Bison Illustrated Fall 2024

brady@spotlightmediafargo.com

The Year

FROM BRADY DRAKE

AAs we gear up for the 2024 NDSU football season, Bison fans, buckle up—this is a season of new beginnings and exciting prospects. With a fresh coaching staff at the helm, including new Head Coach Tim Polasek, Offensive Coordinator Jake Landry, Defensive Coordinator Grant Olson, Safeties Coach Devin Klieman, Defensive Ends Coach Carlton Littlejohn, and Cornerbacks Coach Will Johnson, the team is poised for

a dynamic evolution on both sides of the ball.

Yes, the Bison have seen some significant departures, losing their leading rusher, leading receiver, and leading pass rusher from last season. However, don’t fret, green and gold faithful—NDSU football is still in capable hands. The team returns one of the most experienced passers in the subdivision, Cam Miller, who has shown remarkable

of Excitement

leadership and poise under pressure. Alongside him is a host of talented and explosive playmakers eager to make their mark. On the other side of the ball, there are a number of defensive stalwarts ready to play with physicality and passion.

By the time you read this, the Bison will have already faced some of their early season opponents, including Tennessee State and East Tennessee State. But it’s the near upset against Colorado on August 29 that truly has me buzzing with excitement.

Though NDSU didn’t come away with a win, their performance against an ultra-talented Colorado team demonstrated grit, resilience, and an ability to compete at a high level.

This thrilling contest against Colorado has given us every reason to be optimistic about what’s to come. The way NDSU matched up against a strong opponent on the road speaks volumes about the character and capability of this team. I believe there is a real shot at

returning to FCS supremacy.

So, Bison Nation, lock in and get ready for what promises to be one of the most memorable seasons in recent years.

Sincerely,

Editors

Geneva

Josiah Kopp Team Makers

Nick Schommer Kellen Feeney

Megan Suedbeck

Paul Hoefer Paul@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Sam Winter Sam@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Al Anderson Al@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Tori Helland Tori@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Dave McSparron Dave@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Austin Cuka

AustinCuka@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

ClientRelations@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Jenny Johnson

Jessica Mullen

Missy Roberts

John Stuber

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The Year of Excitement

NDSU football is entering a season of newness. There is a new head coach (Tim Polasek), offensive coordinator (Jake Landry), defensive coordinator (Grant Olson), safeties coach (Devin Klieman), defensive ends coach (Carlton Littlejohn) and cornerbacks coach (Will Johnson).

The Bison have lost their leading rusher, leading receiver, and leading pass rusher. However, don’t fret green and gold faithful, the Bison are in good hands.

The team returns with one of the most experienced passers in the subdivision with Cam Miller, a bevy of defensive stars, and a host of talented and explosive playmakers looking to make their mark.

By the time you read this, you will have seen NDSU play a handful of opponents—they will likely be through their games with Tennessee State and East Tennessee State. We have already seen this year’s version of NDSU stand toe-totoe with Colorado— no they didn’t win, but there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic after seeing that performance.

That’s right, this is a season of excitement and there’s a real shot at returning to FCS supremacy. So, lock in and get ready for one of the most memorable seasons in recent years.

Let’s meet the team.

Head Coach

Tim Polasek

Green and Gold faithful, a new era is upon us as Tim Polasek takes over as the 32nd head coach in program history.

Polasek boasts a long resume and deep ties to the NDSU program where he worked as a graduate assistant in 2006 and as a running backs coach from 2007 to 2009 and as a running backs/tight ends/fullbacks coach from 2010 to 2012.

After leaving the program, Polasek spent a year coaching tightends/fullbacks at Northern Illinois where he helped produce the No. 12 rushing offense in the country.

The following year, Polasek retuned to NDSU to be the offensive coordinator and running backs coach. He stayed in that role through 2016, helping the Bison win two national championships.

After serving as offensive coordinator, Polasek accepted an offer to become the offensive line coach at Iowa, a position he held from 2017 to 2020 before leaving to become the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wyoming, where he would stay before getting the call to return to the Bison in December.

We were lucky enough to attend the annual football media day held by NDSU on August 1 and sat in on Coach Polasek's opening press conference and were also granted an exclusive interview.

Here is what we learned

*Quoteshavebeeneditedforclarityandconciseness.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

New Hires

Footballs is upon us. It's an exciting time.

We had a great summer. Summer was busy. Vacation for myself wasn't business as usual—it was more stop and go. We made five new hires. Derrick Luken from Weber State is now our football director of operations. That's a big deal. He has kind of become my right hand man with schedules and getting information out for you guys. Patrick Lilly is coming to us from Valdosta State and he'll help in recruiting. Zach Winter is our new video

Photo by Josiah Kopp

coordinator from Central Michigan. His role is huge. And he's being tested right now. And he's answering the bell. Nathan Thies is our new Director of Football Equipment Operations...

Trisha Shannon, our Associate Athletic Trainer, comes to us from our soccer program. Quite frankly, she has been impressive—just her laying down the foundation of expectations and things like that in the training facility. She's done a really good job.

Technology

We’re in a new era again with sideline technology. So, over the summer, I had multiple zooms that went over how this is going to work and how we’re going to be able to use it. Yesterday was actually the first practice where we had the sideline tablets going, and things like that—I’m excited about it and at the same time concerned. We don’t need distractions during practice, but any time that the quarterback can get over and see some plays [is good]—it’s not just the pictures like in the NFL, it’s actual videotape. So, we’ll find out if we have two or three coaches that can take advantage of that.

Recruiting

Summer camps and recruiting... I actually appreciate all your guys’ hard work in trying to stay up with us because it was fast and furious. It was aggressive, but it was unbelievably productive. I’ve said it a couple of times now with the city of Fargo, our community and all the great restaurants we have, really answered the bell. SCHEELS was huge for us—people getting to see that

they can buy gear and those kinds of things. Recruiting was really productive and the schedule was tough. As well as we’ve done with our summer camps and as productive as those things have been from a football standpoint, we sandwiched in the middle official visits and that was really productive for us.

2024

The coaching staff had three weeks to get away for vacation and the staff has come back ready to coach, ready to mentor, and ready to lead. I’m excited about this stuff for a couple of reasons. There’s a great combination of knowledge and experience with who we’re going to be and what North Dakota State football is. And then there’s some new perspective and some new energy and unbelievable talent. I think about Will Johnson and Devin Klieman and those guys in the interview process and some of the questions they answered, those guys are talented guys and I’m excited that they’re here.

We’ve had three working days of camp right now... Our guys have been competitive, they’ve been improvementdriven, and they’ve been tough as hell every day. There have been wins and losses on both sides—that’s what we’re looking for.

From a defensive standpoint, it’s actually pretty impressive. Our focus from our players and our coaches [has been great]—the intent is there. There’s no doubt about that. The guys have shown up with an unbelievable want to be coached and to get better.

PRESS CONFERENCE QUESTIONS

What's the next step for your quarterbacks? What's the next level here?

Jeff [Kolpack] you asked the question in year two about Carson Wentz or something like that and I remember saying, 'I don't think we'll call a bad run into a blitz.' For QB Cam Miller, he completely understands the system now, can he make it his own? Can he leverage all the flexibility and the potentials in the system?

I think with QB Cole Payton, it's just continuing to get better and better about progressing through not only read one and two, but read three and four—and read three and four, for him, might be his feet, and that's pretty darn effective.

And then QB Nathan Hayes, I think Randy has done a great job with his development. I thought Nathan stood out in the spring event and Nathan picked up kind of right where he left off and that's always a sign of a guy that took the summer seriously.

I think QB Trey Drake is still in that first layer of the onion—he's learning what to do. He's not quite to the why or the how. So, each one of those guys is in a little bit different stage. But it's impressive to see their growth, fundamentally, and their understanding of the system.

First day of practice it looked like Cole Payton was all over the place for you guys. What's it like for you to have that kind of weapon offensively? And do you guys plan on playing him in multiple different roles?

I think Nathan is so critical to that. I mean, quite frankly, if we get Nathan sped up, we have to play everybody that can score the ball. One of my major interests, not concerns—I don't want to get that twisted—is where our playmaking is going to come from and who's going to stand out. We know Cole has playmaking ability and so we'll see how that whole thing unfolds. But I think that's practice four, five, six, and

TIM POLASEK YEARBY-YEAR COACHING HISTORY

2003-2004 WisconsinStevens Point Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

2005 WisconsinStevens Point Defensive Backs

2006 North Dakota State Graduate Assistant

2007-2009 North Dakota State Running Backs

2010-2012 North Dakota State Running Backs/ Tight Ends/ Fullbacks

2013 Northern Illinois Tight Ends/ Fullbacks

2014-2016 North Dakota State Offensive Coordinator/ Running Backs

2017-2020 Iowa Offensive Line

2021-2023 Wyoming Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks

PRESS CONFERENCE QUESTIONS

seven, evaluating Nathan because Cole is ready to go whether it's special teams or playing running back or tight end. I'm just so confident in that kid's intentional focus to get better from a playbook standpoint.

To have two experienced quarterbacks able to have that kind of technology— how much does that help for game one? You can only have one person on the field with the green dot. However, the experience we have at kicker, the competition we have at punter, the experience we have at quarterback, the experience at linebacker, the list goes on and on is always beneficial. But for quarterbacks and kickers, those big moments [it's about if] they will make the play or not. It's really a positive for us. We have to find a way to leverage it.

What have you seen from the offensive line so far? I know that there's still some reshuffling to do. Good, bad, and ugly. I would say that probably mirrors with a defense like this or some of the defenses I've seen in the last seven years. I think we're on track. And I think the double reps can kind of hurt you at times, when you're talking about creating cohesiveness with the o-line and you're talking about creating timing and rhythm and with certain timing patterns. Outside of that, double reps is phenomenal. Those guys are getting a boatload of reps. I'm telling you there are some fighters. There are some guys that you would want with you in the foxhole—that's what I've been most encouraged about. We just have to continue to clean up fundamentals and technique.

You're going to have Mason Miller for now at right tackle and Grey Zabel at left tackle. So, that's a pretty good start, right?

OL Mason Miller has been solid. You know, Mason hasn't played football for seven or eight months. He's got to shake off some of that rust. But I think the combination of Mason and OL Jake Rock and their relationship and their

communication skills if we can get that solidified potentially [that would be good]. And then OL Grey Zabel has been solid. Grey has been really remarkable... And so, OL Jack Liwienski, OL Griffin Empey, OL Trent Fraley, OL Hayden Johnston, OL Nate Tastad, and OL Devin Lockerby are all in a dogfight for two spots.

What are you seeing from the young defensive players like Austin Altepeter, Nathan Staehling, and Darius Givance? Well, I think you just hit on four that I would list as young guys who potentially will show up and will have to play for us. The two guys you mentioned in the secondary, S Darius Givance has gotten better over the summer. He has still got some things to work out. He's a special teams superstar, number one. And then S Jaylin Crumby—it's interesting with him because if he can clean up some technical things, tackling-wise, I think we've got a heat-seeking missile coming out of the secondary. He's got that ability and he's got to continue to get better.

I would also throw in there that CB Marcus Sheppard provides leadership at cornerback, but then you think about CB Anthony Chideme-Alfaro and CB Jaquise Alexander and CB Jailen Duffie, all of a sudden we have a little bit of depth there and they got a great battle going.

LB Austin Altepeter and LB Nathan Staehling, I know there have been years here that they would be starting caliber type players. Altepeter had a really good what I would call teammate play yesterday that just exemplifies what we're trying to get done defensively. He set the edge and then DE Hunter Zenzen just ran down the line against QB Cole Payton on a zone read that was there and I think we gained a yard or two. I think we're moving in the right direction defensively.

How important is this stretch of the year for finding those young guys that you can identify as players you can rely on a little bit?

This is critical, because if it takes 10 days, in my experience, it just ain't gonna happen. The best example I could give you off the top of my head because he's coming to speak from Wahpeton is Ryan Smith. If we think back to beating Kansas, Ryan Smith was the punt returner and we never would have put him out there if he wasn't making plays in practices three, four and five. RJ Urzendowski was leading the team in catches and had zero drops on days three, four, and five.

There have been some real signs that RB CharMar “Marty” Brown and WR Bryce Lance might be taking the steps that we need. QB Nathan Hayes I mentioned. S Ryan Jones had a great interception on a difficult play and he made it look fairly easy.

Some young guys that have been impressive that I don't know if they'll make a difference or not include WR Jackson Williams from Omaha—he has the movement skills and the toughness and the intent to get better quickly. And then WR Isiah St. Romain, what a personality, and we need this on that team. We need characters. We need personalities that stay within the framework of the team concept. But he's been impressive. I would also say RB Peder Haugo has flashed on special teams.

I've been impressed Matt Entz did a good job with the recruit class. OL Noah Stommes is tough. I mean 242 pounds and he fits his pads. He's not afraid—this guy is going to be a good player. OL Coy Okeson is doing a really good job. And even the walk-on kid has really done a great job. My hat goes off to Matt Entz.

OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

If you were to give an award for most improved from last season, is there a player or a number of players that come to mind?

I think the first guy that I think of is probably TE Kaden Zenzen because I think he's been on this track since probably practice eight in the spring until now. There has been continual improvement. Kaden was kind of forecast to me as a developmental guy but I see him as a guy that can contribute a bunch this season. Another guy I think about on offense is QB Nathan Hayes. He's done a really good job at quarterback and just continuing to get better and continuing to work through the development side of things with the system. With quarterback, you're not just looking at the physical attributes and being able to do the job physically—his mental improvement has been great.

WR Bryce Lance is another one and then even some older guys have shown some improvement. I think WR RaJa Nelson and WR Braylon Henderson have gotten better.

Those are the couple of guys that come to mind for me. And then I think we have a bunch of young guys that naturally are just getting better based on how we practice and how we go about our business.

Defensively, I agree with Coach Olson that DE Loshiaka Roques is becoming a really good leader. He's becoming more of a consistent performer. I really like that. I think S Ryan Jones has improved a bunch. If he's not the number one most improved guy, he's in the top two or three... I think CB Jaquise Alexander and CB Jailen Duffie both keep getting better and they keep competing and learning from rep to rep—that has been really encouraging.

I've heard Bryce Lance's name thrown around a lot, what do you like that you're seeing?

What you like about Bryce is he's prototypical. When you talk about the size, the pedigree, the relationship to his brother, you kind of just make some assumptions. But each and every kid is their own person, and they have to go through the process of getting better. They have to want to get better. He is committed. He never changes. I think that always allows for a guy to stay level-headed and stay focused on the areas he does need to improve on. But he's got some skills. He's got some natural size that gets you excited. But I think he's only improved his strength and conditioning... I'd like to see him expand his ability to fit into multiple spots and to be able to run the whole route tree.

Is there anything else you want to say that you haven't got a chance to? It's going to take the whole community being committed to this team to be as good as we can be because when the FargoDome is packed, and it's electric, we're hard to beat. Three of our goals for 2024 are: win home-field advantage because it can be an edge for us—it should be an edge for us. So, we need as much support as possible. We're going to try to lead the country in physicality—I've said that countless times... Up there with those goals, we'd also put the importance of understanding how you get beat. We have a clear understanding of how playing clean football and eliminating bad football can impact this whole state and the great city of Fargo and our opportunity to play at home in the playoffs. If we do those things, we're going to be alright.

Jake Landry Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach

In February, the Bison welcomed Jake Landry as the new offensive coordinator.

The Grand Forks native comes to the Bison on the heels of a two-year stretch as the offensive coordinator for the St. Thomas Tommies, where, in 2022, he helped the team put together the Pioneer Football League’s No. 1 scoring offense with 32.6 points per game on the way to a conference championship.

His resume is long and he has deep ties to Head Coach Tim Polasek dating back to time they spent together at Northern Illinois in 2013.

We were lucky enough to sit in on NDSU’s annual football media day on August 1. This is what we learned from Landry’s season-opening press conference and our exclusive interview with the new play caller.

*Quotes have been edited for clarity and conciseness.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

I’m really excited that football is rolling for us. Our guys had a great summer with Coach Kramer and Coach Napoli in the weight room—they got after it. I’m really excited with where we’re at on offense... We’re going through our install and we’re excited about where we’re at... We want to be disciplined and be a team that’s not going to beat ourselves. We talked to the guys about how a smart team is a hard team to beat and then we have to find ways to create explosive plays—we define that as a pass of 15 yards or more or a run of 10 yards or more.

There’s been a lot of good competition. And I’m excited to see how it all shakes out.

With this being your first year running the offense at NDSU, how special has it been having someone as experienced as Cam Miller?

When I got here, I knew that was going to be a relationship that I had to build really quickly. Right away I told QB

Photo by Josiah Kopp

Cam Miller that I wanted to get to know him on and off the field. Right. Last night, we did a situational walkthrough of going through two minutes and endgame scenario stuff and it’s just balancing what he is like, what I’m thinking, what he’s thinking, and being able to understand what goes through his head... It has been phenomenal in my time here when it comes to his leadership and taking ownership of the offense.

How has CharMar “Marty” Brown improved from the spring? I know I asked you, when you got here about his pass blocking—how much has he improved there to get him on the field regularly?

I think for RB CharMar “Marty” Brown, it’s about just continuing to build confidence. For me, with him, it starts in the meeting room and understanding the offense and getting disciplined in how he’s going to operate on a day-today basis away from the facility.

Getting him caught up to speed is my job and getting him ready to play football games. But he has put in a lot of work off the field with Coach Kramer and Coach Napoli and academically, everything like that. But overall, Marty is a great kid. I’m on him right now pushing him because he’s got a lot of ability. And right now, it’s between the ears that we’re working on the most.

What’s the offense going to look like under Jake Landry?

I think it just goes back to being disciplined and winning the

line of scrimmage. That’s not a sexy answer by any means, but I think the players are going to determine the type of offense that we’re going to have. We’re going to find ways to find guys that need to get the football. Coach P talked about it—we have to find ways to create explosive plays and find ways to get those guys the football. But, I think, over time, the offense and our personnel are going to be able to dictate how we’re going to move forward, but it’s going to start up front. We tried to make the emphasis in our offensive unit meeting that it’s not just being physical at the line of scrimmage, it’s being physical at level two and level three. All 11 guys on the football field at every time have to understand that we’re trying to be a physical unit.

Are there any young players standing out as far as what they could do on the field?

In terms of the running backs, RB CharMar “Marty” Brown is a guy who didn’t play last year, but the expectations for him are high and we’re on him. RB Brady Wavrunek is another guy who has to start to develop into a role that he can carve out in terms of special teams. WR Chris Harris didn’t practice in the spring—I’m excited to see how, with the leadership we have with WR RaJa Nelson and WR Braylon Henderson, how quickly we can get those guys underneath them rolling and moving forward.

2011 Minnesota/ Duluth Graduate Assistant-Wide Receivers

2012 Minnesota/ Duluth Graduate Assistant-Wide Receivers

2013 Northern Illinois Offensive InternQuarterbacks

2014 Northern Illinois Graduate AssistantLinebackers

2015 Northern Illinois Graduate AssistantQuarterbacks

2016 Wisconsin-La Crosse Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks

2017 Wisconsin-La Crosse Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks

2018 Northern Illinois Running Backs

2019 Temple Offensive Analyst

2020 Temple Offensive Analyst 2021 Temple Quarterbacks

2022

St.Thomas Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks

2023

St.Thomas Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks

Did you know?

Jake Landry led Grand Forks Central to the 2005 North Dakota state championship.

OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

You obviously had a little bit of a unique situation and really jumped on the job here once the opportunity became available to you, why did you choose to do that?

I think, for me, relationships are a big part of who I am and my relationship with Tim Polasek is something where throughout the years he has been a mentor to me. I had told him and my wife that when he eventually got an opportunity to be a head coach, I wanted to work for him.

I also took the opportunity just because of the program itself. The expectations here are to win national championships and the opportunity to come to a program with those expectations and the buy-in that you have from the university as a whole, was something I wanted to be a part of.

Why do you think you and Tim click so well?

I was a graduate assistant and he was the tight end and fullback coach at Northern Illinois and I just wanted to soak in as much information as I possibly could at that younger age. I just started to learn football from him. I think his personality and my personality are a lot different... I’m more of a laid-back type of guy and I think we balance each other really well when it comes to that sort of thing. But, overall, I just think his energy and passion to be a competitor and his want to win is just something that I’ve always gravitated towards. I’ve always gravitated towards people who want to win and be competitive no matter what they’re doing.

So, can you give me a little bit more insight into that relationship? Because the only time you two worked together was when you were on that staff together at Northern Illinois, but when I interviewed Coach Polasek back in February, he said you too had worked together for many years—is that just phone conversations learning from each other and things like that?

Yeah. I was an offensive coordinator for two years at a Division III school, he was

the oline coach at Iowa at the time—it was my first full-time job. That’s where I think our relationship really took off. With him being a coach in the Big Ten and me being a Division III guy, he was still talking to me for two hours at night about four verticals or run game with me—just talking football with me... Him just being a mentor to me and realizing that I needed help—I was leaning on him and he took me under his wing in that sense.

If you fast forward throughout our careers, it has always been about conversations. When we can get each other on the phone and talk about what we’re both going through, whether that’s in recruiting, coaching a certain position, or coordinating... it has just been a good tool for me throughout the years.

Do you have other relationships like that or is this pretty unique?

No, I think all of us in the coaching profession have multiple people that we lean on along the way, depending on where you started out and who you meet. It could be a former coach, or a guy you used to work with who has gone on to other places, but I think it’s very common for people to have those relationships and all those friendships that stay intact because of the game of football. We all know the game evolves all the time, and how it’s about staying at the forefront of that and building those relationships and expanding those relationships and networking.

Is there anything else you want to say? I’m excited for these guys just to be able to get back out there. I’m fortunate to be a part of the program—it’s an unbelievable opportunity.

Grant Olson Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach

Grant Olson, NDSU’s newest defensive coordinator, bleeds green and gold. As a player for the Bison between 2010 and 2013, he helped the Bison secure three FCS national championships. As a linebackers coach, he has helped them secure three more.

What will happen in his first season as defensive coordinator?

We were lucky enough to attend the annual football media day held by NDSU on August 1 and sat in on Coach Olson’s opening press conference and were also granted an exclusive interview.

Here is what we learned.

*Quoteshavebeeneditedforclarityandconciseness.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

I’ve got the biggest chip on my shoulder I’ve had since 2011 when we lost to Eastern Washington and it was time to go win a national championship and we knew we could do it. So, I’m extremely excited for this year.

Leadership

I’m extremely excited about the individuals who we get a chance to work with. Number one, we have tremendous character in our room—first and foremost, as coaches, that’s the first thing, but then, obviously, our senior leaders specifically have tremendous character and tremendous leadership. After spring, I challenged a couple of individuals specifically and told them that if they’re the best leaders in the country, we’re gonna win a lot of football games.

Photo by Josiah Kopp

DE Loshiaka Roques will be an example of that. There are some guys who haven’t been voted Captain but are on the Leadership Council and their teammates see them as leaders. CB Marcus Sheppard, even though he’s a transfer corner, I challenged him—because if he’s an amazing leader, our DB group is going to be phenomenal. He has stepped up and it has been awesome to see. So I’m really excited about just a lot of individuals and with those two, specifically, as far as their leadership development.

And then defensively from there, we kind of have three tiers. We’ve got that group of guys out there who are sixthyear seniors and fifth-year, seniors—the Moestaerts, S Cole Wisniewski, and S Sam Jung, guys who have been playing for so long. Then, we’ve got the middle tier where we’ve got guys chomping at the bit to get a chance to play. And then we’ve got the true freshmen, the young guys who are still learning and growing and learning what it means to be a Bison. Whether it’s the same mistakes that every freshman class has—a ball is thrown and they forget they’re supposed to run to the football.

Right now, if you were to ask me about one of the things I’m most proud of as a coach, I would say that LB Nick Kubitz and LB Luke Weerts are leading the team in championship effort that we’re charting every single day. Those are sixth-year

seniors who are playing and competing as hard as they ever have. That’s an awesome thing. When your best players are also your hardest workers and best leaders, you have a chance to be successful. So, that’s what I would overall say about that top group.

The Young Guys

We’re working through some of those things right now with the young guys, but we definitely have hit on character and talent with the young guys in the recruiting class... I think we have some of the best depth in the country. I’m really appreciative of our growth and development.

Emphasis

We have a lot of energy. That was a huge point of emphasis this offseason. We needed to simplify some things and we needed to get back to the fundamentals... Our players have listened and taken that to heart and they’ve gotten a lot better

Our goal on defense is going to be to be the best tackling team in the country. And that’s our only goal. If we accomplish that goal, the results are going to handle themselves and right now, we’re on our way. We have a lot more work to do, but we’re going to keep getting better and we’re going to coach.

PRESS CONFERENCE QUESTIONS

Is the plan still to rotate at Middle Linebacker?

I really think that we have the best problem in the country. I think our top three linebackers are as good as any three top middle linebackers in the country. I just find it hard to imagine that there’s another team that’s got three guys that they would trust to be their starter 15 straight games, every single situation, don’t come off the field, and I really feel like we’ve got three guys that we can say that about.

So, from there, I think the challenge is how to keep them fresh and healthy and how to make sure they’re all on the field. I think one of the first ways is getting them on special teams. But right now, I think it’s going to be really situational. It’s going to be about who the best individual is for that specific play and moment. And some games may be really heavy one flavor and then the next game, it may be really heavy in a different flavor, but we’re going to do what’s best for the team. And I appreciate the fact that specifically LB Nick Kubitz and LB Luke Weerts are bought in on whatever is best for the team.

Is Staehling the other?

LB Nathaniel Staehling is the other. I’m very excited about that young man.

Hunter Zenzen obviously missed all of last year, what are you seeing from him early in camp so far?

Well, number one, I think he’s moving well... He had a great rep against QB Cole Payton yesterday. So, it’s really exciting to see him just moving well and feeling comfortable... When you go against great tight ends and offensive linemen, things can happen in a hurry. And at times, as a young player, when you’re new in there, you can get knocked down and get beat. Well, he has really hung in there and he has fought and he has competed really hard. So, I’m excited.

The depth on the line is as long as long can be. Is someone like Kelton McCaslin, someone who is under the radar, but could maybe step up this year?

I think DE Kelton McCaslin is for sure a guy like that. I’m going to give a couple of other names... DE Toby Anene had a great power rush and Toby’s got some long arms and he’s got some power—when he commits to being a physical presence on the defensive line for us, he’s really tough to block. He manhandled a couple of people at times. And he still made a couple of young mistakes. Maybe too high of pad level and things like that. But he had a couple of great rushes that were really fun to see. And then another guy who just makes plays is DT Keenan Wilson Keenan is a guy that’s going to help us. I don’t know exactly how many plays, but he will be on the field. And I’m telling you right now, he might make a couple of splash plays for us early in some games.

You have seen the issue of tackling the last couple of years—you’ve lived it. How does that improve in 2024?

Well, number one, it starts with a mentality. Tackling and being physical on defense starts with a desire to do so. I think that we’ve really addressed that and challenged guys. So, that’s been good. And then the other thing is practice. You have to practice tackling, and I think that’s something that with certain rules has maybe made things a little bit more challenging. As coaches, you have to be diligent—we’re going to tackle every single day. That’s been a point of emphasis every defensive coach knows.

OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

What has the experience been like being the defensive coordinator so far?

Well, it’s been a major learning opportunity. We have definitely made some adjustments and changes as a program. And, to be able to be a part of those conversations and learn and grow and see our defense get better because of being willing to make minor changes, has been awesome. It’s been great. It’s certainly been challenging. I’ve definitely made some mistakes and definitely learned from them. But thankfully, we’ve got a great group of coaches that I can really rely on heavily.

Are you able to tell me what some of those changes have been?

Just little things like we’ve renamed some of our play calls. That may seem like a simple thing to do, but when a sixth-year senior has been hearing a play call a certain way, for a long time, it can be a little bit weird to change. We’ve changed little things like onfield, nonverbal communication, signals, all those things. We’ve made some of those changes to simplify things for the young guys, and I know they’ve been good

moves for the long term. But, it’s still change and change can be difficult at times.

How do you go about trying to make it as easy as possible?

For us, having some really good conversations as defensive coaches and really understanding those things like what a certain term means to a defensive lineman and what it means to a corner, and making sure that we’ve got terms that have really good groupings. For instance, maybe words that start with the letter S all mean a certain thing to everybody in the program. Well, that can be a really good teaching for young guys. Hey, guys, remember, it’s the exact same rules, and things like that...

Otherwise, the defense was the original Tampa 2 defense for a long time that was used against NFL teams. Well, as college offenses have changed, we’ve added plays, but sometimes the original building blocks don’t make sense to people anymore. So that’s where we’ve really had to strip things down and get back to the basics.

Devin Klieman Safeties Coach

Roots run deep at NDSU—Devin Klieman is an example of that.

The son of former four-time FCS National Championship winning coach Chris Klieman, Devin is returning to NDSU after spending 2016-2018 as a student manager with the program and 2019-2023 as a student assistant and graduate assitantwith Kansas State.

Q & A

What do you think you bring that’s unique to the room?

I think I’ve seen a bunch of different ways of doing it from different position coaches, and also just different players. Everyone kind of has their own strengths and weaknesses as a player as well, as well as different learning progressions. Sometimes I can get away with saying something maybe a little bit more gray to someone and with someone else, I have to be really detailed. Sometimes you have to keep it black and white.

What excites you about the group that you’re currently working with?

We have a genuine energy. People are genuinely happy when another guy does well. They celebrate their own successes, but there’s a genuine energy.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a guy who is technically behind them

on the depth chart... They’re helping each other and I think it is truly out of genuine best interest of the program.

What is it like being at NDSU again?

In some ways, it’s been very similar—especially the culture and the structure of how practices are run. We have a little bit of wrinkles, but it’s the same intensity, it’s the same standard.

It’s still cool to see what’s evolved in the community. Obviously, it’s a little bit different with the portal, NIL, and some of those things. At the end of the day, it’s the same NDSU—the same core values.

Was there any place around town you were excited to head to when you got back?

I would say the south side of town with Suite Shots and even all the restaurants down on

the south side off of 52nd. That was all pretty rural farmland when I was going to Shanley and driving by that area all the time. Now, that’s kind of the place to be in town and go grab food. That’s one of the busier roads. It used to be kind of the dead side of town.

Did you have a goal to get back here eventually to NDSU?

I just always wanted to run a room and have that pressure and be in the fire that way. In football, and especially in coaching, it’s all about timing and it worked out with where I was at and Coach P getting hired and the timing.

Photo by Josiah Kopp

Carlton Littlejohn Defensive Ends Coach

Carlton Littlejohn, an all-time NDSU great, is back with the program.

The four-time national championship-winning player rejoined the NDSU program in February as the Defensive Ends Coach with an excitement to rejoin the program he poured so much into.

Q & A

You were hired in February, what’s it like transitioning from one program to another? It depends on the program a little bit. I was fully transparent with the other coach. I let him know my goals. I let the guys at Sioux Falls know that I wouldn’t leave for another Division II defensive position job. I let them know that I would leave for a coordinator job and I would leave for a Division I job.

The worst part is moving. It’s one of those things where you get hired and you need to get there ASAP. So, you either need to find a temporary place or a permanent place pretty quickly and then get all your stuff moved.

How quickly did you move then?

I accepted on a Thursday and was here on Monday.

What has it been like being back?

It’s more surreal than anything to be back in a different role. I’m proud of where I’ve been, but I’m proud to be here again.

What excites you about the group that you’re working with right now?

It’s nice having a variety of guys. We’ve got the older guys like DE Dylan Hendricks, DE Loshiaka Roques, and DE Kole Menz—they’ve been in the program and have seen some things. Then, we’ve got the second tier guys like DE Hunter Zenzen, DE Toby Anene, and DE Kelton McCaslin—they’re still trying to earn their name a little bit, they haven’t been here as long. And then you have the true freshman, redshirt freshman. Those are the different tiers. Everyone is kind of bringing something different to the table.

How would you describe your coaching style?

I think me and Coach Polasek, are, I wouldn’t say polar opposites, but we’re on different ends of the spectrum as far as I don’t yell as much. I’m intense. I expect a lot out of the guys, but I’m not more of a get-in-your-face guy.

I want to correct things right away. If you’re making new mistakes, I think it’s fine because we’re learning. It’s my job to coach you to really get to that level. So, if you don’t know it, it’s more on me than anything. I’ll get more heated if I have to coach effort and guys making the same mistakes and not picking up the playbook, stuff like that. But, for the most part, I’m a very laid-back guy because I know how hard it is to come in and learn this stuff.

Photo by Josiah Kopp

Steve Crutchley Wide Receiver Coach

Last season was Wide Receivers Coach Steve Crutchley’s first season with the Green and Gold.

In that first season, Crutchley helped lead a passing attack that ranked second in the nation in completion percentage. Now, in 2024, with a Walter Payton Award Watch List QB at the helm in Cam Miller, Crutchley is looking to expand on that success.

Q & A

Why did you decide to come to NDSU?

I mean, it’s pretty obvious that this program is special. I’ve got a lot of connections here. Coach Hedberg gave me an opportunity to be an assistant coach a long time ago when he was the head ball coach at St. Cloud State—he hired me to my first full-time position. Coach Goeser has been here for a long time and he was a freshman when I was a senior at Wisconsin Eau Claire—so, we played ball together. And also, Coach Larson was there as well. It was a no brainer to come here.

What do you feel like you bring to the receiver room?

At this point, I’m a veteran. I am who I am. I’m pretty laid back. I want to be a sounding board to my guys and I want to mentor that position group. I can get after them if I need

to, but I really want to see my guys shine—I want to give them that opportunity. I want them to have the best college experience. I had a great time in college and I want that for my players.

Coaching is such a grind to get to this level. Did you ever think about doing anything else?

Yeah, of course. Coaching isn’t an easy profession. When guys tell me they want to get into it as a profession, I try to talk them out of it. [After that] if they’re still interested, I know they’re serious. There are a lot of sacrifices, just like their is for our players. There’s a lot of time and a lot of focus on failures more than victories, but that’s the way we’re wired. That’s what makes us special. If it was easy, everybody would try to do it. You have to appreciate it every day. You’re

not sure what adversity you’re gonna hit, but that’s exciting and challenging.

It’s pretty early on, but what do you like out of your group so far? I would say that there probably hasn’t been anyone in this group who’s been a lead receiver for this team yet. So I feel there’s a lot of opportunity. There’s a lot of opportunity. We lost some special players—Zach Mathis was a great leader for us and a playmaker. We’ve got some good senior leadership. We’ve got three guys that have seen the field so they’re not going to be scared. I’m excited about what we have from a leadership standpoint. You know, a year ago, maybe we were wondering about who was going to contribute in the room. So, it’s no different this season.

Photo by Josiah Kopp

Will Johnson Cornerbacks Coach

Will Johnson was announced as the new cornerbacks coach for NDSU on Janurary 26,

Johnson was a starting cornerback for the Oklahoma Sooners and went to NFL camps with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 before joining the Oklahamo staff as a graduate assistant in 2020. Johnson would spend one more season with the Sooners before spending two seasons in the same position with the USC Trojans.

A&

QWhy come to NDSU?

I told Coach Polasek a quote from Neil Armstrong in my interview that talked about how they can tell where the spaceship is going to go based on where it takes off—they can tell if it’s going to go to the left, to the right, or dead center. The moral of the story is that the thing that takes off the right way from a foundation standpoint typically lands where you want it to land.

I feel like this job is the foundation for me. I think this job can give me all the things I need for 20 years down the road.

This is your first time having a whole room to yourself, what has that experience been like?

It has been great. I think the guys have had really good buy-in. I’ve been extremely impressed with our group

and their ability to grasp the concepts and information and apply those things on the field. I feel very fortunate to be here. I can definitely see why NDSU has won a ton. I told most of the guys in the room that I think they could have been at USC and played.

There’s still some competition in the corner room. What are you seeing out of the guys, who has been stepping up? I think there are a number of guys who are stepping up. Obviously, CB Marcus Sheppard is an older guy. CB Jaquise Alexander played some snaps last year—he has been a bright spot for us. CB Jailen Duffie has done a really, really good job. CB Najee Nelson has done a really good job. Our grad transfer CB Anthony Chideme-Alfaro has done an excellent job for us and and has been a major bright

spot early on in camp. We’ll kind of see how this plays out.

You had to go the Junior College route, really took a long path to get to Oklahoma. Do you feel like that helps you relate to these guys in your room who are playing FCS football and are maybe a little more unproven at this point in their careers?

I think the myth is that because I played at Oklahoma I might have a hard time relating to an FCS guy. But, the reality is my story outside of football is an underdog story. Right? The only thing that has that glow to it is the fact that I went to Oklahoma and had a chance to coach at some big time schools, but other than that, my entire life is more suited to the NDSU way. Blue Collar. Tough. Overcome adversity, and find a way to win.

Photo by Josiah Kopp

Quarterbacks

Q&A with Cam Miller

Are you feeling any different coming into your last season of eligibility or is it pretty business as usual?

Business as usual, but I've kind of reminisced a little bit about just being grateful to be here. It has gone by quickly, and I'm just thankful for this opportunity. And I'm just trying to cherish every moment that I have with the guys in the locker room.

Did you do anything different this offseason and prepare for the season?

Not really, no. I've kind of progressed every year, so I didn't want to change too much. I maybe watched more film and did all the other stuff that I have been doing—I feel like it'll pay off.

How has the coaching change affected you?

I don't think it has affected me too much. At first, I was kind of uncertain about it. But my feelings toward the new coaching staff have been great. And I feel like our relationship has grown so much over the past few months. And I'm very grateful for them to be here.

Jake Landry said that when he first got here, one of his first priorities was developing a relationship with you. How have you guys gone about doing that?

Would you say you're more laid back and calm? Or is that just what you like in a coach?

I have both sides of it. But I would say I'm more laid back and personable—I'm not very outgoing.

Is there anything else you want to say for the interview?

I would just say that the seniors on the team have done a great job of holding this team together. This offseason, was tough with the transition,

It has been natural. He has a personality that's more laid back and calm and I enjoy that. I'm just always picking his brain about the game and trying to learn more from him, Coach Polasek, and Coach Hedberg. It has been a great experience. And I know that our relationship will continue to develop throughout the season.

of the upperclassmen brought guys together and made sure they didn't leave. They made sure they knew they could get everything they wanted from this program and they didn't need to go anywhere else.

Runningbacks The

There is plenty of opportunity in the backfield entering the 2024 season as the Bison are going to be without last year’s leading rusher TaMerik Williams. These players are ready to step up and handle the load.

Marshall #28

CharMar Brown #25

Barika Kpeenu

Redshirt Freshman

Q&A with Barika Kpeenu

Barika Kpeenu, the hometown hero who was a two-time all-state first team selection for the West Fargo Sheyenne Mustangs, splashed onto the scene with the Bison in 2023, finishing fourth on the team in rushing.

In 2024, he is ready to take another step forward.

Last year, was your first time seeing a ton of action playing here, what was that experience like for you?

It was awesome. It was nice because I could finally see where my work was going. But I also saw where I needed to improve and what I needed to look for going into this season. So, it was definitely fun, but it was definitely a learning experience.

What do you feel like you needed to improve on the most?

Being more patient. I think a lot of runs last

year, I thought it was going to be a home run play and it didn’t need to be. On film, there were a lot of plays where I could have just been patient and just hit a hole instead of trying to bounce outside and do too much.

Do you feel like you made progress there in the spring and early fall practices?

Yes, that was my main goal—to make the simple play, not the homerun play and just being able to read and having trust in my teammates.

What’s it like playing in front of your hometown?

It’s nice because I have family here. I got people who I grew up with... A lot of people here don’t have the opportunity to really have that. So, it’s something that I’m grateful for. My parents can go to any game and not have to worry about all the travel or if something comes

up where they can’t go. They’re going to be there every single Saturday when we have a home game.

Do you get to see them quite a bit?

Oh yeah. Right now, my parents are out of the country, but they’re going to try and come back for the Colorado game. But yeah, I try to see them as much as possible. They love this more than I do sometimes— they’re more excited for a game and they’re more hyped up. It’s just such a blessing.

Where are your parents right now?

They’re in Nigeria. They’re from there. They were born there... It’s been like 20-plus years since my mom has been back. My dad would go there every once and a while and my mom would watch us.

What are you excited about most going into this season?

What we have to prove. I think a lot of people are counting us out and saying we’re done with winning championships. And I think the leaders on our team have made it known that we’re not done. We’ve got players who are hungry and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to take the next step. So, I’m obviously excited to see how it goes.

Tightends/Fullbacks

Known as “The Crewchiefs” the tightends/fullbacks at NDSU have a long history as a dual-threat unit that paves the way for one of the nation’s premier rushing attacks while serving as a threat through the air and the ground themselves.

This year, NDSU returns TE Joe Stoffel an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honorable mention, experienced FB Logan Hofstedt, TE Carson Williams, and FB Hunter Brozio will assist the program in a nonplaying capacity due to injury.

Wide Receivers The

NDSU

its leading receiver from the 2023 season Zach Mathis. These playmakers are ready to step up.

RaJa Nelson #3

Braylon Henderson #1

Bryce Lance #5

Q&A with

Braylon Henderson has been contributing for the Bison since the 2020-2021 season. He is experienced, he is hungry, and he’s ready to continue being a leader for NDSU’s receivers.

With Zach Mathis leaving, there’s a lot more opportunity. Do you feel extra responsibility to step up this year?

No more than I felt any other year. I’m just going to do my job and be there for my guys—I’m just going to keep my head down and keep working. It’s no different. Obviously, Zach was a big part of our group—he was the leader of our squad,

but we lose guys every year.

How would you describe your leadership style?

A lot of passion. My guys know that I will be hard on them, but I’m going to be the first guy to celebrate with them as well. I’m going to hold them to the highest standard and I’m going to hold myself to that standard as well. If a guy drops a ball, I’m going to be right there telling them they need to catch it. And I want them to be the same way with me.

What have you seen so far out of this team that you have liked?

Our toughness. Our tenacity. We’re

anytime, anywhere, let’s get after it. We can practice outside in the heat. We can change practice to the morning. We can change practice to the evening. It doesn’t matter. There’s not a lot of complaining around here, just a lot of work.

I feel like that has been the personality of this team for a long time, but is it different at all this year?

There’s a hunger there that has never been there. Since we’ve been on top, we haven’t been knocked off this long. The hunger is definitely there. Our stomachs are achy.

Braylon Henderson

Line

Q&A

Undoubtedly one of the leaders of the offensive line, Mason Miller took a huge step forward last season, providing versatility by starting at right tackle and guard in 2023.

How is the recovery from hip surgery going?

It feels good. It feels great. It feels a million times better than it felt all of last year.

Being from Ada, did you always want to play at NDSU?

Honestly, playing football really wasn’t on my radar until 11th grade when I got my first offer. Coach Entz gave me my first offer

with Mason Miller

and I knew right then and there that I was going to play here.

I thought I was going to be a basketball player before that.

You played football previously though, correct?

I did, but I was just a really tall skinny kid. I think I weighed probably 215lbs when they recruited me here. So I was super tiny. Did things click for you with football around that age though?

Not really. Even when I got here, during pass pro, I was just playing basketball and just trying to stay in front of guys. I think,

actually, my first fall camp day I was like 260lbs. So, I was 40lbs smaller than I am now. I didn’t really know what I was doing with football until I got here.

What was that experience like when you started being that small?

It was just getting bullied on the field every single day. There were guys who were 315lbs, 320lbs just beating the crap out of me. But it was really good—it toughened me up.

Defensive Line The

With two all-conference players returning from last year’s campaign, this group of run stuffers and pass rushers is set to strike fear in the faces of opposing offenses in 2024.

Q&A

with Dylan Hendricks

Last season, Dylan Hendricks broke out in a major way to finish second on the team in tackles for loss and sacks. Now, he’s back and looking for more.

Last year was really a breakout season for you. What do you think allowed you to have that success?

I think my coaches really gave me a lot of freedom. And I put a lot of it on my teammates too. Our defense is setup in a way that if you do your job, and the guy next to you does his, everybody wins. So, I think that has helped me a lot.

What does freedom mean?

It’s stuff that I get to do in the pass rush scheme. I have a couple more one on ones and I get to choose the moves I like to do—stuff like that.

Do you feel like you’ve taken a step forward from last year to this season?

I think so. I’d say so, at least in terms of leadership, I have for sure. And I think it’s put me in a place now where I’m trying to help explain stuff to the younger guys and help them understand how our defensive system

works. And it’s helping me to even perfect the way that I run my games and the way that I play.

I personally think your guys’s defensive line is the strength of the team this year. And when we were in the SHAC for the press conference, Coach Polasek kept talking about how you guys have just been swarming the last few practices. What have you liked about the defense so far?

Dline wise, we have a bunch of dogs up front and we’re very excited about what this season has to offer us. As a complete all-around defense, I think at linebacker, we’ve got some really good players—guys that just fly around and make a ton of plays. I’m excited to see what they do and obviously safeties and corners, I think we have guys all around that are just studs. And it’s awesome to recognize that but now it’s time to put it together.

What’s your favorite part about football?

The guys, just being around all the guys. I’d say probably all my friends that I got here on the team, all my brothers. And then, obviously, the physical aspect of football is probably something that you can’t really find anywhere else. It’s it’s just an amazing part of the game.

Linebackers

Q&A

Last season, Logan Kopp was named to the MVFC AllConference First Team. He looks to build off of that success as NDSU fights to get back on top.

What are you seeing from the defense so far?

A lot of really, really good things. Obviously, we’ve only had three practices so far, but I’ve seen a lot of positives for us. Three things that we pride ourselves on are playing hard, playing fast, and playing together. I think all three of those things have been shown. We definitely have a lot to improve on, but there definitely have been a lot of positives so far.

What do you think makes a good linebacker

It all starts with desire. What is your desire? What are you out there to do? If you’re out there to play timid and slow, that’s what you’re going to do. But if you have this desire to go out and play fast, and to go attack the guy with the ball, [that’s what you want]. And then beyond that, you have to have good feet, you have to have good eyes, you have to know what’s going on around you, with your teammates, you have to know who’s on the left, and right who’s in front of you and who’s behind you. And then once you do that, you just have to worry

with Logan Kopp

about doing your 111s. There are 11 guys on the field and they all have to be successful—you don’t have to try to do less and you don’t have to do more.

What are you excited most about this season?

Getting to play football with my best friends. There’s nothing better than the group of guys within this team, and specifically within this linebacker room. The friendship and the bond that we’ve created—not only on the field but off the field in the past four years since I’ve been here, is unlike any other. It truly is a brotherhood. I get to go out and battle and go to war with these guys on Saturdays and it’s truly something special. It’s so much fun. Getting to enjoy success with my teammates and coaches is the best.

What do you think you’ve improved on most from last year to this year?

I think I’ve gotten stronger. I think I’ve gotten faster. One emphasis that myself as well as the whole defensive has had over this offseason is tackling. We weren’t as good of a tackling team as we wanted to be last season. And so this season, our goal is to be physical and be the best tackling team in the country. And so we’ve done a lot over camp so far and over the offseason to work on ways to get better at tackling, whether it’s going through it physically, whether it’s watching the film on what went wrong when you missed the tackle.

Wisniewski #31

Sam Jung #35

Q&A

What was the transition like last year moving from linebacker to safety?

Throughout the year, especially in practices, it was tough. Springball wasn’t super easy because I was learning something new in year four of college after playing linebacker for three years. Even fall camp wasn’t super easy because I was getting back into the habit of something that I hadn’t really done much before. But towards the end of fall camp, I was having more fun than I ever had playing football because, for the most part of it, it was a really big struggle. The brakes are different, the back pedal is different. And then finally, it started clicking, and I was having a ton of fun on a play-by-play basis.

Did you have any nerves going into the first game?

It’s kind of weird—I don’t really get too nervous for games anymore. In high school, I used to get super nervous, but

with Cole Wisniewski

I think it’s just how much preparation we do, to be honest.

How do you think your experience at linebacker helps you playing safety?

I knew the run fits really well. So, I kind of knew how the line was going to move and it made it super easy because as a linebacker you’re so close to it. And you really just have to key in on one piece—you can’t see the whole thing—where when you’re further back, you can key one piece, but you can still see the entire thing in your peripheral.

I have to imagine you’re much more comfortable coming into the position this fall camp. How does that change things for you?

It helps with confidence, really. I know what the calls are going to be—I know what to expect. Even with receiver routes, before I didn’t really have to worry about the entirety of

route concepts, but I do now playing safety. And now, just understanding how the quarterback’s progression works and how routes are going to be flowing back—now I have a whole season of that under my belt to leverage.

Do you feel like a leader within the group now that you know what’s going on?

Yeah, for sure. So it was interesting because when I was playing linebacker, I was probably in contention to be in that captain mold, but then I got switched to safety and I didn’t know what I was doing. So, it’s almost like I was a rookie in that room, but I was still a leader on the team. So it was a super interesting mix... This season has given me a lot more freedom to lead and also know what’s happening on the field.

So whose idea was it to switch it? Was it the coach’s idea to switch you to safety?

It actually happened before the 2022 season even ended. We were having conversations about how we were going to fill the room with two or three of our starters and our key role players leaving... I remember that Coach Olson talked to me at the end of the year meeting and told me, ‘Hey, Cole, this might be something that we’re looking at doing.’ And then we had another player transfer out and he brought it up to the defensive staff. As the story goes, Coach Entz had a very blank stare on his face when that was first brought up.

Q&A

with Kaedin Steindorf

As an NDSU fan, Kaedin Steindorf, is probably the last player you want to see step on the field. However, across 45 games played, Steindorf has been a model of consistency for the Bison and a key piece of their success. How has your summer been? What do you think you improved on this offseason?

I definitely got a lot stronger in the weight room. And then just got more experience with consistency and just being able to control the field.

Your dad was a kicker, do you ever lean on him for advice?

Absolutely. He’s the reason I started kicking. I got bored in soccer one day was like, ‘Hey, do you want to teach

me how to punt?’ He was a Junior College All-American punter. So, he’s been my coach from day one, and he’ll always be my coach. What age did you start that?

That was my sophomore year of high school.

So, that was pretty late. Did it click right away?

I’d say kicking was a lot easier. I was primarily a kicker in high school. I never punted until halfway through my junior year. Kicking came naturally because of soccer, but punting took a while.

What have you been seeing from the rest of the team?

Our defense is clicking. Our offense is trending in the right direction. But I’m very excited

because I see a lot more positives than in previous years. Is there anyone in particular that’s kind of standing out to you?

We’ve got a lot of defensive players that are balling out. All of our linebackers from LB Luke Weerts to LB Logan Kopp, even to our freshmen—they’re all playing very well. And then offensively, besides players like RB TK Marshall and WR Braylon Henderson who is having an exception camp, and WR RaJa Nelson who is playing well, we just have a lot of guys that are filling the roles even better than expectations.

you have any post-graduate plans?

I’m definitely going to ride this as long as I can and see if I can get a shot somewhere. If I don’t, I’m getting my master’s in leadership in sport. So, the goal is to try and get somewhere to be part of an athletic department.

The 2024

Schedule

@ Colorado

Thursday, August 29

7 p.m. ESPN/Bison Sports Network

vs. Tennessee State

Saturday, September 7

2:30 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

@ East Tennesse State

Saturday, September 14 @ East

4:30 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

vs. Towson

Saturday, September 21

1 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

@ Illinois State

Saturday, September 28

2 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

vs. North Dakota

Saturday, October 5

2:30 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

@ Southern Illinois

Saturday, October 12

2 p.m. ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

vs. South Dakota State

Saturday, October 19 ESPN Network TBD/Bison Sports Network

@ Murray State

Saturday, October 26 1 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

vs. Northern

Iowa

Saturday, November 2

2:30 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

vs. Missouri Sate

Saturday, November 16

2:30 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

@ South Dakota

Saturday, November 23 1 p.m. ABC ND/ESPN+/Bison Sports Network

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

NDSU IS AN IMPRESSIVE 39-23 OVER THE PAST TWO SEASONS.

HOWEVER, THE BISON HAVE NOT TOPPED THE CONFERENCE SINCE 2011. THIS SEASON, THEY’RE LOOKING TO CHANGE THAT.

Head Coach

JENNIFER LOPEZ

Jennifer Lopez is entering her 8th season as head coach at NDSU. She has groomed all-conference performers, reached post-season tournament play, and come close to capturing a conference crown multiple times. She hasn’t done it all, but she has done a lot. And in 2024, she can add a new experience to her resume, coaching as a mother, thanks to the birth of her son Jalen in April.

Q & A

How has having a kid changed you? Do you have a different perspective?

I definitely think I do. I think going through the pregnancy and being around the team, even during that time, I think changed how I understand things and how I prioritize time. I think it’s something pretty special that I get to share with this group. It has changed me, but I think in a good way.

I think, as a coach, you can tend to dwell on things. You can go home and think about how practice was, how a kid is doing, or what you need to do to prepare for the next four months down the road. I think my son has definitely allowed me be in the moment with him in a really good way. But then also, with my team, I get to be in the moment with them.

I never thought someone would change me in the way that he has. To have him around the team is so much fun.

What has Coach Kris Grunwald brought to the staff?

He has been awesome. The level of knowledge of the game that he has as a coach and his experience has been something I feel like I’ve been able to learn so much from during his time here. I think being able to utilize his knowledge base and his ways and what he’s found to work and not through his time is something I truly value. And I think he’s been able to add a lot, both on the defensive side of things and on the offensive side of things. I think this program has been able to greatly benefit from his experience and having him a part of our team.

You guys have a lot of key players coming back, but you also lost a lot of key players. Who is stepping into those vacated roles? Every program goes through the process of losing a person who has been in charge or a person who is running the offense or a person person who is the glue. That was Kelley Johnson for us for a couple of years. I think being able to go through the off-season, and some responsibilities not just falling on one person—we had 10 returners this spring who stepped up in a lot of ways to get better in their own right— betters everybody else.

Photo by Gary Ussery

FRESHMEN The

These five newcomers are looking to make an already talented squad even better.

Suamico, WI Setter EMILY BRUSS #15

Ankeny, IA Opposite TANITH ROUSH #4

Hendricks, MN Defensive Specialist SADIE JOHNSON #12

Farmington, MN Setter/Defensive Specialist MADDY DOMBECK #5

#11

Franklin, TN Defensive Specialist LAYLA

SOPHOMORES The

Meet the sophomores!

JUNIORS The

SENIORS The

These seniors have been making a big impact on NDSU for a long time. The Bison have been knocking at the door and these athletes are ready to take them to the top of the Summit League.

ALEXIS BOLING #9

Waukesha, WI

LOGAN

ALI HINZE

MORGAN MIDDLETON

READY TO BATTLE

Ali Hinze is Ready for 2024

Ali Hinze has battled to enter the 2024 season 10th all-time for kills in NDSU history. Before even coming to NDSU, she had to have spinal surgeries. This season, she is facing a new set of challenges, but is tough as nails and is ready to take them on.

How was your summer?

It was good. I interned at Vogel Law Firm on the marketing side of things. They are going to keep me hired until January 2025, so that’s exciting.

Are you wanting to work in marketing then?

I really don’t know, but what I was doing didn’t seem like a job to me. It was event planning and other things I enjoy. I would like to go into medical sales. But with that, you need a sales internship to really start up.

It also might be fun to go into marketing, but Kris [Grunwald] is trying to get me to go play pro after this season.

So, I don’t know. I have all of these options.

What does that process look like for going pro in volleyball?

I can’t sign an agent on a scholarship. Kris is figuring it out for me right now. I honestly

don’t know the process of everything. They would start in December, which is right after the season and I need two surgeries after the season. So, I don’t know how that works, but I would enjoy it. The biggest thing would just be being away from home and my family.

Do you ever think about the fact that you’re closing in on some records within the program and climbing the top 10 list for kills?

I try not to let it get in my head too much, I know it’s there in the back of my head and I’m working every single day to get to that because, obviously, I would like to be up there and break some of those records.

What type of surgeries do you need after this season?

I have a 10-centimeter cyst on my adrenal gland... It might have been cancer so NDSU helped me get doctor’s appointments and we figured out it wasn’t cancer. So, I’ll do surgery

for that right after the season and they’ll biopsy it just to make sure.

I also have three torn ligaments in my foot, and then a bone is shifted in the wrong position so I’ll need foot surgery after the season.

So, how are you feeling with all of that going on?

I would say my cyst was tough. I mean, I got good news. But knowing my mom has breast cancer, and just hearing the word cancer, it’s like, ‘No, this can’t be real.’ But NDSU helped me through that, and the coaches especially. They don’t have to be involved in that stuff, and they choose to be. They even came to some of my doctor’s appointments and whatnot. So, I feel pretty good about it now. Obviously, it can rupture and I can have internal bleeding but I’ve had it since last November. So, I’m sure I’ll be fine.

I’m sure you had options to transfer. Why did you stay with NDSU?

This is my second family. I would never change a thing about everything that NDSU has to offer. My teammates are my best friends. My coaches support me like no other, and especially with my mom’s health, I don’t want to be far from home. And my coaches are so good knowing like, you need to go home, go home, and they like that has just been such a big part of like, nobody’s gonna support me like they do here.

Photo by Gary Ussery

The 2024 Volleyball

at North Dakota

Tuesday, October 22

St. Thomas

at South Dakota State

Kansas City

vs. North Dakota

Roberts

South Dakota

Thursday, October 7 5:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

AFTER GOING 3-12-1 IN 2021, THE NDSU WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM HAS BEEN STEADILY BUILDING.

NOW, IN 2024, THE TEAM MAY BE PRIMED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH EIGHT SENIORS AND A FANTASTIC INFLUX OF YOUNG TALENT.

MIKE REGAN Head Coach

Mike Reagan is entering the seventh season as head coach of the women’s soccer team. The team is experienced and infused with talent from 11 incoming players. Let’s see what they can do in 2024.

*Interview conducted on August 22, the morning of NDSU’s home opener against Alabama State, game the Bison won 3-0 .

Q & A

What have you seen out of the team through the exhibition and the opening games?

We’ve had the exhibition and then we’ve had two regular season games. I think, in general—we’ve got 11 newcomers—with the short space of time that we have to develop the team and whatnot, I’m really happy with where we’re at with our development as a group and our understanding of what we’ve got to do moving forward to be as good as we want to be. I’m happy with the attitude and just the overall commitment from the group. Time will tell here, going down the stretch with games and opponents and things like that, to see where we’re really at, but early signs are definitely positive in our world.

You added Ashley St. Aubin to the staff this offseason, what does she bring to the team? She had a very good playing career and she has been with us now since April. I’ve been very, very impressed with her attitude towards getting better and her attitude about adding to the program. She’s a very talented young lady and we’re lucky to have her.

I think Olivia Watson is the

first person that people think of when they think of this team. Who are some of the other players that fans should be aware of?

We’ve got an interesting goalkeeping situation at the moment with three talented goalkeepers that we’re working with at the moment and we’re just kind of trying to figure out the best number one at the moment. I think that will take us a little bit of time here.

Jess Hanley, Tyreese Zacher, Ellie Sanchez, and Amaya Garrett are going to be really big players for us. In the midfield, Devon Kavanagh, and Hannah Arnold are going to be important and up top Olivia Watson and Morgan Russman are going to be as well.

We do honestly feel like we’ve got a lot more depth this year and players who can play in different spots and help us in different areas. We’re definitely excited about that.

And then, can you tell me about the freshmen?

We’ve got some international kids that we’ve brought in this year. We have one from Iceland (Alexandra Austmann Emilsdóttir), one from England (Amber Smith), two from

Germany (Sophie Horn and Sarah Horn), and one from Slovenia (Lori Škulj). We’ve also got a young lady from Wisconsin named Reese Berge who unfortunately won’t play this season due to injury, but we’re excited about her. We have Morgan Russman from Iowa who we are really excited about—she brings a lot of energy and ability from a goal-scoring perspective. Emerson Perrin is a Minot kid who has done pretty well since she has been here.

Why go the international route?

The domestic piece with recruiting is always very competitive. We had an opportunity just to do some recruiting in Europe over the winter break. We just felt that the European game is very much improving . It was just an opportunity for us to dive in a little bit and find players that maybe other schools weren’t able to find. The international kids bring good diversity. They bring a different approach. They bring a different background. I think it’s just very good for the culture of the program.

Photo by Geneva Nodland

FRESHMEN THE

This season, NDSU welcomes 10 freshmen to the squad this year—and they’re already making an impact! In fact, Morgan Russman scored two girls in her first-ever home game—a 3-0 win over Alabama State.

Germantown, WI Midfielder

Heimsheim, Germany Midfielder/Forward

Škofja Loka, Slovenia Defender

Peterborough, England Midfielder

Peterborough, England Midfielder

JUNIORS THE

Local Star

Olivia Watson’s Last Ride

Moorhead’s very own Olivia Watson is one of the most prolific goal scorers in NDSU Soccer history. 2024 will be her final season with the Bison.

What are your feelings coming into the final season?

It’s going to be really exciting and fun. I’m going to have a good time with the other seniors. It’s obviously really sad because it’s possibly my last time playing soccer this competitively.

Do you have any postgraduate plans?

Well, I’m graduating with an elementary education degree. So, I will teach at some point. I would like to try and play soccer, maybe overseas or something. But we will see.

Have you started student teaching or anything like that?

I’ve done a few practicums at a few of the middle schools here, but then I’ll start student teaching this coming spring.

What was the experience like with the practicums?

I really enjoyed it. I’ve done a few different grades. The youngest was third grade, and

the oldest was seventh grade. But I really like the older kids. I think middle schoolers are the ones I want to work with. Everyone says I’m crazy for that, but I really like that age—those kids are really funny.

What are your goals for the season?

I have had kind of the same personal goals since coming in as a freshman, which is to just increase the amount of goals I score every year. So, this year, I hopefully will get passed the double-digit mark for goals. For the team, our goal is definitely getting to the Summitt League Tournament and winning it.

What’s the experience like playing in front of the community you grew up in?

When I committed my junior year of high school, I had a lot of people behind me, and they were all really excited to see me play here, and those same people are still really excited, and they still come to all of my games. So, it’s really fun. It’s fun to be able to see all of my high school friends, especially in the summer, and they are all just really supportive. It’s just really nice to play in my community.

Was it your goal to play here growing up?

It was always kind of my goal to stay close to home and play Division I. So, this was kind of my dream option.

Are there any memories that stand out to you from your time here?

I feel like the biggest one is definitely when we went to England the spring of my freshman year. I feel like that was kind of our turning point in terms of friendships and our culture off the field. We became really close after that, and ever since then, I feel like my friendships have just been growing. That’s kind of the part that makes me most sad.

What do you like about the team into the season?

I really like how we have so many different players, especially with the international players we have this year. There are a few different styles of play going into the season. So, just depending on who’s playing with who, we can look like a different team each game.

The 2024 Women’s Soccer

Schedule

TEAM MAKERS

By Team Makers

NDSU’s Official

Watch Sites

Arizona

Mule Creek Saloon 16846 W Bell Rd Ste 100 Surprise, AZ 85374 623-584-8250

Native Grill & Wings 21164 N John Wayne Parkway

Maricopa, AZ 85138 520-568-6077

Philly’s Sports Grill 1826 N Scottsdale Rd Tempe, AZ 85281 480-946-6666

R.T. O’Sullivans

6646 E Superstition Springs Blvd Mesa, AZ 85206 480-396-9933

Union Grill & Tap 1686 N Higley Rd Suite #101 Gilbert, AZ 85234 480-935-5800

Colorado

Moe’s Original BBQ 675 30th St Boulder, CO 80303 303-440-4227

Be sure to check out NDSU’s official watch sites for the 2024 football season!

Idaho

Paws & Brews

4565 E Seltice Way Post Falls, ID 83854 208-719-9777

Minnesota

Buffalo Wild Wings 2201 1st Ave N Moorhead, MN 56560 218-512-0400

Clive’s Roadhouse 13050 Aldrich Ave S Burnsville, MN 55337 952-426-3625

Mabel Murphy’s 3401 MN-210 Fergus Falls, MN 56537 218-739-4406

Padraigs Brewing 945 Broadway St NE Minneapolis, MN 55413 612-489-7100

Pit 611 15057 Co Hwy 11 Audubon, MN 56511 218-439-6121

Ultimate Sports Bar and Grill

1101 Division St. Waite Park, MN 56387 320-251-5580

Wilkin Drink & Eatery 2020 508 Minnesota Ave Breckenridge, MN 56520 218-643-3862

Montana

Double Barrel Saloon and Casino

401 S Ellery Ave Fairview, MT 59221 406-742-8110

North Dakota

Barcode Bar & Grill 835 23rd Ave E West Fargo, ND 58078 701-532-2900

Blarney Stone Pub 1910 9th St. E West Fargo, ND 58078 701-532-1500

101 Broadway N Fargo, ND 58102 701-478-8888

Buffalo Wild Wings 1515 19th Ave N Fargo, ND 58102 701-280-9464

Buffalo Wild Wings 1501 42nd St SW Fargo, ND 58104 701-356-9464

Buffalo Wild Wings 218 S 3rd St Bismarck, ND 58504 701-323-9464

Buffalo Wild Wings 3420 N 14th St Bismarck, ND 58503 701-751-2568

Chub’s Pub & Package Place

421 N University Dr Fargo, ND 58102 701-235-8425

Dusty’s Bar and Grill 620 Front St Casselton, ND 58012 701-346-0110

Herd & Horns Bar & Grill 1414 12th Ave N Fargo, ND 58102 701-551-7000

Holliday Inn Fargo & Spirits Lounge

3803 13th Ave S Fargo, ND 58103

701-282-2700

Ironwood on Main 104 Main Ave S Hankinson, ND 58041 701-242-7767

Knickerbocker Liquor Locker 412 Main Ave Hickson, ND 58047 701-588-4282

Old 281 Tavern 241 6th St E Minnewaukan, ND 58351

The Depot and Baggage Claim

15 Main St N Minot, ND 58703

701-839-8030

The Piggy BBQ 816 24th Ave E #118 West Fargo, ND 58078

702-755-3806

Proz Sports Bar & Grille 101 6th St NE Devils Lake, ND 58301 701-662-2101

Sidelines Bar & Grill

205 Main St N Berthold, ND 58718 701-453-3445

SideStreet Grille & Pub 404 4th Ave N Fargo, ND 58102

701-271-0092

Spitfire

1660 13th Ave. E

West Fargo, ND 58078

701-478-8667

Suite Shots 3400 James Wy. S Fargo, ND 58104

701-532-4653

Town Hall Bar 103 Main Ave W West Fargo, ND 58078

701-282-3568

Twin Peaks 1515 42nd St S Fargo, ND 58103 701-515-4685

Velva Star City Golf Course 4525 Hwy 41 N Velva, ND 58790 701-338-2363

Woody’s Bar & Grill

1550 32nd Ave S Fargo, ND 58103

701-241-9817

South Dakota

Credo’s Pub 5520 W. Success Street, Ste 100

Sioux Falls, SD 57107

605-275-5750

Tennessee

Crow’s Nest 2221 Bandywood Dr Nashville, TN 37215

615-783-0720

Texas

Kennedy’s Public House 19179 Blanco Rd San Antonio, TX 78258

210-764-1333