Kolpack: Is Bison football prepping QB Cole Payton to be next Taysom Hill?

Here we go. Game on. In the history of North Dakota State football, it’s never been like this with two quarterbacks. Not in April, with two guys like this. This week, with Cam Miller and Cole Payton, spring football practice is ending with both players showing grins as wide as the distance from Fargo to Boulder.

At least when it comes to this question: Where will Payton fit in the Bison offense next year when they open their season at the University of Colorado?

Stay tuned, the possibilities appear to be mind blowing.

Head coach Tim Polasek calls Payton the future quarterback and the backup quarterback, which in 2015 when Polasek, then the NDSU offensive coordinator, learned was an important role. Carson Wentz went down at midseason with a wrist injury and freshman Easton Stick took over. Both went on to NFL careers.

Payton, however, offers a different look than either Wentz or Stick. He could see the field in different ways, which is not breaking news.

“We’re potentially looking at him doing a few more things outside of playing quarterback, wildcat quarterback,” Polasek said.

Do tell. The list started with all four special teams units. OK, cool, but perhaps not crowd pleasing. What else you got, coach?

“He’s capable of being a vertical threat in the passing game,” he said.

Mic drop.

Excuse me? That would mean the Bison have plans to actually use Payton in the passing game when he and Miller are on the field at the same time and Payton is split wide. I’m listening. What else have you got?

“He’s capable of being a running back,” Polasek said.

We’ve seen plenty of evidence of that. Payton was a threat to score at any moment as a running quarterback, so taking a handoff doesn’t seem to be too big of a leap. As to what the entire Payton Package will look like will probably not be known until the Bison take the field at Folsom Field in Boulder.

“We have to get our arms wrapped around that and have those discussions,” Polasek said.

The bombshell in all of this, however, was dropped by Payton. Yes, he said he’s been doing some special teams drills, but he also said he’s been taking some snaps at tight end.

Now there’s a thought. This could be fun.

He’s big at 6-foot-3. He’s strong at 232 pounds. He’s one of the fastest players in the FCS, frequently outrunning smaller defensive backs. Add all of this up and does NDSU have plans to make Payton the NFL equivalent of the New Orleans Saints’ Taysom Hill?

Hill is the best NFL Swiss Army knife since Frank Gifford. He’s the first player to reach certain career standards in passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns since Gifford did it from 1952-64.

There may be more to this thought down the line. This entire subset of roles may be Payton’s best NFL shot. Hill is 6-2, 221 pounds. Payton is bigger, maybe faster.

Miller and Payton will be going into their third year of being a 1-2 look under center.

“It doesn’t matter who plays as long as we win,” Miller said.

But a change in head coaches and offensive coordinators may bring a change in how the Bison see Payton. The fear for Bison fans after last season was that Payton would hit the transfer portal, tired of being a backup for one more season but the theory here is the Bison staff decided to beat that thought to the punch.

Cole Payton is not an NFL thrower at this point, hardly anybody is.

But how many Taysom Hill’s are out there?

Formation-wise and terminology-wise, the NDSU offense hasn’t changed much since Craig Bohl took over as head coach in 2003. Polasek would say the same thing about the Bison defense, which has been the Tampa 2 system since the Bohl days.

Polasek said the quarterbacks have been sharp this spring in getting into the right plays and figuring out the pass protection systems. Miller said the offense hasn’t changed much under new offensive coordinator Jake Landry.

“Just comfort in the system,” Polasek said. “We have veteran quarterbacks so why bring someone in who would change everything?”

In one sense, I can think of two words that would change something. Taysom. Hill. Payton at tight end? I’m listening.