Zach Vanderpool targets playmaking role for North Dakota State
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 31, 2026, 5:17 PM
Last updated Aug 31, 2026
North Dakota State defensive tackle Zach Vanderpool enters his redshirt sophomore season as a primary rotation player for the Bison. Following a 2025 campaign where he earned FCS Freshman All-America honors, the Byron native recorded 18 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Defensive line coach Kody Morgan expects Vanderpool to take a step forward by producing more momentum-changing plays in his third year with the program. The team now transitions to the Mountain West Conference as part of an FBS move, with Vanderpool projected to see significant snaps throughout the schedule. Having added 80 pounds to his frame since high school, the exercise science major is competing for a starting role.
- •Vanderpool finished the 2025 season with 18 tackles and two sacks.
- •He earned Freshman All-America recognition from FCS Football Central and Phil Steele.
- •The North Dakota State football program is moving from the FCS to the Mountain West Conference.
- •Coaching staff expects Vanderpool to compete for a starting defensive tackle position this season.
- •Vanderpool currently weighs 285 pounds after gaining 80 pounds since his high school junior year.
- 5:17 PMYahoo Sports — Zach Vanderpool ascending quickly at North Dakota State
"Aug. 31—FARGO, N.D. — It's all there for former Byron star football player Zach Vanderpool. Now a redshirt sophomore at football juggernaut North Dakota State University, Vanderpool checks virtually every box for a big-time defensive tackle. He's 6-foot-5, with 284 pounds of muscle, long arms and legs, power and speed to boot. And then there's his personality and drive. They are precisely what ...
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