FARGO – Cole Payton arrived in Fargo in June 2021 as one of the most promising recruits in North Dakota State’s Division I era.
The 6’3″, 225-pound quarterback showed off his talent right away, scoring a 37-yard touchdown in his first game as a Bison. Since then, expectations have been high for the Omaha, Nebraska, native.
Payton also shone last season, scoring touchdowns of 70, 61, 65 and 43 yards, each more spectacular than the last, enough to earn the highest praise from the man he is competing with for the starting quarterback job.
“He’s the best athlete on the team, so we have to find ways to get him on the field. And I’ve emphasized that to the coaches over and over again,” said Bison quarterback Cam Miller.
Miller added, “I probably shouldn’t say this publicly, but I would vote for him as captain. For a kid who does everything right and embodies Bison pride and what it means to be a Bison.”
High praise from a guy who just named a captain for the second year in a row. But that comes naturally when you ask Payton’s teammates.
“It’s humbling. It’s an honor. Because when he talks to the team, I listen to him. When I get the chance to say something, it’s motivating and humbling,” Payton said.
David Samson/The Forum
Payton has faced a new challenge since the start of fall camp.
Universal knife. As it is, it is everywhere on the football field.
He was the quarterback under center. He played running back, tight end, and pass catcher.
He was even used as a placeholder for field goals and extra points and in the outside position on special teams.
It really is Payton’s Place.
“I’ve actually had a blast doing it. Some of these special teams drills are fun to learn and compete in. When you play quarterback in practice, you don’t get hit at all, so you actually get a good feeling.
I love it. That’s why football is so great because of the contact.”
Payton has been able to generate a lot of physical contact on his runs. Last season, he scored 13 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for the team lead, seven of which came in the last five games.
He’s still the quarterback, but the Bison team knows that Payton can bring something unique to the field in the matchup against Colorado.
“He’s going to get that chance,” quarterback coach Randy Hedberg said.
“You’re going to see him out there. You’re going to see him play, and he’s going to have some great opportunities to carry the ball and throw it, too.”
If there’s one disadvantage Bison fans have toward Payton, it’s that they’ve never seen the big left-hander throw the football. In three years, he’s attempted just 42 passes, including three touchdown passes.
“As a quarterback, you can’t just run the ball. We have some good running backs that you can just throw the ball to, so you have to be able to throw the ball here. That’s what I’ve always focused on. Just continue to gain confidence and continue to work at it and work at it.”
If Miller moves on after this season, the reins will be handed over to Payton, who has been anointed as the next great Bison quarterback. It could turn out that Payton is simply the next great Bison to go pro.
“It’s about making the most of it when I’m called upon. I have to do what the team asks of me, whether I’m quarterback or not, and I just have to be prepared and ready for all of those situations.”
Dom Izzo is the sports director for WDAY-TV. He started working at WDAY in 2006 as a weekend sports anchor and was promoted to sports director in 2010.
