NDSU’s Barry Kpeenu Follows Brother’s Footsteps After Rochester Detour

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 10: Head coach Tim Polasek of the North Dakota State Bison runs out with his team prior to a game against the the ULNV Rebels at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Louis Grasse/Getty Images)

Barry Kpeenu’s name might look familiar to North Dakota State Bison college football fans.

His older brother, Barika, also played at NDSU, and so now it’s Barry trying to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

Kpeenu’s next chance to do so will come Saturday when the Bison play one of their biggest games of the season, traveling to New Mexico to take on the Lobos.

Kpeenu isn’t a stranger to having to hit the road to become the player he’s meant to be, though.

Unlike his older brother, Barry Kpeenu didn’t come straight to NDSU out of high school. He had to prove himself elsewhere before getting a chance to don that Bison uniform himself.

How Barry Kpeenu Got To NDSU

Kpeenu first had to play junior college football before getting a chance at the next level.

A local product of West Fargo Sheyenne, Kpeenu left the state to go play at Rochester Community and Technical College in Minnesota.

Out of high school, that was one of just two options that Kpeenu had, according to The Forum newspaper in Fargo-Moorhead. The other option was Minnesota State-Moorhead.

Kpeenu ran 76 times for 341 yards while in Rochester, scoring three touchdowns.

He didn’t wait long to take his crack at NDSU.

The Forum writes: “He enrolled at NDSU in the second semester of 2025 and started spring football, but pulled his hamstring in the first practice and pretty much missed the rest of it. He’s hung with the program and in the last couple of weeks it’s paid off.”

Kpeenu’s chance recently has come due to injuries. DJ Scott and Myles Mitchell have been out, and Nyeoti Punn and Brady Wavrunek have been dinged up, too.

That gave Kpeenu an opportunity to run eight times against Nevada for 33 yards.

His workload may not be as big against New Mexico, but Kpeenu has proven he belongs at North Dakota State.

Why NDSU-New Mexico Game Matters

This weekend’s game is a crucial clash in the Mountain West Conference.

New Mexico is 5-1 overall with a 2-0 conference record.

NDSU is 6-1 with a 3-1 conference record.

A win by the Bison would put them back in contention for a conference title in their first year in FBS, but a New Mexico win would put the Lobos in the driver’s seat in the Mountain West.

There was even chatter about potentially having College Gameday head to town, and although that isn’t happening, it’s still a huge game for these two programs.