ndsu football score North Dakota State players in the NFL: Carson Wentz, Trey Lance lead group of former Bison in league

There is no shortage of alumni representing North Dakota State in the NFL. 

North Dakota State is one of the best non-FBS programs in college football. The Bison, who are classified as an FCS football team, have a history of churning out NFL talent, despite not being one of the top schools in the sport. 

The program never fails to schedule tough opponents — at least when they’re willing to play them — and 2024 is no exception. North Dakota State starts the year against coach Deion Sanders and Colorado, as the Bison gets a tough task in handling QB Shedeur Sanders right away. 

If the school’s name sounds familiar, that’s because it has produced a number of talented NFL players in today’s league, including a couple of quarterbacks who went within the first three picks in their respective drafts. 

MORE: Full list of every North Dakota State upset against a FBS opponent

Here is a look at all of the North Dakota State players in the NFL for the 2024 season. 

North Dakota State players in the NFL

Heading into the 2024 NFL season, there are a total of 12 players from North Dakota State who made the initial 53-man roster for their respective teams. 

The most prominent names come from the quarterback room — Carson Wentz, Trey Lance, and Easton Stick. All three currently are in backup roles, but all have started at least one game in the NFL. 

Wentz is the current backup for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. The former starter for the Eagles, Colts, and Commanders went unsigned to start the year last season before signing with the Rams late in the season, helping the No. 2 overall pick from 2016 land a deal with the defending Super Bowl champs this offseason. 

Lance is a backup to Dak Prescott in Dallas. The No. 3 overall pick in 2021 was traded to the Cowboys from the 49ers at the start of the 2023 season. He hasn’t played in a game since the 2022 campaign. 

Stick is QB2 for the Chargers behind Justin Herbert. The fifth-round pick from 2019 started four games for Los Angeles last year after Justin Herbert went down with an injury. 

Outside of the quarterbacks, Christian Watson is the biggest name that is a product of North Dakota State. The Packers wide receiver was a second-round pick from 202 and has emerged as one of the top offensive weapons for Jordan Love in Green Bay. 

No players from North Dakota State were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, however, there were a few players to sign deals as undrafted free agents. In total, four Bison inked deals for this offseason, but only two made the 53-man rosters for their teams — Seahawks center Jalen Sundell and Giants offensive guard Jake Kubas.