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NDSU may have to contend with E.J. Colson this season.
North Dakota State will face its toughest slate of opposing quarterbacks in school history this year, and the Bison will see a former Big 12 signal caller along the way.
Former Central Florida quarterback and four-star recruit E.J. Colson has been named the starter for UTEP, which the Bison play on Oct. 31 in Fargo. Colson transferred to UTEP after appearing in three games at UCF in 2024 and throwing for 2,142 yards and 16 touchdowns for Incarnate Word in 2025.
“I think our team is craving an alpha dog at quarterback to lead our locker room,” UTEP head coach Scotty Walden told reporters during spring practices via KFOX 14. “In a situation before, we had a transfer come in, and he waited until he got the respect of the locker room before taking over as the alpha. EJ situation has been different. While no one has been named the starter, he has jumped right into the pool. I think that is what we need.”
UTEP could become a trap game for NDSU. Also a Mountain West Conference newcomer, the Miners have struggled over the past two decades with just one winning season.
Whether or not Colson could make a massive shift for the Miners as the alpha is another question. Colson led Incarnate Word to a 5-7 record last season and missed the FCS playoffs.
Why E.J. Colson Could Be a Threat Against NDSU
While NDSU’s defense dominated the FCS, dual-threat quarterbacks were a problem at times.
Colson was ranked No. 11 among dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2024 class, and he showed that ability at Incarnate Word. He rushed for 287 yards and three touchdowns on 108 carries.
Over the years, NDSU has had trouble with former FCS dual-threat quarterbacks Jerrick McKinnon, Trey Roberson, Taryn Christion and Cam Ward. All four made plays with their legs that kept the Bison defense off balance.
McKinnon nearly led Georgia Southern to a win over NDSU in the 2012 playoffs, and Roberson helped Illinois State give the Bison all they could handle in the 2014 FCS championship. Christion led South Dakota State to a win over the Bison in 2017, and Ward nearly led Incarnate Word past the Bison in the 2022 playoffs.
While UTEP may not even be on par with the aforementioned teams, the Bison won’t want Colson to give the defense trouble in a critical late-season conference game.
NDSU Offensive Coordinator Addresses Starting QB
The Bison are also set at starting quarterback with senior Nathan Hayes getting his chance after four seasons in the program.
Hayes will take over for Cole Payton, who went to the Philadelphia Eagles as a fifth-round pick. The West Chicago native has appeared sparingly in 15 games with 595 yards for seven touchdowns and 178 yards rushing for two touchdowns.
“And you know, we’re still trying to work through that a little bit with Nate, but I think we knocked some things down a little bit, and we elevated some things over the course of the spring to make him feel like this is moving in his direction of being this his offense,” NDSU offensive coordinator told Bison 1660 AM on Monday. “Our vision of our offense goes through his eyes.”
Matthew Davis covers the NFL, WNBA and college sports for Heavy.com. As a contributing writer to the StarTribune, he has also covered Minnesota prep sports since 2016. More about Matthew Davis