Bryce Lance
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Bryce Lance impressed at the NFL Combine on Saturday.
North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance showed off his athleticism at the NFL Combine on Saturday as the second in his family to participate in the annual pre-draft event.
Lance’s older brother, Trey Lance, did it in 2021 after a stellar Bison career at quarterback. The San Francisco 49ers took the older Lance with the No. 3 pick that year, and while Lance’s career didn’t turn out as planned, his younger brother set the trajectory on Saturday for a different narrative.
Bryce Lance posted a combine-best athleticism score of 99 among wide receivers. Along the way, Lance ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash for fifth among wide receivers, and he posted a 20-yard shuttle of 4.15 seconds for second. He also took top-four in the vertical jump with 41.5 inches and broad jump with an 11-foot-1 jump.
Lance’s relative athletic score of 9.98 ranked seventh among all receivers in the combine since 1987. He also shined in running routes and catching passes, which included ones from former Bison teammate and quarterback Cole Payton, who also had a strong showing at the combine.
A Marshall, Minnesota, native, Lance tallied 127 receptions for 2,139 yards and 25 touchdowns in his collegiate career. With a 17-touchdown season in 2024, Lance had Big Ten offers for transferring but opted to stay at NDSU.
Bryce Lance Had Reason For Snubbing Big Ten
While coming from the FCS has been argued as a disadvantage in the draft process, Lance had no problem turning down more NIL money to play in the Big Ten last year.
That’s even despite the fact that his older brother didn’t become a starter in the NFL after not playing against any FBS teams during his collegiate career between 2018 and 2020. The Bison had trouble scheduling FBS squads due to a 9-5 record against the upper echelon, and the program recently moved to the FBS in February.
“This program has done so much for me and I think it’s my time to give back,” Bryce Lance told the Fargo Forum in April 2025. “I know a ton of guys could have left this past year, too, but it’s truly a brotherhood here. Leaning on those guys, seeing Grey [Zabel] staying, Cam [Miller] staying, and the opportunities they still have was a huge part of my decision.”
Grey Zabel became a first-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2025, and he became a starting offensive lineman with the Super Bowl champions. The Las Vegas Raiders drafted quarterback Cam Miller in the sixth-round, and he remains in the league with the Miami Dolphins.
Lance believed he could follow suit going into his senior season. He did just that as he helped the Bison go 12-0 before a surprising second-round FCS playoff loss.
“One thing I’ve done through my whole college career, I’ve trusted the process, I believe in the coaching staff and the strength coaches,” Lance said.
Bryce Lance Leaving Brother’s Shadow
Trey Lance had an epic but brief career with NDSU, amid a 16-0 season in 2019, his lone year as a starter, when he won the Walter Payton Award. Bryce Lance worked to come out of that shadow in his time with the Bison, and now, he could do more through the draft process and beyond.
“He was kind of living under Trey’s shadow. And having an older brother that is in the league is pretty cool, and I’m sure he’s learned so much from Trey,” Payton told USA Today at the combine. “But the thing about Bryce is he made a name for himself — not because of Trey but because of Bryce. He’s an amazing talent, but it’s because he works his (butt) off. He’s a baller, great teammate.”