Bison football secure commitment from Waseca two-sport standout Deron Russell

FARGO Deron Russell saw up close how hectic the college football recruiting process can be in his own house last summer.

His older brother Damarius was a highly sought after player, coveted by several schools in the upper Midwest, eventually signing with Washington State.

Deron went through a thorough recruiting process in his own right, deciding to commit to North Dakota State on Thursday, June 19.

ADVERTISEMENT "NDSU's coaching staff really stood out to me," Russell said.

"They recruited me the hardest out of any school and always checked on me.

Theyve got a really good community behind them which reminded me about Waseca's community.

They are a winning program and thats what I look for in a school." #committed @AllenTrieu @CoachTimNDSU @CoachWillJ1 @OJW_Scouting pic.twitter.com/yq9MGGdjMJ Russell is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound cornerback that is a two sport star at Waseca (MN.) High School.

Russell finished with 20 tackles and two interceptions for the Blue Jays in 2024, paired with 745 receiving yards and five touchdowns on offense.

He stood out late in the season for Waseca, racking up 118 yards and a touchdown against Jordan in the Section 3A semifinals.

Waseca lost to Fairmount in the 3A title game the following week, finishing with an 8-2 record.

His college football recruitment began a year ago, when former South Dakota State head coach Jimmy Rogers offered Russell.

Northern Iowa, NDSU, North Dakota, South Dakota and Fordham followed.

His spotlight got bigger after receiving offers from two FBS schools, Colorado State and Washington State, where Rogers is now the head coach.

Former Bison player and coach Brent Vigen offered Russell last month at Montana State.

"NDSU recruited Damarius pretty hard", he said.

"Damarius always talked very highly of Coach Will (Johnson) and Coach Polasek.

I felt that same energy from them and thats a big reason why I chose to commit here." Russell starred on the basketball court as well, setting a Waseca record for most points in a season in leading the Blue Jays to the Minnesota 2A state championship game.

He scored 32 points in the 70-63 loss to Albany in the title game, where he was receiving rave reviews for his play on the court.

Russell was selected to the all-tournament team, which included a 38-point performance in the state semifinals.

Russell announced his football offer from NDSU in late February and he was in Fargo shortly after the basketball season ended, attending a Bison spring practice in late March.

NDSU put in legwork on securing a commitment.

Head coach Tim Polasek was in Waseca in late April to visit with Russell.

Russells eldest brother; Saiveon Williamson was a standout linebacker at SDSU, playing in 41 career games from 2018-23, racking up 116 total tackles and winning two national titles with the Jackrabbits.

Rogers recruited Williamson and Damarius Russell and was hoping to keep the family pipeline going.

ADVERTISEMENT Russell continues a trend of high-profile defensive back commits for the Class of 2026.

Back in May, NDSU got a commitment from Prescott, Wisconsins Kobe Russell and last week Maple Groves Brayden Dozier announced his commitment to the Bison.

"I see myself being a guy thats really flexible and can play anywhere on the field," Russell said.

"I think the pass defense really took a big step last year behind Coach Johnson so Im ready to come make a difference wherever Im at." With Russells commitment, that brings NDSU up to 15 players for the 2026 class.

With the amount of returning players on the roster, the Bison had a total of around 18-20 scholarships to work with for the entire class..

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