North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance is the fourth FCS/Division I-AA quarterback to be drafted in the top 10 since the Division I split in 1978, getting picked No. 3 overall by San Francisco.
Lance joins an elite list — Morehead State’s Phil Simms (No. 7 in 1979), Alcorn State’s Steve McNair (No. 3 in 1995), and NDSU’s Carson Wentz (No. 2 in 2016).
He is the third-straight NDSU starting quarterback to get drafted with Easton Stick selected in the fifth round in 2019.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder was a HERO Sports First Team All-American in 2019. Lance won the Jerry Rice Award for best FCS freshman and was the first freshman to win the Walter Payton Award, given to the best offensive player in the subdivision. Lance went 192-of-287 passing for 2,786 yards, 28 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He was just as dominant with his legs, rushing for 1,100 yards and another 14 TDs. NDSU went 16-0 en route to its eighth national title in nine years.
Lance played in only one game in the fall of 2020 due to the FCS playing its season this spring.
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“In my time, I have not,” NDSU quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg told HERO Sports last year when asked if he’s seen a second-year quarterback with Lance’s level of skill set. Hedberg has been a college coach since 1982 and has been coaching the Bison QBs since 2014. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with great QBs. For a second-year guy, he probably rivals Easton in the regard that they both have a high football IQ as second-year freshmen. His maturity and poise have been off the charts this year.”
