Nathan Beitler/MDN Minot High senior Blake Anderson (center) signs his letter of intent to play for Minot State University’s football team with his parents next to him at Minot High on National Signing Day, Jan. 4.

Every year, thousands of eager high school athletes around the country sign a National Letter of Intent to play collegiate sports on National Signing Day. This year’s National Signing Day fell on Wednesday, Feb. 4, and Minot State’s football team added 29 new athletes to their roster, including 10 North Dakota players.

Minot High senior Blake Anderson was one such North Dakotan player to sign on at MSU on Wednesday.

Surrounded by friends, family, teammates and coaches, Anderson committed to the Beavers after school in the Minot High commons.

“Its pretty exciting,” Anderson said. “Especially with all the sports in my family. Since all of [my family] are here, it’s a fun environment. It is definitely a building program.”

Anderson first committed before the Fall camps began before the 2025 season, it was then that he decided that he would follow in his father, Minot State alum Mike Anderson’s footsteps and become a Beaver.

Anderson spent his senior year as a fullback for the Minot High Magicians and acted as team captain. Academically, Anderson earned Highest Honors and was named Academic All-Conference for 3 years while at Minot High. Beavers football head coach Ian Shields described Anderson as an “explosive and physical athlete” and is excited to have him in Minot.

Along with Anderson, nine other North Dakota seniors will be joining the Beavers in this coming fall.

The list includes Thaydan Arnold from Watford City High School, Carson Coleman from Bottineau High School, Christian Deadmond from Minot North High School, Layton Giggee from Mandan High School, Jack Mattson from Hillsboro High School, Gabriel Mendez from Minot North High School, Luke Selzler from Velva High School, Jason Spain from Bishop Ryan High School and Reese Steffen from Velva High School.

“These high school guys that are coming in, it’s a heck of a class,” Coach Shields said. “A third of the high school guys we’re signing are from right here in the state. That’s better than we have ever done. We have really made some in-roads here in the state.”

Along with the 10 North Dakotans signing on Wednesday, the Beavers have signed a number of talented athletes from around the country. The Beavers are getting four athletes from Texas, three from Arizona, three from Florida, two from Minnesota, two from California, one from Kentucky, one from Kansas, one from Mississippi, one from Montana and even a player from the Czech Republic.

In addition to the 29 signees, Minot State also accepted ten transfers for the 2026 season last week, and Coach Shields says that he is already looking to these students to help push the program forward.

“I’m just really proud of our staff and the effort it has taken to put such a remarkable class together – it’s a year-round endeavor, and it is a grind that is never-ending in this industry,” Coach Shields said in a release. “We have a lot of good things in place here at Minot State, but the best thing we have is the people inside the building that are working to make the difference.”