VIDEO: Mel Kiper Anoints FCS Quarterback as Most Underrated 2021 NFL Draft Prospect

Under Craig Bohl, Chris Klieman, and Matt Entz, the North Dakota State Bison have become the premier program in FCS football, getting top recruits despite an isolated location and winning eight of the last nine FCS championships. While they have sent dozens of players to the pros, their biggest claim to fame are their quarterbacks, as Eagles QB Carson Wentz has become a star, while Easton Stick has become a backup with the Chargers. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper thinks another one is on the way, too, as Bison quarterback Trey Lance, according to the longtime guru, might be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lance played in a very run-heavy offense, as he threw 25 or more times just once all season. That doesn't change the fact, however, that he might have been the most efficient quarterback we saw in college football last year.

As a redshirt freshman, Lance completed 67 percent of his passes, threw for 28 touchdowns, and didn't turn the ball over all season long. He is also a weapon as a runner, scampering for 1,100 yards and 14 scores.

You read that right. 42 touchdowns and no turnovers as a redshirt freshman. Pair that with a hose of a right arm, and you have a stud prospect.

A run-heavy, defense-oriented FCS program that plays indoors in the middle of nowhere has quickly become one of the most fertile grounds for quarterback prospects in the country. Lance might have as much basic physical talent as any of them, and that's more than enough for Mel Kiper to anoint him as the premier dark horse prospect heading into the next draft cycle.