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 Draft Scout College Football Player News: North Dakota State
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  WEEK 7 MISSOURI VALLEY OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State, 6-3, 233, Sr., Omaha, Neb.,...Payton accounted for 291 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in North Dakota State's 45-17 win over eighth-ranked Southern Illinois. He picked up eight first downs on 13 of 16 passing for 243 yards and one TD, and he rushed eight times for 48 yards and two scores including a 41-yard scramble in the third quarter to extend NDSU's lead to 31-10. Payton connected with Bryce Lance for 48 yards and a 9-yard TD on back-to-back plays late in the second quarter to take a 17-10 lead before halftime, and his 50-yard strike to tight end Reis Kessel on third-and-7 extended the opening drive of the second half as NDSU built a 24-10 lead. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#24 QB) rSr/2026 QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
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  Cole Payton threw a touchdown pass and ran for two of North Dakota State's five rushing touchdowns in the Bison's 45-17 victory over Southern Illinois on Saturday. After the Salukis opened the scoring, wide receiver Bryce Lance ran 75 yards for a score to give FCS top-ranked North Dakota State (6-0, 3-0 MVFC) a 7-3 lead. Southern Illinois went back ahead, 10-7, on a 5-yard run by Chandler Chapman to open the second quarter but the Salukis did not score again until the middle of the fourth quarter. After Chapman's TD for the Salukis, North Dakota State tied it with a field goal then added touchdowns on five consecutive possessions for a 45-10 lead.

Payton, who entered as the FCS leader in passing efficiency (221.1), completion percentage (.747), passing yards per completion (18.05) and passing yards per attempt (13.48), completed 13 of 16 passes for 243 yards. His efficiency rating was 229.5, completion percentage 81.2, yards per completion 18.7 and yards per attempt 15.2. He broke numerous tackles on his 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Lance led NDSU with 75 yards rushing and 79 yards receiving. DJ Willilams had 190 yards passing for the FCS No. 9 Salukis (4-2, 1-1) and led them with 41 yards rushing. - AP College Football

(DS#24 QB) rSr/2026 QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
News Source: AP College Football
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  WEEK 5 MISSOURI VALLEY OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State, 6-3, 233, Sr., Omaha, Neb. (Westside HS),...Payton accounted for 375 yards of total offense and three touchdowns as top-ranked North Dakota State opened conference play with a 51-13 homecoming victory over 17th-ranked South Dakota. Payton went 14 of 18 passing for 273 yards and two TDs while rushing 11 times for 102 yards and one TD. He picked up six first downs in the run game including one fourth-and-short conversion of 11 yards and three third-down conversions running for 15 yards with seven to go, 7 with six to go, and a 21-yard scramble on third-and-17 to keep a two-minute drive alive late in the second quarter as NDSU built a 34-0 lead. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#24 QB) rSr/2026 QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
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  WEEK 5 MISSOURI VALLEY OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: RG Griffin Empey, North Dakota State, 6-3, 298, So., Stoughton, Wis. (Stoughton HS),...Empey had a 94 percent overall grade with three key blocks as top-ranked North Dakota State opened conference play with a 51-13 homecoming victory over 17th-ranked South Dakota. Empey played 66 snaps with no penalties or sacks allowed and helped the Bison rush for 274 yards and 5.5 yards per carry with four touchdowns. An FCS Freshman All-American last year, Empey has started all 18 games he has played for NDSU, which currently ranks sixth in the FCS with a conference-best 233.8 rushing yards and 0.75 sacks allowed per game. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#999 OG) rSo/2028 OG Griffin Empey, North Dakota State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
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  WEEK 5 MISSOURI VALLEY SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: RS Jackson Williams, North Dakota State, 5-11, 183, So., Omaha, Neb. (Millard West HS),...Williams accounted for 107 all-purpose yards as top-ranked North Dakota State opened conference play with a 51-13 homecoming victory over 17th-ranked South Dakota. Williams had two 21-yard punt returns, one 21-yard kickoff return, and he also caught a 35-yard pass on second-and-5 from the NDSU 15 to get the Bison to midfield on a 12-play, 90-yard scoring drive that put NDSU ahead 13-0 in the first quarter. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#999 WR) So/2028 WR Jackson Williams, North Dakota State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
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  WEEK 5 MISSOURI VALLEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LB Nathaniel Staehling, North Dakota State, 6-2, 238, Jr., Baxter, Minn. (Brainerd HS),...Staehling scored his first career touchdown on a 43-yard interception return as top-ranked North Dakota State opened conference play with a 51-13 homecoming victory over 17th-ranked South Dakota. Staehling's pick-six ended South Dakota's opening drive of the second half. The first-year starting middle linebacker finished with a team-high five tackles and assisted on two tackles for loss as the Bison held USD to three-and-outs on four of its first seven drives in building a 44-3 lead. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#999 ILB) Jr/2027 ILB Nathaniel Staehling, North Dakota State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
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  Cole Payton accounted for three touchdowns and North Dakota State rolled over South Dakota 51-13 to celebrate homecoming on Saturday. The Bison scored touchdowns on each of their five first-half possessions and led 34-3 at halftime. Nathaniel Staehling returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown to make it 41-3 early in the third quarter. North Dakota State's only punt came with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the game. The FCS top-ranked Bison (4-0, 1-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference) had touchdown drives of 77 and 90 yards on their first two possessions and led 13-0. They had a shorter field on their third possession and Barry Kpeenu's 6-yard run made it 20-0 barely a minute into the second quarter. At that point in the game, NDSU had a 213-38 advantage in total yards. At game's end the advantage was 547-296. North Dakota State drove 95 yards for a touchdown on the next possession, with Payton throwing to Bryce Lance for a 2-yard touchdown that made it 27-0.

Coming into the game, Payton led the FCS in passing yards per completion (18.10) and per attempt (12.84) and ranked second in passing efficiency (214.7) through his first three starts. Payton was 14-for-18 passing for 273 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 102 yards on 11 carries, with one touchdown. His passing efficiency was 241.8. The North Dakota State defense ranks first in passing defense and total defense and second in scoring defense. South Dakota (FCS No. 18, 2-3, 0-1) got a 31-yard field goal from Will Leyland on the final play of the first half and a 51-yarder from Zeke Mata in the fourth quarter. Carson Fletcher scored on a 4-yard run with about a minute remaining. - AP College Football

(DS#24 QB) rSr/2026 QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
News Source: AP College Football
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  Cole Payton threw for four touchdowns, with two going to RaJa Nelson, as North Dakota State beat Southeast Missouri State 41-14 on Saturday for the program's 200th win in the Fargodome. Payton finished 16 of 23 for 348 yards for NDSU (3-0), the top-ranked team in the FCS coaches' poll. He had 230 yards passing with 10 minutes left in the second quarter as NDSU led 24-7. Bryce Lance caught a screen pass, made a move and outran the Redhawks' defense for a 75-yard touchdown that put the Bison up 14-7 in the first quarter.

Payton threw his fourth touchdown pass of the half from the 5-yard line for Nelson's second score, to take a 31-14 lead at halftime. Lance had 159 yards receiving and a touchdown for NDSU. Mekhi Collins added a 28-yard touchdown on his lone catch. Jax Leatherwood went 12 of 23 for 145 yards and a score for SEMO (1-2), which only managed 217 total yards. The NDSU defense applied consistent pressure throughout the game, tallying four sacks, eight tackles for loss and a turnover. - AP College Football

(DS#6 WR) rSr/2026 WR Bryce Lance, North Dakota State
News Source: AP College Football
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  Barry Kpeenu ran for three touchdowns and defending FCS champion North Dakota State beat Tennessee State 59-3 on Saturday. The FCS top-ranked Bison (2-0) rolled up 433 yards of offense and 24 first downs while holding the Tigers (1-1) to 131 yards and four first downs. Kpeenu gained 57 yards on 10 carries and scored three of the game's first four touchdowns on runs of 10, 4 and 6 yards. The score was 45-0 at halftime after a 28-point second quarter.

Cole Payton was 13 of 16 for 166 yards passing including a 3-yard score to RaJa Nelson for the final points of the first half. Nathan Hayes connected with Mekhi Collins for a 68-yard score. DJ Scott had a rushing TD. Donovan Woolen made a one-handed grab for an interception he returned 34 yards for a TD. The Tigers avoided a shutout with Freddy Perez's 45-yard field goal with four minutes remaining. The Bison have outscored their first two opponents 97-3. Three Tigers quarterbacks combined to complete 8 of 18 passes for 61 yards with an interception. Kendric Rhymes rushed for 43 yards on 12 carries. - AP College Football

(DS#24 QB) rSr/2026 QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
News Source: AP College Football
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  Barika Kpeenu ran for a pair of short touchdowns, Cole Payton passed and ran his way to 293 yards offense and defending FCS national champion North Dakota State opened its season with a 38-0 win over The Citadel on Saturday. Kpeenu scored from 2 yards out to complete a 90-yard drive and Cole passed 34 yards to RaJa Nelson for a 17-0 halftime lead. Payton passed for 192 yards and a score and rushed for 101 more for the top-ranked Bison, winners of 10 FCS national championships. Nathan Hayes also passed for a touchdown. DJ Scott rushed for a score and Isiah St. Romain had a TD catch.

The Bulldogs reached Bison territory once before turning the ball over on downs at the NDSU 3 in the fourth quarter. The Bison posted their first shutout since blanking two opponents in 2021. The Bulldogs were last shut out by Georgia Southern, 34-0, to open the 2023 season. The Bison outgained the Bulldogs 520-122. This was the first meeting between the schools. The Bison are now 11-0 versus the Southern Conference. - AP College Football

(DS#24 QB) rSr/2026 QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
News Source: AP College Football
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  2023 ALL-MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM: OL Jalen Sundell, North Dakota State, Sr.,...The Bison had seven first-team selections including senior Hunter Brozio, who was selected to two spots as the first team fullback and long snapper. Right guard Jake Kubas, left tackle Jalen Sundell, defensive end Dylan Hendricks, linebacker Logan Kopp and safety Cole Wisniewski also made the first team. NDSU (9-3) is scheduled to play No. 6 seed Montana State (8-3) in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at 1 p.m. MT on Saturday, Dec. 2, at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. - North Dakota State Football

(DS#7 C) rSr/2024 C Jalen Sundell, North Dakota State
News Source: North Dakota State Football
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  2023 ALL-MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM: QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State, Sr.,...NDSU quarterback Cam Miller finished third overall in the voting for MVFC Offensive Player of the Year behind South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis and quarterback Mark Gronowski. Miller made the second team along with NDSU defensive tackle Eli Mostaert. - North Dakota State Football

(DS#15 QB) rSr/2025 QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State
News Source: North Dakota State Football
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  2023 ALL-MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION: TE Joe Stoffel,...North Dakota State had four players earn honorable mention - tight end Joe Stoffel, all-purpose player RaJa Nelson, punt returner Jayden Price and placekicker Griffin Crosa. - North Dakota State Football

(DS#67 TE) rSr/2025 TE Joe Stoffel, North Dakota State
News Source: North Dakota State Football
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  This was going to be the time when Hunter Luepke was going to become a household name for NFL scouts and general managers. Instead, Luepke will need his highlight reel to do the talking. "It's up to the doctors, it's not my call. If it was up to me I'd be practicing today." Luepke said, as he was about to get the sling off of his right shoulder. The former North Dakota State fullback/tight end missed the final five games of the season after suffering a second injury to his right shoulder that happened in the second quarter at Southern Illinois. "I should be starting the rehab process pretty soon. Now it's all about getting as healthy as I can for a Pro Day." Luepke said.

Luepke was set to be front and center for the NFL scouts in early February. He was invited and excited an invite to the Senior Bowl, the premier college football all-star game. The executive director of the game, Jim Nagy, told WDAY Sports last April that he already had his eyes on Luepke: "You have a fullback up there we have our eyes on. What a better place than Fargo to find a fullback?" Luepke finished the 2022 season with 631 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Despite Luepke missing the final five games of the year, he led the team with four touchdown receptions as well. He had a stretch of scoring 18 touchdowns in a 12-game stretch, including scores in eight straight games. - InForum

(DS#1 FB) rSr/2023 FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State
News Source: InForum
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  One of the brightest stars on the North Dakota State University football team has declared for the 2023 NFL draft. Fullback Hunter Luepke announced on Twitter his decision as he heads off to the next chapter in his life. Luepke finished his Bison career with 1,665 yards rushing, 24 rushing touchdowns and nine receiving TDs. - Valley News Live

(DS#1 FB) rSr/2023 FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State
News Source: Valley News Live
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