FARGO — Recently, North Dakota State has faced a wave of player departures to the transfer portal, which feels like a tough boxing match. In just a week, they lost six starters, including defensive end Toby Anene and cornerbacks Jaquise Alexander and Jailen Duffie. This marks one of the hardest years for the Bison in terms of talent leaving.
But don’t panic just yet. The Bison football office at the Fargodome isn’t in crisis. They’ve already lined up visits with potential incoming transfers, especially for cornerbacks—a position that needs strengthening. Just recently, the team rehired cornerbacks coach Lewis Walker, which is promising for the future.
Walker has experience, previously coaching at NDSU before taking a job at Monmouth University. After a coaching change there, he returned to Fargo, which can help stabilize the team’s recruitment efforts.
The transfer portal is opening soon, so more changes could be on the horizon. Players like Johnson received offers exceeding $1 million, which shows how the dynamics of college football are shifting due to NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) regulations. Meanwhile, others might find offers landing in the hundreds of thousands.
Graduation rates are changing, too. More players, like Anene, are finishing their degrees sooner, making transitions smoother when moving to new programs.
While NDSU lost some key players, they can still rebuild. Their freshman class this fall showed promise. With a few veterans departing, younger players are ready to step up and take on bigger roles. Teams like the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State have demonstrated resilience after significant losses, proving that rebuilding can lead to success.
As we look ahead to the next season, NDSU may not lead the FCS in scoring defense or offense like they did last year. However, the foundation is there for something competitive. Even after losing a number of players, the future—especially with the right strategies—still looks bright.
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