By Rainer Sabin , Staff Writer Contact Rainer Sabin on Twitter: @RainerSabinDMN
FRISCO -- Some of the intrigue surrounding Carson Wentz was extinguished shortly after 3 p.m. Friday.
That's when North Dakota State coach Chris Kleiman announced the quarterback would play Saturday in the FCS championship game against Jacksonville State. Up until that exact moment, many wondered if Wentz would ever see the field again in his college career. Since October, he'd been out of action, waiting for a broken right wrist to heal. Then came Monday, when the results of a CT scan gave him the medical clearance he was seeking.
This week has been a whirlwind, realizing I'm going to get a chance to start one more time," Wentz, a senior, said. "A lot of emotions. I'm excited to get one more opportunity with these guys."
Then, many figure, it's on to the NFL.
Yes, Wentz's football life won't die on the Frisco plains. He's generating buzz as a potential first- or second-round draft pick. Standing 6-6 and weighing 235 pounds, Wentz certainly looks the part, and the stats he's produced suggest he's worthy of being considered among the top quarterback prospects. This season he's thrown 16 touchdown passes and only two interceptions -- tantalizing numbers that have caught the eye of NFL scouts. All 32 teams have sent representatives to Fargo to find out more about Wentz, who is revered by his teammates.
"He's never left anything on the field," receiver Nate Moody said. "The big fear I had and some people shared it was that maybe Carson would get frustrated just because he's playing a step faster than everyone here. He's a hell of a player."
Before he was hurt, Wentz commanded the Bison's Pro-Style offense -- showing precision when throwing the ball, athleticism when he abandoned the pocket to scramble and smarts when making checks at the line of scrimmage as he picked between the two plays he's routinely given.
"He's got a lot of free reign," said wideout Zach Vraa. "He's got a powerful arm. He can run. He can read defenses. He's got everything that you want in a quarterback and he definitely shows it when he's out here."
In 2014, while leading North Dakota State to its fourth straight NCAA title, Wentz established single-season school records for completions, passing yards and total offense. Last month, he was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team for the second straight year. In almost every aspect, Wentz seems to be tailor-made for the pro game, as his teammates are quick to proclaim.
"You can definitely tell that when you're out there playing with him," Vraa said. "In games and even in practice, I will be running a route like a comeback or curl, and as soon as I turn around the ball is halfway there and I have to jerk my head back a little because it's coming in so hot... Really showed us he has potential to keep playing."
But is Wentz truly the real deal? No one knows for certain. This weekend, the Cowboys will send a scout to the FCS title game as they begin the process of answering that question. Armed with the No. 4 overall selection, they appear to be in the market for a quarterback after the fiasco that unfolded in wake of the two collarbone injuries suffered by Tony Romo. Wentz's take?
"I'm focused on the game," he said with a smile.
The Cowboys will be, too. On Saturday and in the months that follow, they and other NFL teams will try to ascertain whether Wentz can make the considerable leap from lower division college football to the sport's highest level.
"He has obviously the stature, the athleticism, the competitive temperament to be a good pro," said former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer. "The unknown with him is if you put him against better completion in a more sophisticated offense, what's the learning curve? I have no doubt he will be able to do it. But how long will it take?"
It's a transition that is difficult to project but not impossible to make. Both Romo and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco starred at the FCS level and have excelled in the NFL. Dilfer has a feeling Wentz could follow in their footsteps. Last July, Wentz joined Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Penn State's Christian Hackenberg as part of a group of eight counselors at Dilfer's Elite 11 quarterback camp in Oregon. His appearance there offered the first true sign he could be destined for something much greater.
"He is a big, physical competitive, smart kid," Dilfer said. "He has everything you're looking for. I am excited about him. I would definitely be interested in him if I was choosing a quarterback."
Apparently, Dilfer is not alone in that opinion. It's why the intrigue surrounding Wentz is expected to last well beyond this weekend, even as one mystery about the North Dakota State quarterback was put to bed Friday.
FRISCO -- Some of the intrigue surrounding Carson Wentz was extinguished shortly after 3 p.m. Friday.
That's when North Dakota State coach Chris Kleiman announced the quarterback would play Saturday in the FCS championship game against Jacksonville State. Up until that exact moment, many wondered if Wentz would ever see the field again in his college career. Since October, he'd been out of action, waiting for a broken right wrist to heal. Then came Monday, when the results of a CT scan gave him the medical clearance he was seeking.
This week has been a whirlwind, realizing I'm going to get a chance to start one more time," Wentz, a senior, said. "A lot of emotions. I'm excited to get one more opportunity with these guys."
Then, many figure, it's on to the NFL.
Yes, Wentz's football life won't die on the Frisco plains. He's generating buzz as a potential first- or second-round draft pick. Standing 6-6 and weighing 235 pounds, Wentz certainly looks the part, and the stats he's produced suggest he's worthy of being considered among the top quarterback prospects. This season he's thrown 16 touchdown passes and only two interceptions -- tantalizing numbers that have caught the eye of NFL scouts. All 32 teams have sent representatives to Fargo to find out more about Wentz, who is revered by his teammates.
"He's never left anything on the field," receiver Nate Moody said. "The big fear I had and some people shared it was that maybe Carson would get frustrated just because he's playing a step faster than everyone here. He's a hell of a player."
Before he was hurt, Wentz commanded the Bison's Pro-Style offense -- showing precision when throwing the ball, athleticism when he abandoned the pocket to scramble and smarts when making checks at the line of scrimmage as he picked between the two plays he's routinely given.
"He's got a lot of free reign," said wideout Zach Vraa. "He's got a powerful arm. He can run. He can read defenses. He's got everything that you want in a quarterback and he definitely shows it when he's out here."
In 2014, while leading North Dakota State to its fourth straight NCAA title, Wentz established single-season school records for completions, passing yards and total offense. Last month, he was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team for the second straight year. In almost every aspect, Wentz seems to be tailor-made for the pro game, as his teammates are quick to proclaim.
"You can definitely tell that when you're out there playing with him," Vraa said. "In games and even in practice, I will be running a route like a comeback or curl, and as soon as I turn around the ball is halfway there and I have to jerk my head back a little because it's coming in so hot... Really showed us he has potential to keep playing."
But is Wentz truly the real deal? No one knows for certain. This weekend, the Cowboys will send a scout to the FCS title game as they begin the process of answering that question. Armed with the No. 4 overall selection, they appear to be in the market for a quarterback after the fiasco that unfolded in wake of the two collarbone injuries suffered by Tony Romo. Wentz's take?
"I'm focused on the game," he said with a smile.
The Cowboys will be, too. On Saturday and in the months that follow, they and other NFL teams will try to ascertain whether Wentz can make the considerable leap from lower division college football to the sport's highest level.
"He has obviously the stature, the athleticism, the competitive temperament to be a good pro," said former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer. "The unknown with him is if you put him against better completion in a more sophisticated offense, what's the learning curve? I have no doubt he will be able to do it. But how long will it take?"
It's a transition that is difficult to project but not impossible to make. Both Romo and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco starred at the FCS level and have excelled in the NFL. Dilfer has a feeling Wentz could follow in their footsteps. Last July, Wentz joined Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Penn State's Christian Hackenberg as part of a group of eight counselors at Dilfer's Elite 11 quarterback camp in Oregon. His appearance there offered the first true sign he could be destined for something much greater.
"He is a big, physical competitive, smart kid," Dilfer said. "He has everything you're looking for. I am excited about him. I would definitely be interested in him if I was choosing a quarterback."
Apparently, Dilfer is not alone in that opinion. It's why the intrigue surrounding Wentz is expected to last well beyond this weekend, even as one mystery about the North Dakota State quarterback was put to bed Friday.
