FARGO — There was a time back in the Division II days when keeping track of former North Dakota State players in the NFL didn’t take long. That’s not the case this month.
So far, 16 ex-Bison players are on NFL rosters hoping to realize a dream including quarterbacks Trey Lance, Cam Miller and Easton Stick, all of whom are off to promising August starts.
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One former player still on the sideline is wide receiver Christian Watson, who reportedly will open the season on the injured reserve list. Watson tore his ACL at the end of last season and underwent surgery in January.
“I’ve gone through a lot of adversity,” Watson told Packers.com . “Nothing like this but I feel like I was calloused for it a little bit and I had the right mentality going into it and it’s been keeping that the whole way through.”
As for other Bison players trying to nurture their future in the NFL, the dream is still there — at least as of Tuesday morning. Two players with NDSU ties, who transferred before their Bison career was over, are making a go of it. Safety Marques Sigle is making a bid to start with San Francisco and defensive back Josh Hayes is with Tampa Bay. Both finished their careers at Kansas State.
The cutdown date to the 53-man rosters is Aug. 27. Here is a list of former NDSU players hoping to make that list, which as of this week doesn't include quarterback Carson Wentz:
Hunter Luepke, FB, Dallas
Jake Kubas, OG, New York Giants
Chris Board, LB, New York Giants
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Cam Miller, QB, Las Vegas
Trey Lance, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
Jalen Sundell, C, Seattle
Grey Zabel, OG, Seattle
Cordell Volson, OG, Cincinnati
Mason Miller, OT, Detroit
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay
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Eli Mostaert, DT, Jacksonville
Easton Stick, QB, Atlanta
Nick Kubitz, LB, Atlanta
Dillon Radunz, OT, New Orleans
Jayden Price, CB, New Orleans
Cody Mauch, OG, Tampa Bay
[ Jeff Kolpack](https://www.inforum.com/Jeff Kolpack)
By [Jeff Kolpack](https://www.inforum.com/Jeff Kolpack)
Jeff Kolpack, the son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995. He has covered all 10 of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written four books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough," "Covid Kids" and "They Caught Them Sleeping: How Dot Reinvented the Pretzel." He is also the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.