayes ignites the Bison offense and leads the team to convincing victories throughout the 2026 season, he could be in the hunt for a late November date in New York City for the Heisman award ceremony. If Hayes doesn’t come close at all, a Heisman Trophy winner in NDSU’s future isn’t totally off the radar in the Mountain West.
North Dakota State QB Receives Big Nod From ESPN Analyst