If a bona fide NFL quarterback was the prize waiting on the other end, most coaches and general managers would willingly crawl through the 1,172-mile underground Dakota Access Pipeline to secure him.
As it turns out, there is no need to make like “The Shawshank Redemption” and join the 750,000 barrels of crude oil that can be transported daily from Stanley, N.D., to Pakota, Ill. Just make a scouting stop at North Dakota State, which has built its own kind of pipeline — sending quarterbacks into the NFL on a biennial basis.
North Dakota State soon will pull into a three-way tie with Ohio State and Alabama for the most quarterbacks drafted (five) since 2016: Carson Wentz (No. 2 pick in 2016), Easton Stick (2019 fifth-rounder), Trey Lance (No. 3 in 2021), Cam Miller (2025 sixth-rounder) and 2026 mid-round prospect Cole Payton. All five hailed from the Bison’s recruiting footprint, and all five are expected to be rostered as backups in 2026.
So, what’s the secret sauce in Fargo?
