Trey Lance, quarterback for North Dakota State University, discusses his hopes for the 2021 NFL Draft.
MARSHALL, Minn. (FOX 9) - This year’s NFL draft is stacked with quarterback talent, but none have risen up the ranks like Trey Lance.
The kid from small town Minnesota with no Power Five offers to play quarterback in college is now seen as a potential top 10 pick.
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Trey Lance’s high school coach: He’s going to be the face of a franchise
Minnesota native Trey Lance could be one of the first few picks off the board in the NFL Draft. The star quarterback from Marshall, Minnesota, who played for North Dakota State University in college, is considered a bit of a mystery among his peers but his high school coach says he knew Lance was going to be a star when he first stepped on the field.
"It was definitely as a chip on shoulder," Lance said after his first pro day. "Regardless if someone tells me I’m not good at something, the competitor in me is going to want me to do it even better."
"I felt like I was a quarterback. I believed in myself," he added.
The NFL knows his name, but with only one full college season starting at North Dakota State and only one game played in 2020, Lance is viewed by as an "unknown" when it comes to pro potential.
His ability is no secret to those who know Lance best.
"We knew he was going to be special," Marshall High School Football Head Coach Terry Bahlmann said.
Lance started as a running back for the Tigers in 8th grade. Freshman at Marshall High School get a chance to try a new position. Lance told Bahlmann he wanted to be a quarterback.
After waiting his turn, an injury opened up an opportunity for Trey to play QB -- one he took and ran with on the field.
"Every challenge that’s been put in front of him, he’s taken it to a next level," Bahlmann said.
Bahlmann also praised Trey’s football smarts, crediting some of that to playing defensive back, along with being the son of a defensive player and coordinator.
Lance’s dad, Carlton, played defensive back in the Canadian Football league and was the defensive coordinator for the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs.
"(Carlton’s) focus and his drive, it gets Trey going," Bahlmann said. "Trey’s got a lot of his habits."
"When you give Trey a task, he puts his nose to the grindstone and gets after it because he’s not afraid to put the time in," he added.
Time will tell where Trey goes, projected as a project for most teams, but he’ll be prepared once again for whenever that opportunity comes.
"Just to have an opportunity to play professional football, I’m going to be as ready as I possibly can," Lance said.
Lance held a second pro day earlier this week in Fargo. The Marshall native is projected as a top pick, with some mock drafts placing him as high as third overall.