McFeely: 10 observations from Bison spring practice

FARGO — To say North Dakota State appears headed for a good football season in 2025 would win the Captain Obvious Award going away. Since its Football Championship Subdivision dynasty began in 2011, NDSU's overall record in the 14 seasons since is 186-21 with 10 national titles. That's a winning percentage of 89.8%.

Throw out the unnecessary and silly spring season in 2021 after the 2020 fall season was washed away by COVID, when the Bison went 7-3, and the winning percentage jumps to 90.8%.

So to attend a spring practice and write that the Bison should be pretty good again this fall would not be labeled as breaking news.

That said, the Bison should be pretty good again this fall.

There will be questions following their 10th national championship, earned with a 35-32 victory over Montana State in early January.

Quarterback Cam Miller is gone, a possible late-round NFL Draft pick. Left tackle Grey Zabel, a possible first-round draft choice, is gone with bookend right tackle Mason Miller. Defensively, tackles Eli and Will Mostaert graduated with middle linebacker Nick Kubitz. Both specialists in kicker Griffin Crosa and punter Kaedin Steindorf graduated.

Add in the changes on the Bison coaching staff, most notably longtime assistant Dan Larson taking over at offensive coordinator for the departed Jake Landry and the retirement of legendary quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg, and there are plenty of areas over which NDSU fans can fret heading into the Aug. 30 opener at The Citadel.

But there is reason for optimism, too.

Media are allowed very brief windows to attend spring practices — about 45 minutes once a week for four weeks, plus the Spring Showcase event April 22 — so it's tough to get a handle on what's happening. So take the following thoughts for what they're worth.

Here are 10 observations from watching a spring practice for 45 minutes last week, in no particular order:

Cole Payton is an absolute beast at quarterback. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound senior left-hander might be the best athlete on the team and when he gets running the ball downhill ... uff da. We know this, of course, from his limited performances the last three seasons behind Miller and the biggest question will be whether he can make the right calls and throw the ball well enough to be a threat in the passing game, but if things break down and he gets loose in the secondary Payton is a very fast, very big runaway freight train as he showed in practice.

No. 2 QB Nathan Hayes will be a quality backup. He has the strongest arm of the QBs and might be faster than Payton. The question would seem to be whether he has command of the offense as well as Payton. Not sure whether he'll push Payton enough for there to be a true competition for the starting job, but Hayes looks good.

Side note: Woolly bearded true freshman Zander Smith looks like a grown man at 6-3, 225 pounds.

The Bison are in better shape at running back than they were a year ago with redshirt sophomore Marty Brown having a year of experience and senior Barika Kpeenu looking slightly bigger and extremely confident. Sources say there's a healthy competition between Brown and Kpeenu. Senior Owen Johnson is back from a knee injury after missing all of last season and appeared to be the No. 3 back.

True freshman Myles "Money" Mitchell took some reps with the top offense and has burst. He'll see some action this fall, would be a guess.

Junior college transfer Barry Kpeenu, Barika's younger brother, is slowed by an injury and wasn't participating in the open practice, but was said to be impressive before getting hurt.

Also in the category of non-breaking news, receivers Bryce Lance (6-3, 210), Chris Harris (6-3, 210) and Mekhi Collins (6-4, 215) look huge. Senior RaJa Nelson wasn't practicing and it's logical speedster sophomore Jackson Williams will play a role in the offense, but what stood out last week was the size of the trio.

Everybody knows what Lance can do, but Harris might be the most intriguing pass-catcher. He's big, put-together, fast and smooth. Harris looks like what a Division I receiver should look like. He had 29 catches a year ago, tied for second-best on the team behind Lance's 75, and one could expect that to increase this fall.

It appeared the offensive line was set at a few spots. Returning starters Trent Fraley and left guard Griffin Empey were with the top unit. Sophomore Beau Johnson was at left tackle. Sophomore Nate Schnekloth was at right guard and junior Josh Magin was at right tackle early in the open window. Jack Liwienski was in the mix at right guard, too. Later in the open window, redshirt freshman Nate Tastad took some reps with the No. 1s at right tackle.

While the offensive line has plenty of size, it doesn't appear to have the giants of some past teams. Johnson is 6-6 but weighs "only" 290 at tackle. Empey is sub-300 pounds at guard. Fraley, Schnekloth and Magin are all listed at an even 300 pounds and that might be generous. By comparison, graduated tackles Zabel and Mason Miller were both 305 and graduated right guard Jack Rock was at 315. Hunter Poncius, who took over for Rock late in the playoffs after Rock suffered an injury, weighed 318 pounds.

Tight end will be interesting. Senior Carson Williams appears to be the starter and he played plenty last year behind graduated Joe Stoffel. After that? Shrug emoji.

Junior Kaden Zenzen took some reps with the top unit, as did senior Finn Diggins. Luke Kokat is a junior, as is Nate Forystek.

There aren't any Ben Ellefsons, Noah Gindorffs or Josh Babiczes walking through the door.

Fargo South product Reis Kessel looked like he had some length at 6-5, 235 but he's just a redshirt freshman.

The Bison won't have a tight end who can get downfield and catch passes and don't have any of the big, long bodies that, say, South Dakota State has had for the past several years. It's an area in which NDSU had a recruiting dip under previous head coach Matt Entz.

Seniors Jaxon Duttenhefer and Kody Huisman is a good place to start at defensive tackle. Sophomore Keenan Wilson is a good one, too. There's some meanness to the defensive tackles.

Seniors Logan Kopp and Enock Sibomana weren't participating at the open practice, so the group on the field with the No. 1 unit was sophomore Donovan Woolen and junior Austin Altepeter on the outside with junior Nathan Staehling in the middle. Staehling would be favored to be a starter, just reading the situation.

The group on the field was bigger than linebackers NDSU had in recent years. Woolen is 6-4, 220. Staehling is 6-2, 235. Altepeter is 6-2, 220.

Kopp is 6-1, 220 and Sibomana is 5-11, 205. A year ago, Oscar Benson was 6-1, 215 and Luke Weerts was 6-1, 220.

Both Nick Kubitz (6-3, 230) and Marcus Gulley (6-3, 225) from a year ago were bigger. Both could run.

Think back a couple of years and the outstanding James Kaczor was just 6-0, 215. He could really run.

Will the bigger bodies who seemingly will see some action this year for NDSU have that needed speed?

NDSU looked thin at defensive end and will need a younger player to grab a rotational spot. Sophomore Abraham Myers? Sophomore Victor Isele? Toby Anene looks like a dude, but there's work to do at this position.

The Bison were pursuing defensive ends in the transfer portal last fall and added Albany's Jack Iuliano, but they'll need another — and perhaps one who can start.

Seven months after the safety position was a puzzle with standout Cole Wisniewski lost to injury before the season started and coaches trying to mix and match before Sam Jung also went down to injury, NDSU looks in solid shape.

Senior Ryan Jones, who played two outstanding playoff games against South Dakota State in the semifinals and Montana State in the championship, was joined by junior Darius Givance with the top unit. Sophomore Jaylin Crumby, who started six games last season, is back, too.

Cornerback will be another interesting group to watch once fall camp begins. There's competition with this group. Texas Tech transfer Jalon Peoples has an aggressive edge and isn't afraid to talk a little to receivers on the field. Junior Jaquise Alexander, who was in and out of the lineup last season, looked like he was carrying himself with more confidence. Anthony Chideme-Alfaro started eight games last season and is in the mix. Sophomore Jailen Duffie also started eight games and will compete for a starting spot.

This is another position at which the Bison seemed thin a year ago, but they appear in better shape this spring.