Sam Houston State Wins FCS Championship Game on Last-Second TD vs South Dakota State bleacherreport.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bleacherreport.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
sthiel@marshallindependent.com
AP photo
North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance holds a San Francisco 49ers jersey after being chosen by the team with the third pick in the NFL Football Draft Thursday in Cleveland.
MARSHALL It’s official: Trey is headed to the Bay.
Lance, a 2018 Marshall High School graduate and North Dakota State University quarterback was selected third overall in the NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday evening in Cleveland, Ohio. And it went down to the final minutes before the Niners picked him.
“I just found out two minutes ago and it means the world,” he said shortly afterward. “I’m super excited, blessed and just thankful for everyone that helped me get to this point.”
Apr 26, 2021
The most extraordinary prospect in the most peculiar draft in NFL history starred in college, but for an FCS power. He won all 17 starts and then lost essentially an entire season he has played only one game in the past 15 months. He’s mature enough to lead virtual Bible studies but not yet old enough to buy a drink, prefers audiobooks to TikTok and made up for the lack of a traditional scouting combine by scripting not one but two pro days.
He’s Trey Lance, the North Dakota State quarterback likely to be drafted in the first round, as high as third, on Thursday. He’s confounding to some (“Talented, not sure what to make of him,” says a personnel executive for an AFC playoff team), enticing to others (“Love everything about him,” texted an NFC general manager) and fascinating to all. He’s built like a linebacker, tall (a shade under 6 4 , 226 pounds), rocket-armed, fast, versatile, tireless and smart. In 2019 he navigated the Bison to an undefeated nat
•
2020 stats: 1 game, 15/30 (50%), 149 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 15 rushes, 143 yards, 2 TD in a showcase game before declaring early for the NFL Draft
•
Career stats: 19 games (17 starts), 208/318 (65.4%), 2,947 yards, 30 TD, 1 INT; 192 rushes, 1,325 yards, 18 TD
•
Accomplishments: Walter Payton Award (2019), Jerry Rice Award (2019), Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year (2019), First-team All-MVFC
•
The NFL.com Draft Profile Says…
Lance’s strengths include:
• “Processes progressions very quickly and can work to his fourth read when protected.”
• “Taking care of the football is a priority for him.”
It’s a snapshot of what Lance brings to the table, but those three stand out to me when discussing a player with limited starting experience. Those are good traits that are hard to find.