NDSU’sWentz a hit for recruiting

ByDaveKolpack FARGO, N.D. » North Dakota State coaches enjoyed some free advertising while they were on the recruiting trail for this year’s class.

Standout quarterback Carson Wentz was fresh off a dramatic national championship victory and wowing Senior Bowl observers when the Bison staff was putting the finishing touches on more than two dozen new recruits, most of whom showed as much interest inWentz as the North Dakota State program.

The Bison cashed in.

“It was like a walking billboard for North Dakota State,” coach Chris Klieman said, referring to the weeklong Senior Bowl publicity. “Some of the prospects and parents could see that you could make it from FCS. Therewere a lot of FCS players in that game, but you usually don’t see a quarterback.”

Wentz, projected by some experts to be selected as high as No. 2 in the NFL draft, has added a face to a program that has done all it can to make a name in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Bison won their fifth straight FCS title last month whenWentz, aftermissing 10 weeks with a broken wrist, made a hero’s entrance and exit in his last game.

The buzz forWentz didn’t really take off until the Senior Bowl.

“When it came down to the Senior Bowl, those teams knew about him,” Bison quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg said. “The national media probably wasn’t aware of him. There was ( FBS players) Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook. They probably didn’t know that this guy and FCS North Dakota State had this type of ability.” The Bison had eight alumni in the NFL this past season, including Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley, but the program hasn’t had a player with this much buildup.

“The buzz around Carson is something thatwe haven’t seen,” Klieman said. “We’ve had a lot of good prospects who have either been drafted or have been free agents in the last five years. But with Carson’s notoriety, especially theway hewas injured and came back to play in the championship game ... this is probably a precedent around here.”