While North Dakota State commands a lot of respect amid the program’s entry into the FBS, plenty more respect will need to be earned by the former FCS titan.
Bison quarterback Nathan Hayes gets it, especially in light of The Athletic’s college quarterback rankings. The Athletic placed Hayes at the bottom of the Mountain West Conference quarterbacks, and that’s for a school that has produced five NFL draft picks at quarterback since 2016. That also means Hayes ranks below the signal callers for fellow Mountain West newcomers UTEP and Northern Illinois.
“I believe I am better than that, and I just can’t wait to show it,” Hayes told the Fargo Forum’s Mike McFeely regarding the ranking. “I don’t really pay attention to some of that stuff, so I’m just excited to show what I can do and, I guess, see where it is.”
Hayes hasn’t started a college game yet after sitting beyond former Bison quarterbacks Cole Payton and Cam Miller throughout his career. For Hayes, he’s just focused on what he can do for the Bison in 2026, as the 10-time FCS champions kick off the FCS era.
“I’m just here to prove myself to be the best player I can for my teammates,” Hayes said. “Do my 1/11th on the team and do whatever it takes to win.”
The rest of McFeely’s column on Hayes can be read here.
The Athletic Makes a Key Note on Nathan Hayes
While The Athletic ranked Hayes No. 125 among all 138 college quarterbacks, the outlet made it clear that Hayes’ limited snaps played a role in the ranking.
“The Bison, who have enjoyed a strong run of quarterback play, are handing the keys to the offense to Hayes as they move up to the FBS,” The Athletic’s Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr. wrote. “His sample size is very limited. He’s thrown just 63 passes over the past two seasons, and a majority of those came in blowout victories. He did take some snaps in North Dakota State’s stunning loss to Illinois in the FCS quarterfinals but completed just 2 of 7 attempts for 19 yards in that game.”
UTEP’s E.J. Colson ranked just ahead of Hayes at No. 124, and Colson notably transferred from UCF. Wyoming‘s Tyler Hughes ranks ahead of Hayes and Colson at No. 123, and Hughes transferred from FCS team William & Mary.
The rest of the Mountain West quarterbacks in Tier 7 are as follows: Nevada’s Carter Jones at No. 110 and San Jose State’s Luke Weaver at No. 114. Tier 6 quarterbacks include Northern Illinois’ Taron Dickens at No. 99 and New Mexico’s Jack Layne at No. 98.
For Tier 5 Mountain West quarterbacks, there’s Air Force’s Liam Szarka at No. 65 and UNLV‘s Jackson Aarnold at No. 64. Hawaii has the top-ranking Mountain West quarterback in Micah Alejado at No. 52.
Where NDSU’s Non-Conference FBS Opposing QBs Rank
NDSU has two FBS teams on the schedule outside of Mountain West teams, and there’s a major gap between those quarterbacks.
The Bison will see one of their toughest opposing quarterbacks right off the bat in the season opener on Aug. 29 against Jacksonville State. Gamecocks quarterback Caden Creel ranks No. 78 in Tier 6. NDSU also faces Sacramento State this season, and Hornets quarterback Carson Conklin ranks No. 132 in Tier 7 as the lowest-ranked quarterback the Bison will see all season.
North Dakota State QB Sends Message on Ranking