North Dakota State Professional Athletes

A Fargo Pipeline Runs Through San Francisco

When Marques Sigle went down with a high ankle sprain during the 49ers' 24–14 win over the Denver Broncos on Oct. 4, the team didn't have to look far for a replacement. Malik Mustapha — another North Dakota State product — is set to step into the starting safety role, a development that puts two Bison in the defensive backfield conversation on the same NFL roster.

Sigle's injury had a brutal twist: he initially left in the third quarter with a stinger, returned on Denver's very next possession, and then sustained the more serious ankle injury shortly after. He'll miss time ahead of San Francisco's matchup with the Seahawks, but the 49ers' coaching staff appears confident the defense won't miss a beat. Kyle Shanahan said he was "real excited" about Mustapha's opportunity, a vote of confidence that carries weight from one of the league's more demanding head coaches. Sports Illustrated's analysis backed that optimism, noting that Mustapha has a prime chance to reclaim a starting role and that San Francisco's defensive infrastructure can absorb the hit.

The storyline is a genuine rarity — two alums from the same FCS program not only on the same NFL roster but now directly linked by a single injury. NDSU's reputation as a safety factory is real, and this week it's playing out on one of the league's highest-profile defenses.

Trey Lance Heads to IR

Elsewhere, Trey Lance's turbulent NFL chapter took another difficult turn. The Chargers placed the former first-round pick on injured reserve ahead of their Week 5 game against the Broncos. Lance — who transferred the NDSU-to-NFL pipeline into national headlines when San Francisco drafted him third overall in 2021 — has struggled to find footing since being traded to Los Angeles. The IR move effectively ends his season.

Coincidentally, the Lance name is getting renewed attention in the league for a different reason: rookie wide receiver Bryce Lance, a Saints undrafted free agent and NDSU product, caught one pass for seven yards in New Orleans' 45–24 loss to Atlanta on Oct. 5. Bryce is carving out his own path, separate from the Trey Lance narrative that heavy coverage has linked them to — and at this rate, he may be the more active Lance in the NFL this season.

Watson Stays Consistent in Green Bay

Christian Watson continued to be a reliable target for the Packers in their 17–14 win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 4, hauling in three catches for 47 yards. It wasn't a headline-grabbing performance, but Watson's steady presence as a deep-threat option remains a key part of Green Bay's offensive identity.

Luepke Does What Luepke Does

Cowboys fullback Hunter Luepke logged touches in both of Dallas's games this week — two receiving yards in the win over Houston on Oct. 4, and five rushing yards in Thursday's loss to the Buccaneers on Oct. 8. Luepke's role is narrow by design, but his presence on a Cowboys offense searching for consistency is a testament to how NDSU fullbacks continue to find NFL homes.

The Bison footprint across the league remains wide. But this week, all roads lead back to San Francisco, where a high ankle sprain turned a depth chart shuffle into an NDSU showcase.

North Dakota State's alumni footprint stretched across the NFL this week, but two Bison headlined the conversation: Christian Watson is quietly becoming one of Green Bay's most reliable weapons, and Carson Wentz's brief renaissance as a Vikings starter reminded the league that the Fargo pipeline never really runs dry.

Watson: Back-to-Back TD Machine

Christian Watson turned in the best performance of his week — and arguably his season — on Thursday night in Green Bay's Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers wideout hauled in 7 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in a 35–14 defeat, giving him scores in consecutive weeks after also catching a TD in Green Bay's Week 2 win over the New York Jets (4 rec, 41 yds, 1 TD).

The back-to-back touchdowns are a notable inflection point. Watson was off to a slow start early in the Week 2 contest before he and Jordan Love found their rhythm on a scoring connection that a Packers film breakdown described as an adjustment play — both receiver and quarterback reading the defense together in real time. That kind of chemistry carried into Thursday's game against Atlanta, where Watson's route running drew film-room attention again.

The broader context stings a bit: despite Watson's individual heat, Green Bay is dealing with home-crowd frustration after being booed off the Lambeau Field turf in Thursday's blowout loss. Watson addressed it directly, saying the team needs to "put a better product on the field if we want fans to have our back." Accountability and touchdowns in the same week — not a bad showing for an NDSU alum.

Wentz: Two Wins, One Milestone Moment, Back to the Bench

Carson Wentz's two-week audition as the Vikings' starter ended with a winning record and a place in the NFL record books within reach. Stepping in for Kyler Murray (concussion), Wentz went 2-0 as Minnesota's starter, including a 9–3 defensive grind over the Chicago Bears in Week 2. The win wasn't pretty — Wentz threw for just 143 yards and rushed for 6 more — but he managed the game, protected the ball, and got the result.

Heading into his start against Chicago, Wentz was within striking distance of passing both Archie Manning and Trent Green on the NFL's all-time passing lists. That milestone moment arrived with his 100th career NFL start — a mark that doubles as a performance bonus trigger on his current contract with Minnesota.

The story ended where most Wentz chapters do lately: back on the bench. Kyler Murray cleared concussion protocol on September 21 and was named the Week 3 starter against Tampa Bay. The Vikings, sitting at 2-0, weren't interested in a quarterback controversy. Wentz returns to the backup role, but he banked the wins, chased the milestones, and reminded everyone that the former No. 2 overall pick can still function as a capable NFL starter when called upon.

Around the Rest of the Bison

Elsewhere, rookie WR Bryce Lance (New Orleans) continued to carve out a role in his first NFL season, logging a reception for 8 yards in the Saints' 24–17 win over Baltimore in Week 2 — adding to the three catches he made in his NFL debut. Hunter Luepke contributed a rushing yard for Dallas in the Cowboys' 37–20 win over Washington. Marques Sigle recorded a sack for San Francisco in the 49ers' 35–13 blowout of Miami.

It was a wide-ranging week for NDSU's NFL contingent — but Watson's touchdowns and Wentz's starting run were the story.

North Dakota State has long billed itself as a quarterback factory. On Sunday, September 13, it ran both assembly lines at the same time — Carson Wentz rewriting Vikings history in Minnesota while Bryce Lance made his NFL debut 1,200 miles south in New Orleans. For one afternoon, Fargo owned the league's narrative.

Wentz Turns Back the Clock in Green Bay

The story was supposed to be Kyler Murray's debut in purple. It became something far more interesting. Murray went down with a concussion before the first quarter ended against the Packers, and Wentz stepped into one of the most hostile environments in football — on the road, in relief, in a season opener — and delivered.

When the dust settled, Wentz had gone 13-for-19 for 133 yards and three touchdown passes, helping Minnesota gut out a 39-22 victory. The performance was historic: per The Sporting News, Wentz became the first quarterback in NFL history to achieve the specific milestone he reached coming off the bench in that spot. The Vikings didn't just win — they won decisively, and Wentz was the reason.

The fallout was swift. With Murray remaining in concussion protocol through the week, Minnesota officially ruled him out for Week 2 and named Wentz the starter against the Chicago Bears. It's the kind of opportunity that rarely comes twice in a career, and Wentz — who spent years bouncing between Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Washington, and Los Angeles — is seizing it. He was candid about the weight of the moment, acknowledging the situation while keeping expectations grounded. A fine handed to Packers linebacker Lukas Van Ness for a hit on Wentz during the game only underscored how physical his entry into Vikings lore actually was.

Whether Murray's return eventually reclaims the starting job is a question for another week. Right now, Wentz is QB1, and the Vikings are 1-0.

Bryce Lance Arrives in New Orleans

While his NDSU predecessor was making history in Minnesota, Bryce Lance — the younger, wide receiver-converted product from Fargo — was suiting up for his first regular-season NFL snap with the New Orleans Saints.

Lance's debut was a mixed bag, as most NFL firsts are. He hauled in 3 receptions for 42 yards in a 31-30 loss to Detroit. The Saints couldn't hold on, but Lance showed enough to register as a genuine NFL contributor, not just a roster curiosity. The experience — the good and the complicated — is now part of his foundation.

His presence alongside fellow NDSU alum Jayden Price (CB) and Dillon Radunz (G) gives New Orleans a notable Bison contingent, but it was Lance's debut that drew the spotlight.

The Rest of the Herd

Christian Watson had a quietly spectacular day on the other side of the Wentz comeback. The Packers wide receiver — another NDSU alum — caught 6 passes for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns in the loss to Minnesota. It was a vintage Watson performance that just happened to come on the wrong side of the final score.

Hunter Luepke chipped in 7 rushing yards for Dallas in a 28-20 win over the Giants — workmanlike, as expected from the Cowboys' fullback.

One weekend. Multiple storylines. The Bison footprint in the NFL has never looked quite like this.