North Dakota State Announces 2026 Football Recruiting Class
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU ATHLETICS)– The North Dakota State University football program has added 29 high school student-athletes and nine transfers for the 2026 season.
The Bison added 21 high school players during the early signing period in December and eight more on Wednesday, Feb. 4, the first day of the regular signing period for Division I football.
All nine transfers are enrolled at NDSU this spring along with four of the incoming freshmen: running back Braylon Toliver, tight end Caden Ward, and offensive linemen Earl Brown and Tucker Thieneman.
The high school recruiting class includes five players from the state of North Dakota, 11 from Minnesota, seven from Wisconsin, three from Illinois and one each from Nebraska, Colorado and Idaho.
2026 NDSU Football Signing Class
|
Name |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
High School |
|
Q Barnslater |
CB |
5-11 |
165 |
Fr. |
Burnsville, Minn. |
Apple Valley HS |
|
Earl Brown |
OL |
6-4 |
290 |
Fr. |
Pillager, Minn. |
Pillager HS |
|
Cash Danner |
TE |
6-3 |
220 |
Fr. |
Thompson, N.D. |
Thompson HS |
|
Daniel Devine |
DE |
6-3 |
225 |
Fr. |
St. Paul, Minn. |
Academy of Holy Angels |
|
Brayden Dozier |
CB |
6-0 |
170 |
Fr. |
Maple Grove, Minn. |
Maple Grove HS |
|
Myles Ellis |
WR |
5-10 |
160 |
Fr. |
Flossmoor, Ill. |
Homewood-Flossmoor HS |
|
Gatlin Empey |
FB |
6-1 |
215 |
Fr. |
Stoughton, Wis. |
Stoughton HS |
|
Colten Gunderson |
TE |
6-6 |
215 |
Fr. |
Savage, Minn. |
Prior Lake HS |
|
Zach Hellendrung |
DT |
6-2 |
250 |
Fr. |
Boyceville, Wis. |
Boyceville HS |
|
Jason Hunter |
DT |
6-4 |
240 |
Fr. |
Fargo, N.D. |
Fargo Davies HS |
|
Roman Johnson |
DE |
6-1 |
250 |
Fr. |
Lakeville, Minn. |
Lakeville North HS |
|
Joaquin Jordan |
WR |
6-3 |
190 |
Fr. |
Flossmoor, Ill. |
Homewood-Flossmoor HS |
|
Trey McPartland |
OL |
6-4 |
270 |
Fr. |
Valley City, N.D. |
Valley City HS |
|
Henry Nelson |
QB |
6-3 |
195 |
Fr. |
Meridian, Idaho |
Mountain View HS |
|
Jayden Onuonga |
K |
6-5 |
200 |
Fr. |
Forest Lake, Minn. |
Forest Lake HS |
|
Godson Rufus-Okomhanru |
RB |
6-0 |
180 |
Fr. |
Mounds View, Minn. |
Mounds View HS |
|
Deron Russell |
CB |
6-0 |
175 |
Fr. |
Waseca, Minn. |
Waseca HS |
|
Kobe Russell |
CB |
6-1 |
185 |
Fr. |
Prescott, Wis. |
Prescott HS |
|
Kye Schlichting |
WR |
6-2 |
190 |
Fr. |
Horace, N.D. |
West Fargo Sheyenne HS |
|
Luke Tetzlaff |
LB |
6-1 |
200 |
Fr. |
Kaukauna, Wis. |
Kaukauna HS |
|
Gunner Thielges |
S |
6-0 |
185 |
Fr. |
LaMoure, N.D. |
LaMoure HS |
|
Tucker Thieneman |
OL |
6-4 |
300 |
Fr. |
Pewaukee, Wis. |
Pewaukee HS |
|
Braylon Toliver |
RB |
5-10 |
195 |
Fr. |
Erie, Colo. |
Erie HS |
|
Gabe Vernetti |
LS |
5-11 |
245 |
Fr. |
Machesney Park, Ill. |
Boylan Catholic HS |
|
Simon Vinton |
DE |
6-5 |
225 |
Fr. |
Orono, Minn. |
Orono HS |
|
Brandon Walton |
WR |
6-2 |
165 |
Fr. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
Bradford HS |
|
Caden Ward |
TE |
6-2 |
215 |
Fr. |
Lincoln, Neb. |
Lincoln Southeast HS |
|
Skyler Werner |
DT |
6-1 |
265 |
Fr. |
Savage, Minn. |
Prior Lake HS |
|
Jack Wilson |
LB |
6-1 |
220 |
Fr. |
Verona, Wis. |
Mount Horeb HS |
2026 NDSU Football Incoming Transfers
|
Name |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
Previous Schools |
|
Kene Anene |
OL |
6-5 |
310 |
So. |
Cottage Grove, Minn. |
East Ridge HS / Kansas |
|
Chase Balser |
LS |
6-1 |
205 |
Sr. |
Westville, Ohio |
Olentangy Orange HS / Olivet Nazarene |
|
EJ Davis |
CB |
6-1 |
180 |
So. |
Orlando, Fla. |
Timber Creek HS / Wayne State (Neb.) |
|
Gage Gilbert |
TE |
6-6 |
249 |
Jr. |
Camp Crook, S.D. |
Harding County HS / Dickinson State |
|
Truman Griffith |
DE |
6-2 |
255 |
So. |
Shawnee, Kan. |
Mill Valley HS / Kansas State |
|
Caleb McGrath |
P |
6-3 |
200 |
Jr. |
Apple Valley, Minn. |
Eastview HS / Minnesota |
|
Anthony Okes |
DE |
6-3 |
258 |
Jr. |
Great Falls, Mont. |
C.M. Russell HS / Montana Tech |
|
DJ Voltz |
CB |
6-1 |
170 |
Sr. |
Saginaw, Mich. |
Carrollton HS / Saginaw Valley State |
|
Keith Williams |
LB |
6-1 |
245 |
Jr. |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
Catholic Memorial HS / Cornell |
