The 2026 North Dakota State Bison football team represents North Dakota State University as a member of the Mountain West Conference during the 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bison are led by third-year head coach Tim Polasek and play home games at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.
This is North Dakota State's first season in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Bison were initially ineligible for postseason competition due to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-mandated two-year transition period for FCS-to-FBS reclassifications. However, on June 24, 2026, the NCAA Division I cabinet approved a recommendation from the FBS subcommittee to allow all future FCS-to-FBS transitioning programs immediate access to the postseason. The Bison will be eligible for a bowl game, should they win six games or be otherwise selected for one, the Mountain West championship game, and the College Football Playoff this season.
Schedule
Offseason
Departures Team departures Over the course of the off-season, North Dakota State lost 22 total players. 11 players in the transfer portal, 8 players graduated, and 3 players declared for the 2026 NFL draft.
2026 North Dakota State offseason departuresName Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes RaJa Nelson WR 5'9" 196 Senior Lakeville, MN Graduated Owen Johnson RB 5'11" 212 Senior Mankato, MN Graduated Bryce Lance WR 6'3" 209 Senior Marshall, MN Graduated/Declared for 2026 NFL draft Barika Kpeenu RB 5'10" 213 Senior West Fargo, ND Graduated/Declared for 2026 NFL draft Cole Payton QB 6'3" 233 Senior Omaha, NE Graduated/Declared for 2026 NFL draft Anthony Chideme-Alfaro CB 6'2" 206 Senior Sacramento, CA Graduated/Declared for 2026 NFL draft Ryan Jones S 6'3" 204 Senior Frisco, TX Graduated Truman Werremeyer FB 6'2" 248 Senior Fargo, ND Graduated Carson Williams TE 6'4" 247 Senior Marshalltown, IA Graduated Finn Diggins TE 6'4" 246 Senior Perham, MN Graduated Jack Iuliano DE 6'3" 257 Senior Rye, NY Graduated
Outgoing transfers 11 North Dakota State players elected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal during or after the 2025 season.
Name No.Pos. Height Weight Hometown Year New school Source Jaquise Alexander 0 CB 5'10" 178 Ruskin, FL Junior Delaware Jailen Duffie 2 CB 5'11" 175 Waukegan, IL Sophomore UCF Chance Symons 11 DE 6'2" 236 Mitchell, NE Junior Incarnate Word Eli Ozick 38 K 5'11" 191 Liberty, MO Sophomore Iowa Sam Knoll 41 P 6'2" 200 Story City, IA Freshman Western Illinois Caleb Bowers 48 LS 6'1" 224 Whitefish Bay, WI Junior Florida State Nathaniel Staehling 52 LB 6'2" 238 Baxter, MN Junior Michigan Trent Fraley 63 C 6'1" 303 Moon Township, PA Junior Michigan State Beau Johnson 70 OT 6'6" 297 Spring Lake Park, MN Sophomore Vanderbilt Wyatt Osterbauer 90 DE 6'4" 234 Montrose, MN Redshirt Freshman Minnesota State (Div II) Toby Anene 93 DE 6'4" 259 Cottage Grove, MN Junior Colorado
Coaching staff departures NamePositionNew TeamNew Position Source Will Johnson Cornerbacks UCF Defensive backs
Entered NFL draft
Four NDSU players declared for the draft in 2026.
PlayerPositionRoundPickDrafted by Bryce Lance WR 4 136 New Orleans Saints Cole Payton QB 5 178 Philadelphia Eagles
Acquisitions Incoming transfers Over the offseason, North Dakota State added ten players from the transfer portal.
Name Pos. Height Weight Hometown Year Eligibility Remaining Prev school Source Kene Anene OL 6'5" 310 Cottage Grove, MN Sophomore 3 Kansas Gage Gilbert TE 6'6" 249 Camp Crook, SD Junior 2 Dickinson State (NAIA) Anthony Okes DE 6'3" 258 Great Falls, MT Junior 2 Montana Tech (NAIA) Truman Griffith DE 6'2" 255 Shawnee, KS Sophomore 3 Kansas State EJ Davis CB 6'1" 180 Orlando, FL Sophomore 3 Wayne State (MI) (Div II) DJ Voltz CB 6'1" 170 Saginaw, MI Senior 1 Saginaw Valley State (Div II) Caleb McGrath P 6'3" 200 Apple Valley, MN Junior 2 Minnesota Chase Balser LS 6'1" 205 Westville, OH Senior 1 Olivet Nazarene (NAIA) Keith Williams Jr. LB 6'1" 245 Milwaukee, WI Junior 2 Cornell Jeremiah Patterson WR 5'10" 169 San Francisco, CA Senior 1 Arizona Jordan McCants WR 5'11" 178 Birmingham, AL Senior 1 West Virginia Chance Tucker CB 6'0" 183 Encino, CA Senior 2 Notre Dame Nyeoti Punni RB 6'1" 220 Lebanon, NH Senior 1 Holy Cross CJ Anderson LS 6'1" 209 Elgin, SC Senior 1 North Greenville (Div II) Tochi Okoro WR 6'3" 205 Dodge City, KS Junior 2 Garden City (KS) (NJCAA)
2026 recruiting class
The following recruits and transfers have signed letters of intent or verbally committed to the North Dakota State Bison football program for the 2026 recruiting year.
Game summaries All game summaries start times Central Time Jacksonville State
Fordham (FCS)
Air Force
Sacramento State
Wyoming
UNLV
Nevada
New Mexico
UTEP
Hawaii
Northern Illinois
San Jose State
Rankings
Roster
References