Honestly, looking at the NDSU football depth chart right now feels a little like staring at a puzzle where half the pieces were just swapped for newer, shinier ones. If you've followed the Bison for any length of time, you know the drill: "Next Man Up." But for the 2026 cycle, that phrase is doing some heavy lifting. We aren't just talking about replacing a couple of senior guards; we’re looking at a roster navigating the fallout of a 2025 season that saw a 12-0 regular-season run end in a gut-wrenching second-round playoff exit against Illinois State.
That loss snapped a 15-year streak of quarterfinal appearances. It stung.
Now, Head Coach Tim Polasek—who just signed a massive extension through 2033—is tasked with making sure that early exit was a fluke and not the start of a decline. The 2026 depth chart is a mix of battle-hardened seniors and a wave of FBS transfers who came to Fargo because they wanted to actually play meaningful December football.
The Quarterback Room: It's Cole Payton’s World Now
For years, we heard about Cole Payton’s "potential." We saw the flashes—the 64-yard touchdown runs where he looked like a gazelle in a 230-pound frame. In 2025, he finally took the keys from Cam Miller and put up a monstrous stat line: over 2,700 passing yards, 16 touchdowns through the air, and another 13 on the ground.
He’s the undisputed QB1. No debate. No "running package" subbing.
But the real intrigue on the NDSU football depth chart is who sits right behind him. Nathan Hayes is the name everyone in Fargo is whispering about. He’s a different breed of passer—twitchy, accurate, and arguably has a higher ceiling as a pure pocket navigator. If Payton’s dual-threat style leads to the kind of bumps and bruises he saw in 2024, Hayes isn't just a "backup." He’s a starter-in-waiting who would be QB1 at probably 90% of other FCS programs.
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Rebuilding the "Rams" on the Offensive Line
You can't talk Bison football without talking about the hogs up front. The 2026 offensive line looks a bit different than the unit that paved the way for a 12-0 start last year. Losing guys like Grey Zabel to the NFL hurts, but NDSU’s development machine is basically a factory at this point.
Trent Fraley is the heartbeat of this unit at center. He started every game in 2024 and 2025, and having that kind of veteran presence making the line calls is basically a security blanket for the coaching staff. Next to him, Griffin Empey has evolved from a "promising freshman" into a bona fide mauler at guard.
The tackle spots are where things get spicy. We're seeing a lot of competition between redshirt sophomores and maybe even a transfer addition to fill the void left by the departing seniors. It’s not quite the "Wall of Fargo" yet, but the raw size is there.
Skill Positions: More Weapons Than a Bond Movie
Bryce Lance is back. That’s really all you need to know. After a 2024 season where he caught 17 touchdowns and a 2025 campaign where he remained the focal point of every defensive coordinator's nightmare, Lance is the superstar.
But don't sleep on the rest of the room:
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- RaJa Nelson: The "do-it-all" playmaker. Whether it's jet sweeps or third-down slants, he’s the safety valve.
- Chris Harris: The vertical threat who keeps safeties from creeping into the box to stop the run.
- Barika Kpeenu: With CharMar Brown having left for the FBS (Miami) a while back, Kpeenu has fully embraced the "workhorse" role. He cracked the 1,000-yard mark in 2025 and looks even more explosive this spring.
The depth at running back is actually a bit thinner than usual, though. Behind Kpeenu, the Bison are leaning on DJ Scott (the Kennesaw State transfer) and young Myles Mitchell. One injury at the RB spot could change the entire look of the offense.
The Defense: Searching for the Next Great Linebacker
Logan Kopp is the guy. He’s been an All-MVFC first-teamer and is essentially the defensive coordinator on the field. But the NDSU football depth chart at linebacker behind him is... well, it's young.
After losing several key rotational pieces, the Bison are asking guys like Austin Altepeter and Donovan Woolen to step into "30-plus snaps a game" roles. It’s a massive jump. To help out, the coaching staff hit the portal hard, bringing in Alex Elliott from Minnesota to provide some Big Ten size and experience to the second level.
On the defensive line, Toby Anene is the name to watch. His "win rate" on pass rushes is elite—we're talking NFL-scout-opening-their-notebooks elite. Pairing him with Jack Iuliano, the UAlbany transfer who joined the squad last season, gives NDSU one of the best edge-rushing duos in the country.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Roster
A lot of casual observers think NDSU is just "reloading" with the same old players. They aren't. This 2026 team is actually more reliant on the transfer portal than any Bison team in history.
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Coach Polasek has been open about the fact that the "developmental model" still matters, but in the era of NIL and the portal, you can't just wait three years for a defensive tackle to grow up. You go get a guy like Obald Niyonkuru from Iowa State to plug the middle. This hybrid approach—half "homegrown North Dakota tough" and half "FBS bounce-back talent"—is the new identity of the program.
Moving Forward: Watching the Battles
If you’re heading to the spring game or tracking fall camp, keep your eyes on the secondary. That's the one area where the NDSU football depth chart feels most unsettled. Jailen Duffie and Anthony Chideme-Alfaro are solid at corner, but the safety spots are a revolving door of high-upside athletes who haven't quite mastered the communication needed for the Bison’s complex coverage schemes.
The next steps for fans and analysts:
- Watch the O-Line rotation: See who takes the first-team reps at left tackle during the early season "tune-up" games.
- Monitor the RB depth: If a true freshman starts getting meaningful carries in September, it means the coaches are worried about the veterans' durability.
- Track the kicking game: With the departure of long-time specialists, the "third phase" of the game is a total wildcard entering 2026.
This isn't your older brother's Bison team that just wins every game 42-7 with a fullback dive. It’s a more modern, explosive, and frankly, more volatile version of NDSU football. The talent is there for a national title run, but the margin for error has never been thinner.