Photos courtesy of the Marshall Independent and special to Bison Illustrated
Featured photo: Trey Lance drops back to pass during the Minnesota Football Showcase game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 9, 2017.
Trey Lance
Recruiting Class: 2018
Year: Incoming freshman
Position: Quarterback
Hometown: Marshall, Minn.
High School: Marshall High School
How He Got Here
NDSU’s recruiting model has the Bison take a quarterback with each class. Trey Lance was the guy from the start for the 2018 class. Lance was first contacted by NDSU the summer before his junior year at Marshall, and the Bison consistently stayed in contact.
The recruiting battle for Lance picked up after that, with several FBS schools and Missouri Valley Football Conference foes taking an interest in the three-year starter. NDSU won out when Lance verbally committed to play in Fargo. But the recruiting didn’t stop there. Even the day after he committed, a couple schools came and watched him workout.
“When I committed, I called each school that offered me and thanked them for the opportunity they had given me and that I would be attending NDSU,” Lance said. “Some schools respected my decision more than others. Many coaches from other schools messaged me on Twitter after my decision was public, and it was hard at times to respectfully kind of just say no to them. Usually, I would listen to what they had to say and told them that I won’t be scheduling any more visits to other schools.”
Lance wanted to get his signing out of the way and decided to sign his National Letter of Intent on the Dec. 20 early signing day. But on Dec. 19, Lance had one more decision to make as a nationally-recognizable school came calling. Boise State told him if he doesn’t sign with NDSU that next day, they will offer him. Lance said he was on the phone with Boise State coaches for most of the school day.
But on Dec. 20, Lance sent in his signed letter of intent to NDSU and the Bison got their quarterback.
“I talked to my family about it that night, and I knew that there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a Bison,” Lance said. “So I let the coaches know I would be signing the following day with NDSU. The relationships I had built with the coaches and especially the guys in my class made it a lot easier to make that decision.”
How Did NDSU Show Interest
“The coaches were always in contact with me, not only Coach (Randy) Hedberg, but coaches from every position, both offense and defense, which really made NDSU stand out for me. They always wanted me to make the trip for a day and be on campus and around the guys and coaches whenever I could.”
Deciding Factor
“When I committed, I was kind of at that point where I didn’t know what I was waiting for. I knew NDSU had been at the top of my list for a while at that point, and I took one last visit for spring practice a few weeks before I committed. Everything felt right about NDSU, and the coaching staff, community support and tradition were some of the things that stood out to me most in my decision.”
Relationship With Other Incoming Freshmen
“We talk every day. I honestly don’t remember the last time I woke up and didn’t have a message from our group message. We have a group message on Snapchat with all of the guys in the 2018 class, and another group message with Hank (Jacobs), and we have a lot of fun with them. It’s crazy how much we’ve gotten to know each other from something that started as a three-person group message a year ago. Everyone in it now can’t wait to get to Fargo and get better together, and of course, learn what it takes to win championships.”
