North Dakota State will face its toughest slate of quarterbacks in school history this year amid the transition to the FBS.
The Bison will see a little bit of everything in the process from the traditional pocket passer to the option quarterback. Based on The Athletic’s quarterback rankings, NDSU will see two Tier 5 quarterbacks, which means they are solid starting quarterbacks at the FBS level. Most of NDSU’s opposing quarterbacks are Tier 6, which means there’s potential among those starters.
Here’s a breakdown of the quarterbacks whom the Bison will face this season by non-conference opponents and in the Mountain West Conference.
Non-Conference QBs
Jacksonville State quarterback Caden Creel will give the Bison an immediate challenge during the season opener in Fargo on Aug. 29. Creel is a dual-threat quarterback, and that has historically been a problem for the Bison defense.
The Athletic ranked Creel 78th, which put him in Tier 6. Creel rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, so the Bison will need to be ready to contain him.
NDSU then faces Fordham, an FCS team out of the Patriot League. Rams quarterback Gunnar Smith was an FBS transfer from Central Florida, so he’s a high-level talent for FCS.
Smith threw for 2,680 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, and he rushed for six touchdowns. It’s the lone game on the schedule where the Bison can easily blow out a team, so it will be imperative to get backup defensive players on the field to face a quality quarterback with FBS experience.
When NDSU plays Sacramento State on Sept. 19, the Bison will face a quality opposing quarterback in Carson Conklin. A former Jerry Rice Award finalist, Conklin is a bit of a gunslinger as The Athletic put it, and the outlet ranked him No. 132 in Tier 7.
San Jose State is a non-conference opponent technically this season, and the Bison close out the regular season on Nov. 27 with another experienced quarterback in Luke Weaver. The Spartans run a pass-heavy offense as The Athletic pointed out, and the No. 114 ranking for Weaver could easily be a moot point late in the season.
Mountain West QBs the Bison Will Face
NDSU will start off Mountain West play on Sept. 12 with a touch matchup in Air Force quarterback Liam Szarka.
He’s an elite option quarterback, who is on the Maxwell Award Watch List. Szarka came close to 1,000 yards last season, but he is also a threat as a passer with a 62.5% completion rate from last year. The Athletic ranked him No. 26 in Tier 5.
Wyoming quarterback Tyler Hughes will also offer a challenge in the Oct. 3 matchup at the Fargodome. Hughes is a mobile, dual-threat quarterback, who has an accurate throw. The Athletic ranked him No. 123.
UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold, a transfer from Auburn, was once a five-star prospect. He has a chance to live up to that with the Running Rebels. If Arnold, ranked No. 65 by The Athletic, isn’t the toughest quarterback the Bison will face, the offensive talent around him will make things challenging for the Herd on Oct. 10 in Las Vegas.
Nevada quarterback Carter Jones has “a quick release and mobility,” per The Athletic’s assessment. Jones ranks No. 110, and he could be higher next year if he improves on a freshman season where he took over as the starter. He could be a challenge when the Bison face the Wolfpack on Oct. 17.
New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne is one of the more seasoned quarterbacks on the NDSU schedule. Layne is accurate with a 65.1% completion rate from last year, and he is ranked No. 98 by The Athletic. If the Bison get one of Layne’s better performances on Oct. 24, it will be a tough day for the Herd.
UTEP quarterback E.J. Colson enjoyed a successful season at Incarnate Word last year with 19 total touchdowns, so he could be a problem for the Bison as a dual-threat on Oct. 31. The Athletic ranks him No. 124.
Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado will likely challenge the Bison secondary left and right on Nov. 14. Ranked No. 52 by The Athletic, Alejado broke out as a freshman with 24 touchdown passes.
Northern Illinois quarterback Taron Dickens is ranked No. 99 by The Athletic, and he could be a late-season challenge for the Bison on Nov. 21. Dickens was highly accurate in 2025 with Western Carolina in the FCS, where he completed 74.2% of his passes for 3,508 yards.
NDSU Will See Everything in Opposing QBs