The college football landscape tends to be one of “haves” and “have nots.”
Powerhouse programs such as Alabama and Ohio State regularly produce a slew of NFL Draft picks each year, and some of the biggest programs are well represented among NFL starting quarterbacks. North Dakota State is an outlier. The Bison, who don’t even play at the FBS level, have churned out NFL quarterback after NFL quarterback, in addition to some significant offensive line prospects.
On Thursday night, a new name joins the list of North Dakota State quarterbacks to start an NFL game. With Justin Herbert out for the remainder of the season, Easton Stick will take over for the Chargers after multiple years waiting for the opportunity to make an appearance.
Stick didn’t enter the NFL with as much fanfare as some of the league’s other NDSU alumni, but he has a chance to prove himself over the season’s final four games just as many other backups already have this season.
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Here’s a closer look at which NFL quarterbacks North Dakota State has produced over the years.
North Dakota State QBs in the NFL in 2023
Three North Dakota State quarterbacks have reached the NFL, and all three are active. Before Stick replaced an injured Herbert in Week 14, however, the trio had combined to throw zero regular-season passes this year.
Carson Wentz helped put the Bison on the map in 2015, when he became one of the premier prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played well enough to be selected second overall by the Eagles and quickly found success, making a bid for MVP in 2017 before a torn ACL cut short his season. Wentz posted strong numbers in the years that followed, but he regressed heavily in 2020 and endured ups and downs with the Colts and Commanders in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Wentz signed with the Rams in November and is serving as the backup to Matthew Stafford.
Trey Lance was selected third overall by the 49ers in 2021, a pick that was a true gamble after North Dakota State played just one game in 2020. San Francisco bet on Lance’s raw talent, and it didn’t pan out. He made only four starts in two seasons with the 49ers before getting traded to the Cowboys before this season. Lance is currently No. 3 on Dallas’ depth chart behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
Easton Stick found himself in a similar situation for multiple years, albeit without the draft status of Lance. A fifth-round pick of the Chargers in 2019, Stick was kept around by Los Angeles despite being third on the depth chart for most of his first four NFL seasons. After working his way up to No. 2, Stick now has a crucial stretch ahead for his own future.
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North Dakota State quarterbacks in the NFL
North Dakota State has produced 50 NFL players, with 28 entering the league in the last 15 years alone.
Christian Watson, Billy Turner and Cody Mauch are among some of the most notable Bison draft picks in recent years, but quarterbacks seem to be where North Dakota State makes its name. Among the three signal-callers produced by the Bison, two were top-three picks in the NFL Draft.
If this season has taught us anything, a quarterback doesn’t have to be a high draft pick to find success in the NFL. Stick has four games to prove he belongs, and sitting behind Herbert for four years is one of the best ways to learn how to make the most of an opportunity.
Here’s a look at the stats and records for North Dakota State’s NFL quarterbaks.
| Year | Name | Round (Pick) | Record | Career passing stats |
| 2016 | Carson Wentz | 1 (2) | 46-45-1 | 22,129 yards, 151 TD, 66 INT |
| 2019 | Easton Stick | 5 (166) | 0-0 | 183 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT |
| 2021 | Trey Lance | 1 (3) | 2-2 | 797 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT |
