FARGO — North Dakota State head football coach Matt Entz announced the addition of 24 student-athletes to the Bison program on Wednesday, Dec. 16, the first day of the three-day early signing period for Division I football.

The recruiting class represents 11 states including six players from North Dakota, five from Minnesota, three from Wisconsin, and others from Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Georgia and Florida. There are 11 offensive players, 12 defensive players and one specialist at long snapper.

North Dakota State (1-0) is scheduled to resume the 2020-21 football season on Sunday, Feb. 21, hosting Youngstown State in the first of eight Missouri Valley Football Conference games. The 16-team NCAA Division I football playoffs are slated to begin April 24.

NORTH DAKOTA (6)

Jaxon Duttenhefer, DT, 6-2, 275, Fr., Mandan, N.D. (Mandan HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Mandan High School…Four-time all-conference first team…Two-time all-state first team…Team captain his senior year…Played for coach Todd Sheldon…Led the Braves to three straight state tournaments including two semifinal appearances…Made 43 tackles his senior year including 15 tackles for loss…Had 173 career tackles with four forced fumbles, 23.5 sacks and 80 tackles for loss…State runner-up in the shot put as a sophomore…Offensive MVP for the Mandan Chiefs American Legion baseball team…Also competes in basketball…National Honor Society member…Academic all-state in football, track and baseball.

Barika Kpeenu, RB, 5-10, 185, Fr., Fargo, N.D. (West Fargo Sheyenne HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of West Fargo Sheyenne High School…Three-year starter…Team captain his senior year…Played running back and linebacker for coach Jeremy Newton…Part of two state runner-up teams as the Mustangs went 29-5 during his career…Leading rusher in the Eastern Dakota Conference his senior year with 139 carries for 1,052 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games…Averaged 7.6 yards per carry and 116.9 yards per game…Led the EDC with 1,489 all-purpose yards and 16 total TDs…EDC Senior Athlete of the Year in 2020…Two-time all-state first team…Career totals include 2,650 rushing yards and 29 TDs on 310 carries…Also made 25 receptions for 398 yards and eight TDs…Competes in basketball and track.

Kole Menz, DE, 6-3, 200, Fr., Horace, N.D. (West Fargo Sheyenne HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Sheyenne High School in West Fargo…Three-year letterwinner and two-year starter…Team captain senior year…Played defensive end and tight end for coach Jeremy Newton…Part of three conference championships and two Class 3A state runner-up teams that went 27-5 during his three years…Two-time all-conference…All-state honoree in 2020 with 37.5 tackles and 20 tackles for loss…Tallied 87 total tackles and 34.5 TFLs in his career…Member of a conference championship baseball team in 2019.

Enock Sibomana, S, 5-10, 185, Fr., Fargo, N.D. (Fargo South HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Fargo South High School…Three-year starter…Team captain his senior year…Played running back and safety for coach Tyler Kosel…Two-time all-conference performer…Had 687 all-purpose yards his senior year…Sixth-leading rusher in the Eastern Dakota Conference with 68 carries for 362 yards and two touchdowns…Led all EDC returners with 19.0 yards per punt return and 50.3 yards per kickoff return…Team MVP on special teams…Ranks second in school history in the long jump at 22 feet, 10 inches…Also competes in basketball.

Jack Steckler, TE, 6-5, 208, Fr., Bismarck, N.D. (Bismarck HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Bismarck High School…Three-year letterwinner and two-year starter…Team captain his senior year for coach Mark Gibson…Played wide receiver, tight end, defensive end and outside linebacker…First team all-state tight end as a senior…Made 22 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns…Also rushed 19 times for 269 yards and four TDs averaging 14.2 yards per carry his senior year…Helped the Demons to a 7-2 record and state semifinal appearance…Part of a state championship team as a sophomore in 2018…Two-time all-conference first team at both wide receiver and defensive end…First team all-state hockey player…Also participates in golf…National Honor Society member.

Truman Werremeyer, FB, 6-1, 226, Fr., Fargo, N.D. (Fargo Davies HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Fargo Davies High School…Three-year starter…Team captain his senior year…Played fullback and inside linebacker for coaches Jason Thielges and Wayne Werremeyer…Two-time all-state performer including first-team honors in 2020…Fifth-leading rusher in the Eastern Dakota Conference his senior year with 78 carries for 427 yards and six touchdowns…Averaged 5.5 yards per carry…Led the EDC with 59.5 tackles including seven tackles for loss…Set school career records with 27 games started and 157.5 total tackles…Class A state wrestling champion at 220 pounds as a junior…Also participates in baseball.

MINNESOTA (5)

Finn Diggins, TE, 6-4, 215, Fr., Perham, Minn. (Perham HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Perham High School…Three-year starter…Team captain his senior year…Played for coach Kyle Knutson…In three games his senior year, made 26 catches for 295 yards and two touchdowns…All-conference as a junior….Had 18 total touchdowns and 1,800 all-purpose yards including 87 receptions for 1,000 yards…On defense, set the school record with 20 career sacks as well as single-game marks for sacks, tackles for loss and receptions…Section MVP in basketball and career 1,000-point scorer…Helped Perham to the section championship in basketball and baseball…Also competes in track.

Eli Green, WR, 5-11, 185, Fr., Lakeville, Minn. (Farmington HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Farmington High School…Four-year starter…Team captain his senior year…Wide receiver, defensive back and return specialist for coach Adam Fischer…All-metro first team his senior year with 22 receptions for 369 yards and five touchdowns…Also had one kickoff return TD…All-conference first team as a junior…Helped turn around the Farmington program from a 1-8 record his freshman year to a 7-1 finish in a shortened senior season…Also competes in basketball and track.

Sam Henry, OL, 6-6, 255, Fr., Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Eden Prairie High School…Three-year letterwinner and two-year starter for coach Mike Grant…Played offensive tackle, defensive tackle and tight end…Helped the Eagles to a 7-0 record and No. 1 ranking in Class 6A after Minnesota’s shortened 2020 season…All-district and first team all-metro…Part of 28-0 basketball team ranked No. 1 in Minnesota and 10th nationally by ESPN prior to cancellation of the remaining 2019-20 season.

Bryce Lance, WR, 6-2, 165, Fr., Marshall, Minn. (Marshall HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Marshall High School…Played wide receiver and safety for coach Terry Bahlmann…Set school records for receiving yards in a game (199), season (873) and career (1,766)…Also set career records for receptions (68) and interceptions (12)…District Offensive Player of the Year in 2020…Made 30 receptions for 631 yards and eight touchdowns along with six interceptions in a seven-game senior year…Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the district as a junior, sharing the award with Marshall teammate and current NDSU lineman Trey Steinbach…All-conference basketball player…Scored a team-high 15 points in Marshall’s section championship victory in 2020.

Brayden Weber, LB, 6-1, 226, Fr., Becker, Minn. (Becker HS)

HIGH SCHOOL: 2021 graduate of Becker High School…Four-year starter…Team captain his senior year…Played for coach Dwight Lundeen…Two-time all-conference first team…Made 41 tackles with 12 tackles for loss including 6.5 sacks his senior year…Had two forced fumbles and one recovery…District MVP linebacker…Career totals include 193 tackles, 51 TFLs and 28 sacks…Part of two section championship teams…Two-time state placewinner in wrestling at 220 pounds…Also competes in track…Academic all-conference honoree.