ND Shrine All-Star Football Game

[Bison_Kent]

Did anyone hear how QB Andy Thoreson (Fargo North) and LB Matt Weidler (Velva-Sawyer) fared in the All-Star Game on Saturday? I didn't hear much.

[NDSBISON04]

Bison_Kent, i could help u here. As of what i know, Andy Thoreson wasn't on the stat sheet for passing so i don't even know if he was there. Jadyn Nelson wasn't on the list to play in the ND Shrine Bowl. However, Matt Weidler, did get some carries. He had 2 carries for 7 yards(typical of an All-Star game, where stats are minimal). He played linebacker as well, and uofficially stats weren't released. All-Star games aren't gonna make or break how a kid actually performs in college, and I think that Weidler and Thoreson are terrific gets. There was a big article on Weidler and the reasons why he picked NDSU. I wonder what his other college options were.

[Bison_Kent]

NDSBISON04,

Thanks for the info. I think Weidler is the best of the ND recruits but when there are just 3 it isn't too tough to be the top one.

[NDSBISON04]

Bison_Kent,

Matt Weidler was First Team All-State three years in a row. He was as an offensive lineman as a sophomore, a fullback as a junior, and a linebacker as a senior. You mentioned that NDSU brought in only 3 guys from ND. I always wonder why that it is so. I really wish that there were other guys from ND sporting a NDSU uniform. A lot of the good crop in the state went to smaller colleges. I wonder what kind of offers they got from NDSU where they would turn to smaller schools instead. A lot of guys in the state of ND opted for small schools. I do not know if u are from this state Bison_Kent, but this state had some good talent in my opinon.

[Bisonguy]

NDSBISON04,

ND has football talent, but not great or in great numbers. I grew up in Ohio, and a lot of the high school teams there could probably win the NSIC. ND is probably one of the worst states at producing DI talent, and that is exactly what NDSU needs to compete at the DI level.

[Bison_Kent]

NDSBISON04,

Yes, I am originally from ND; LaMoure. I am now working in Kansas though. You are right that there are several talented players but I am not sure they are I-AA talent. I would expect 6 to 8 recruits, however, each year to come from ND.

Take a look at Montana. They some how get winning teams using about half their talent from Montana. So it can be done.

[Bisonguy]

Bison_Kent,

Look at the Badlands bowl. Montana has better players than North Dakota.

A couple nights back the WDAY news had a stat about DIA football recruits this year. ND had one. SD had two. Montana had six.

[NDSBISON04]

Bisonguy,

Could u clarify?? 1 Recruit, from ND?? I thought there were 3. I think Bison_Kent and Bisonguy made a valid point there. North Dakota players in both football and basketball may have a tough time in the years getting NDSU playing time. A lot of good players turned to the NAIA or lesser D2 because of playing time and the fact that athletically there are better suited players for D1-AA. That may explain why only 3 guys from ND even went to NDSU. One local product who may have a good NDSU career would be Derek Arndt, who is from Lamoure. I believe he is is only a sophomore or maybe a redshirt freshman, but he is gonna start at defensive end for the Bison next year.

[Bisonguy]

NDSBISON04,

I think the report was about DIA schools, but they just said DI. NDSU has always recruited heavily in the Minneapolis area, but I think even the available DIAA talent there might be a little thin in future years. NDSU will have to look elsewhere (i.e. Illinois, Mississippi) to fill out a IAA roster. NDSU might be able to land more DIA transfers in the future that are looking for playing time. It seems like most of the better IAA schools have at least a couple IA transfers, whereas it's very rare in D2.

[NDSBISON04]

For football, the only D1-A recruit from North Dakota that I know of was Greg Eslinger. He is going to be a great one at University of Minnesota. As for talent, I wonder if NDSU is gonna look at any more North Dakota guys at all. The ND numbers were an indicator. I am not sure what offers Weidler, Thoreson, and Nelson got, but I don't think NDSU will see too many ND guys anymore.

[BisonMav]

The Nebraska Cornhuskers always have a good number of out-state Nebraska players on their team. Because of the desire to play for the home state Huskers, many Nebraska kids walk-on. The Husker staff feeds them that secret corn formula, and develope the players over time. Some of them go through the program and develope into All-American linemen their 4th or 5th year on the team. The scholarship money is offered to the Big-Time Recruits.

[WYOBISONMAN]

For some reason ND has not been able to produce the same amount of talent as has MT. No doubt that NDSU will have to continue to look beyond the borders of ND to find quality D1 players.