Trey Lance, the North Dakota State supernova quarterback prospect who projects as a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, will get a showcase game this fall.
North Dakota State announced that it “will not play football in the fall of 2020.”
“data-reactid =” 17 “> North Dakota State recently signed a contract to play Central Arkansas on October 3 in Fargo, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports. It will mark the only game that the three-time defending FCS national champions this is going to play out. Earlier this month, North Dakota State announced that it “will not play football in the fall of 2020.”The turnaround for a lone game this fall gives NFL scouts a chance to spy on Lance, the NDSU’s sophomore quarterback redshirt, making them one of the most unique quarterback prospects in draft history. As a redshirt freshman at NDSU, Lance went 16-0 as a starter, throwing 28 touchdowns and no interceptions.
“I would be shocked if he is not a top-15 pick,” an NFL area scout who Lance has seen extensively on film this summer told Yahoo Sports. “I think he’s getting into the top five with Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence.”
The game allows North Dakota State to have essentially full “jumping practice” in the fall, with practice weeks of 20 hours. (Schools that do not play this fall are limited to 12 hours.) Instead of NDSU’s ‘jumping practice’, culminating in a counterattack, Bison will play Central Arkansas, a formidable enemy of FCS.
In NFL circles, the lone North Dakota State date of the fall will be one of the most watched college football games of the year. NFL scouts expect Lance to enter the conversation with Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Justin Fields of Ohio State as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL draft. Some have projected that he could jump one or both.
It is not yet known if scouts will join the game, as the deal was just signed. That decision is likely to come down to local ordinances, but there is an expectation for NDSU to be as comfortable as the rules allow. Likewise, the game will be closely analyzed, as it is expected that the only football game this season will be that Lance plays in before he declares for the NFL draft.
NDSU expects to play a handful of games in the spring, including its full Missouri Valley Conference schedule. While Lance has yet to explain his intentions, the NFL front office staff would be great for a player of his caliber to play in a spring season that seems destined to clash with the draft process. (The draft could be rescheduled until late June 2 and the dates of the combine and Senior Bowl could potentially move to meet the spring season.)
‘You always want to see quarterbacks throw live, and this would be the only chance to throw him [in college this year], “Said an NFL director of game staff.
Scouts rarely spend a lot of time and energy on players who are not eligible for draft, which is why teams just started digging into Lance this summer. So when an NFL scout went to a North Dakota State game last season, he was damned by watching Lance live for the first time. “I saw him throw one football and I immediately started texting our boys, asking, ‘Who the f — is that?'”
The scouting world soon emerged as Lance de Bison led to a national title, claiming the championship with a 44-yard touchdown run. The scout who projected Lance as a top-15 pick said what impressed him was Lance’s ability to go through his progressions. “There’s a difference when a quarterback actually reads a defense as opposed to throwing to open lanes,” the scout said. ‘He can continue through the first, second and third readings and then throw a wheelbarrow to the back from the backfield. It looks like he’s ultra-smart. ”
Two North Dakota State quarterbacks have lined up in the past five years because Carson Wentz is generally no. 2 went in 2016 and the Chargers drafted Easton Stick in the fifth round in 2019. Former NDSU coach Chris Klieman left for Kansas State after the 2018 season, and Matt Entz sewed the winner by making his debut as head coach with an unlimited championship run .
North Dakota State Bison’s Trey Lance runs the ball against James Madison during the Division I FCS Football Championship on Jan. 11. 2020. (Justin Tafoya / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
As a first-year starter who played for first-year coordinator Tyler Roehl, Lance rushed for 1,100 yards, threw for 2,786 yards and completed 66.9 percent of his pass. He won the Walter Payton Award for Best Offensive Player in the FCS. North Dakota State finished in the top 10 in the FCS in scoring offense (37.3) and overall offense (469.5). Perhaps most impressive for a first-year starter, the Bison set an FCS record with just six team environments.
The move gives Entz an opportunity for both player development and retention. It could also help keep some of North Dakota State’s high-end players – including 6-foot-6, 290-pound senior offensive tackle Dillon Radunz – from entering the NCAA transfer portal. In addition, seniors who want to leave after the semester have one last chance to play for a home crowd at the FargoDome.
NDSU’s history of winning and identifying and developing players has made them a popular poaching target. In April, NDSU lost All-American linebacker Jabril Cox due to a transfer to LSU. The extra game provides some clarity on what the fall will look like and encourages veteran players to stay tuned for another potential championship run.
North Dakota State has won three straight FCS national titles and eight of the past nine, one of the most impressive runes of dominance in college football history. It will bring a winning streak of 37 games to the Central Arkansas game.
NDSU hopes to play some lazy games in the spring. (The NCAA has also announced that fall championships, including the FBS playoffs, will move to the spring.) However, they will not play Oregon, the original opening game on their schedule. The Pac-12’s initial decision to go to conference-only canceled this high-profile showcase.
Instead, Central Arkansas will provide a solid FCS enemy. Central Arkansas went 9-4 last season, putting Western Kentucky up in the opening week and reaching the FCS playoffs. (Senior defensive back Robert Rochell, who had five interceptions last year, is also an NFL prospect.)
The Central Arkansas schedule will offer the unusual exposure, as her game with Austin Peay on Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama, is the kickoff of the college football season and will be shown on ESPN. They play UAB next Thursday night, Sept. 3, as just one of two games that night.
The NDSU game promises to receive an unusual amount of exposure due to Lance’s presence. It would not be surprising if a national television outlet picked it up considering NDSU’s history of recent dominance and Lance’s great potential.
“I think he’s a really good prospect. He just sees his throwing movement, his accuracy and his arm strength,” said veteran Illinois State coach Brock Spack, who met Lance twice last week. ‘It’s rare to see such a perspective from the FCS. Most of them are second day boys who kind of blow up their seniors. This child has been good from the beginning. ”
