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Cole Payton dominated in Fargo when he had the chance.

North Dakota State’s dominance of the FCS led to a move up to the FBS, and the program’s quarterback presence in the NFL draft rivals that of the FBS elite.

The Bison social media team celebrated the program producing a fifth NFL quarterback in a decade, and that tied Alabama and Ohio State for the most quarterbacks drafted since 2016. Cole Payton became the latest former NDSU quarterback in the league when the Philadelphia Eagles took him with the No. 178 pick during the fifth round on April 25 in Pittsburgh.

“Make that five in a row! With the Eagles’ selection of Cole Payton in the NFL Draft, the Bison now have five QBs drafted in the past 11 years,” the social media team wrote.

It started in 2016 when the Eagles took former Bison quarterback Carson Wentz with the No. 2 pick in the draft. Wentz burst on the scene in Fargo with two national championship seasons in 2014 and 2015 after sitting behind former Bison quarterback Brock Jensen for three seasons between 2011 and 2013.

Easton Stick became the second Bison quarterback drafted with a fifth-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019. Stick led the Bison to another three FCS titles as the full-time starter in Fargo.

Trey Lance kept the tradition going with an unbeaten 2019 national championship season for the Bison, and he landed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 as the No. 3 pick. Cam Miller then led the Bison to a pair of national titles before the Las Vegas Raiders took him with a sixth-round pick in 2025.

Cole Payton Didn’t Want to Transfer Amid Wait

Besides joining the Eagles, Payton could relate to Wentz for the wait.

Payton didn’t play right away at NDSU and then almost only in run packages while Miller remained entrenched as the starter. That said, Payton didn’t want to transfer, as he told the Philadelphia media after being selected.

“I mean, it was tough,” Payton told reporters on April 25. “It wasn’t easy, for sure. Being the competitor I am, you know, I just love football. And so it was tough at times and people ask, like, ‘Why didn’t you transfer?’ And it’s because I believe in myself, the pro-style offense, the fact that they have sent so many guys to the NFL.

“And I felt that looking ahead, I had one year and I was going to make the most of that one year. And, you know, here I am,” Payton added. “But I’m just so excited to be an Eagle and get to work and compete and improve and learn and grow.”

Cole Payton Credits NDSU For NFL Readiness

Payton made the most of his lone season as the starter with 2,719 yards passing for 16 touchdowns and 777 rushing for 13 touchdowns.

He led the Bison to a 12-0 record and Missouri Valley Football Conference title before a shocking home playoff loss to Illinois State in December 2025. For Payton, it wasn’t just the one season as a starter with the Bison that prepared him for the NFL.

“I’ve been thinking about and dreaming about the NFL since I was a kid,” Payton said. “Growing up just loving the game of football, loving sports and wanting to play in the NFL has been a dream of mine since a young age. And yeah, NDSU was so attractive in the fact that they had sent guys to the league already and that it was a true pro-style offense.”

“And I think that’s why we’ve had guys in the league because we’re huddling up, I’m getting a play call from coach [offensive coordinator Dan] Larson in my helmet about 75 percent of the time,” Payton added. “And yeah, that was a huge reason on why I went to NDSU, with that dream in mind.”