Getty

North Dakota State came up short in a recent recruiting battle with old rival UND.

North Dakota State doesn’t have a monopoly on recruiting football talent among the Dakota schools despite the recent move up to the FBS.

Omaha, Nebraska, standout cornerback Re’Aire Washington chose one of NDSU’s former FCS rivals, North Dakota, instead in the recruiting process. Washington also had offers from South Dakota and South Dakota State.

Last season for Omaha North, Washington tallied 25 tackles, six pass breakups and three interceptions. Two of those picks went for touchdowns. He also caught eight passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bison won’t get the 6-foot-0 prospect, but NDSU has talented defensive backs coming in the 2027 recruiting class. That includes safeties Robenson Duclona and Cody Braun.

Duclona is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound three-star recruit from Bishop Verot in Fort Myers, Florida. He became the first official commit of the Bison’ 2027 class, the first as an FBS program. Duclona passed on offers from Florida International, Liberty, Toledo and Miami of Ohio.

Braun is a 6-foot-0, 190-pound prospect, who passed on Division II Minnesota State-Mankato.

Playoff Eligibility a Factor For 2027 Recruiting Class

NDSU’s postseason eligibility is a factor for the 2027 recruiting since the program could be postseason eligible for all four or five years of their collegiate careers and beforehand.

The Bison received approval from the NCAA Division I FBS Oversight Committee on May 7 to play in the postseason. That includes the Mountain West Conference title game and College Football Playoff as early as 2026.

NDSU’s request to lift the two-year postseason ban for transitioning teams now heads to the Division I cabinet in July, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. If that final hurdle clears, the 2027 class could arrive in Fargo with a program that played in the CFP or at least a bowl game.

Worst-case scenario, members of the 2027 class will be able to compete with the Bison for a CFP spot by 2028 if the two-year ban isn’t lifted. The Bison could go to a bowl game either way since there haven’t been sufficient bowl-eligible teams in recent years.

Tracking the Bison’s 2027 Class

NDSU has 13 hard commits already for the 2027 class, and that includes both players in the trenches and skill positions. Here’s a look at the class so far.

While the Bison missed on Washington, the Herd landed one recruit from Nebraska in offensive lineman Bryce Vigness. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound three-star standout plays for Papillion-La Vista, and he committed on April 28.

Austyn Wittek of New Richmond, Wisconsin, became the first running back in the 2027 class. Wittek is 6-foot-0, 190 pounds.

Martin Sleen became the second running back in the class on April 11. Sleen is a 5-foot-11, 187-pound recruit from Hermantown, Minnesota.

NDSU also added 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive lineman Jack Noonan from Rosemount, Minnesota, in March. Offensive lineman Jack Tabbert, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound prospect from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, also committed to the Herd in March.

The Bison also added edges in 6-foot-3, 215-pound Bloomington Jefferson standout Dorian Ward and Mahtomedi 6-foot-3, 230-pound standout Jacob Sokoll, both from Minnesota. Linebacker Ashton Van Beek, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect from Neenah, Wisconsin, also committed to the Bison defense.

NDSU also landed major size in 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive lineman Andrew Matt from Carrington, North Dakota. The Bison also secured tight end Hunter Peterson, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound prospect from Watertown, South Dakota.