Cole Payton didn't get an offer from the Nebraska football team after a strong career at Omaha Westside. However, after a strong senior season with North Dakota State, he's officially chasing his professional football dreams with an appearance at the NFL Combine.
Thanks to eye-popping numbers at the helm of one of the best FCS programs in the history of the sport, at least a few NFL teams are giving Payton a long look. ESPN Draft analyst Jordan Reid is officially on record as believing that Payton "is gaining steam."
"His development is well ahead of the curve despite being a one-year starter," Reid wrote. "Early Day 3 is still seen as Payton's target area, but Round 3 isn't out of the question if he performs well during the predraft process. Saturday will be key."
Former Omaha Westside QB Cole Payton impresses at NFL Combine
So far, Payton said he's met with two NFL teams, both from the NFC North. The former Nebraska prep star has reportedly talked to the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. Both teams are set at quarterback for 2026, but there's a chance that Payton could eventually be "the man" with the Lions once Jared Goff moves on.
Payton's only year where he started for North Dakota State was in 2025, but his numbers were plenty good. He completed a whopping 72% of his passes for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just 4 interceptions. He also ran for 777 yards and another 13 touchdowns. Before this past fall, he'd never thrown more than 27 passes in a season, but he was used as a weapon on the ground, especially in 2023, when he ran for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Cole Payton came to North Dakota State as a 2021 graduate from Omaha Westside. There, he was a three-year starter and team captain in his senior season. The stud quarterback threw for 5,338 yards and 65 TDs in his high school career while rushing for 2,122 yards and 37 scores.
Despite those numbers, Nebraska wasn't alone in not offering him a scholarship. In fact, he didn't receive an FBS offer. He could be on the road to proving a ton of programs very, very wrong.