Omaha Westside alumnus Cole Payton has always dreamt of playing in the National Football League. This week, he’ll likely see that dream come true as the 2026 NFL Draft runs Thursday through Saturday.
“To get drafted later this week, it’s going to mean the world to me,” Payton told Hurrdat Sports. “It’s been a dream since I was a young kid, and I’m just super excited and just so grateful to be in a position like this. I’m honored, and it’s going to be emotional for sure, but such a dream come true. So it will be pretty special.”
Payton said he’s always believed in his ability to play professionally, despite only spending one season of college as a starting quarterback.
“I’ve always wanted to play in the NFL,” Payton said. “Part of me has always believed enough that I was going to make it, one way or another, whether that was getting drafted or not. I always had this feeling and this attitude and this mentality that I belong, and that I would be in a position similar to this one day. At the same time, when you take a step back, it’s pretty surreal. I’m just so honored and fortunate.”
Payton spent his entire collegiate career at North Dakota State, serving as the backup behind FCS superstar Cam Miller and seeing the field only in sub-packages or blowout situations until the 2025 season.
“It definitely wasn’t easy being the backup, being the competitor I am,” Payton said. “I knew I was capable of winning games and I was confident in my abilities. So, it definitely wasn’t easy, but jumping ship never seriously crossed my mind. I was loyal to the Bison. They developed me into the football player I was and am today. Just looking ahead, I knew I had one year left. I had one year to start, so looking ahead it only takes one year, and I wanted that one year to be with NDSU.”
He made the most of his one chance to start for the Bison.
In his senior season, Payton put together a record-breaking campaign, setting the Bison single-season marks for pass efficiency (193.8), yards per pass attempt (12.1), total offensive yards per game (268.9) and yards per play (9.71). He also finished third in voting for the Walter Payton Award, the honor is given to the offensive player of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The signal caller guided the team to a 12-1 record, passing for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns with four Interceptions. He was also effective on the ground, rushing for 777 yards and 13 more scores on 136 carries.
The 2021 Westside graduate redshirted in 2021, appearing in three games, then played in 28 games as a freshman and sophomore while serving as the backup quarterback and designated runner in sub-packages. He ran for 13 touchdowns and passed for three more in 2023. Payton appeared in eight games in the same role during the 2024 season before suffering a season-ending injury, but he returned to full health and took over the starting job this past season.
At Westside, Payton was a three-year starter, leading the Warriors to a 31-5 record including a Class A state championship in 2020 as the signal-caller. He played for Brett Froendt, who retired from Westside in 2022.
“It was hard at first seeing a young man with so much talent not being on the field in a significant way for four years,” Froendt said. “Had he been in another position, he would have been playing year two for sure. However, Cole’s DNA is all about the team. He played his role without complaint and excelled by every measure. Loved by teammates at all grade levels and coaches alike, he will always put his team and teammates ahead of himself. His last year was amazing. Seeing him function at such a high level was incredibly satisfying knowing the work he put in for four years. Finishing top three for the Walter Payton Award for a one-year starter is amazing.”
Payton said his unconventional path to becoming a draft prospect — including the multiple roles he’s filled at North Dakota State — has helped prepare him for what he’ll find waiting for him at the next level.
“Football and the NFL, it’s so crazy,” Payton said. “There are so many unknowns and so many things out of your control. So, to go through being a backup, and getting some time, and then going through some injuries and going through just college football in itself, all of those ups and downs I think will prepare me for the NFL’s ups and downs. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, especially as a quarterback. You’re the face of the franchise, you’re who people look to when times are rough, when times are good, so I think being able to weather a storm and being the same person throughout all the chaos, all the ups and downs, my experience at NDSU has definitely helped me in that way.”
Payton’s breakout season earned him an invitation to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ind., in February. At the Combine, the Westside product displayed his athleticism, running the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds while posting a 40-inch vertical jump at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds.
“It was just fun to get to know a lot of these guys, like the other quarterbacks in the class and even other positions,” Payton said of his Combine experience. “Just getting to build relationships, and grow, and expand the network a little bit, you just kind of realize we’re all cut from the same cloth. We’re all just dudes that love football, so it was just fun getting to know guys and getting to compete.”
Since declaring for the draft, Payton’s had individual visits with the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s also had private workouts with other teams while spending time training in California.
“How many players of his talent would have stayed and waited five years for his shot to start?” Froendt said. “It speaks to his character, how he was raised, his passion for the game, and most importantly wanting to prove to everyone who didn’t recruit him that he could do it, and do it at NDSU. His grit is next level. Seeing him play since grade school makes me super proud to have been part of his journey.”
Payton will take that grit to the pros while representing Nebraska. He’s seeking to become just the second former Warrior to make it to the NFL, joining Pat Fischer, a 1960 Nebraska grad who played 17 seasons in the league.
“It’s an honor,” Payton said. “I’ve always said that Omaha high school football is slept on. We grow up Husker fans and sometimes it goes that way, and sometimes it doesn’t. Just to be able to continue to put Omaha and Westside and the state of Nebraska on the map, it’s just an honor.”
Payton said he wants younger athletes to understand the importance of believing in oneself.
“I think it’s having this almost delusional belief in yourself and never straying away from that,” Payton said. “There are going to be so many people, so many events, so many things that are out of your control that are going to try and knock you off your path. If you just keep going and just keep trusting it and have a positive attitude toward it in whatever you’re doing, there’s no stopping you. If you’re working your tail off every single day and having a positive attitude, responding to whatever comes your way, I think you’ve got a shot.”
Payton plans to watch the draft with his family in Omaha, hoping to hear his name called. Whichever team makes the call is getting a “servant leader” and an “animal” on the field, according to the quarterback himself.
“As a person, they’re getting someone who treats everyone the same, who treats people with respect, a servant leader, a guy who loves ball, and a guy who does it for the team,” Payton said. “As a player, I’m an animal when the ball’s in my hands. I’ve got what it takes to win football games at this level, and I’m just super excited to contribute and help whatever team picks me to win.”
Various NFL Draft projections peg Payton as a mid-round prospect, ranking sixth among quarterbacks according to a consensus big board. He could hear his name late on day two but will likely have to wait until day three (rounds four through seven).
