Meet NDSU Bison QB Cole Payton, the most interesting prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft
His NFL Draft profile is one of the more fascinating ones in recent years.
On 19th Avenue and University Drive sits the Fargodome on the campus of the NDSU Bison. It has a long lineage of dominance at the FCS level with their last four starting quarterbacks being selected in the NFL Draft.
- 2016: Carson Wentz, 2nd overall
- 2019: Easton Stick, 166th overall
- 2021: Trey Lance, 3rd overall
- 2025: Cam Miller, 215th overall
The next quarterback in that impressive lineage is likely to be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he might be the most intriguing of them all, including everyone in the entire 2026 NFL Draft: Cole Payton.
Cole Payton is the next drafted quarterback from NDSU
This past season was the first for Payton as the starting quarterback in Fargo. He sat behind Miller for four seasons, which isn’t something you see often in today’s college football.
“The people man, the culture. That’s why I fell in love with the place,” Payton told me at the Senior Bowl. “That’s why I stayed. I got developed. I learned to play football there. Got developed as a quarterback, as a leader. I just felt, looking ahead, that one year at NDSU was going to mean much more than starting 2, 3, 4,years anywhere else.”
He’s got a point. Having lived in Fargo for nearly seven years myself, it’s a special place. The fans are passionate about the program, and they bleed green and gold. For an area that is around 300,000 in population, it’s a tight-knit community, including everyone’s favorite sub shop: Grand Junction, where Grandma is likely still behind the counter.
“The barnyard, yeah, with all the toppings and everything. Great fries too,”
The area is special, just like the program. During Payton’s tenure in Fargo, the Bison went 63-11 with two national championships. Those are a big reason why Payton ended up sitting, as Miler won the job in 2021 and started four-consecutive seasons. Those ended up being formative for Payton’s development.
“I think I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder, being that competitive, pushing him every day. You know, he [Miller] was pushing me, and I learned so much from him. But, you know, just being a small school guy starting for only one year, I definitely have a chip on my shoulder.”
While Payton may have learned a lot by sitting, it also clouds his NFL Draft evaluation.
Cole Payton’s NFL Draft stock is complicated
Let’s start here: Payton was tremendous in his one year as a starter for the Bison. He 71.2% of his passes for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He wasn’t just a good passer, he also ran for 894 yards and 13 touchdowns with a 7.5 yards per carry average.
One thing many will point to is his Pro Football Focus grade on the season of 95.9, which was the best in the history of the FCS football since they started charting. You can tell that Payton has a lot of tools overall, especially a live arm.
The live arm is really intriguing. You can tell that he’s mechanically raw, which isn’t much of a surprise considering he started just 14 games in college. What he did do a lot was run the ball with explosiveness, notching 31 rushes of 15+ yards in his career, with 2,069 yards and 31 touchdowns through his five seasons.
The profile is fascinating, with some comparing him directly to Taysom Hill. He measured in at 6-3 and 232 pounds, with a 4.56 40-yard dash, a 40″ vertical jump, 10’10” broad jump, and a 7.12 three-cone drill. That has prompted some to talk about him as a potential tight end or versatile weapon.
One other reason why that might be a factor is his lack of starting experience. Other quarterbacks who have started a minimal number of games in college have struggled in the NFL.
Let’s not include Rodgers and Newton in this exercise, because starting in junior college is still starting experience, even if it is just a year. Of those quarterbacks, only Tannehill, Murray, and Jones made the Pro Bowl. Even so, all three of those players didn’t stay with their initial team more than seven seasons. Even with their success, it’s not a long list.
The best comparison on the list might be Trubisky, as he waited three years to be a starting quarterback at North Carolina. His one season was promising, and it prompted the Chicago Bears to trade up one spot to second overall for him in a draft that included Patrick Mahomes.
Where does this leave Payton? Sitting behind Miller has made his draft stock more complicated, but he only didn’t start because of a multi-time national champion starting quarterback ahead of him. Right now, he’s a likely day two/early day three selection in the NFL Draft with a lot of potential. Is it the kind of potential that will launch him to be a starting quarterback in the NFL? Only time will tell on that, but it’s evident he’s got the most interesting profile in the class.
The other complicating factor is the fact that Payton is left-handed. It shouldn’t be an issue, but there isn’t a long list of successful quarterbacks who are left-handed in the NFL. It shouldn’t be a big issue, but it could be based on how teams view it on an overall level.
Regardless of what happens with his future in the NFL, Payton is going to be a fascinating watch, just like his sub order at Grand Junction.
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