Bison add Nebraska tight end prospect Caden Ward to 2026 class

FARGO North Dakota State football wrapped up the first of its two popular football camps Sunday and it came with a nice ending.

A third verbal commitment in as many days.

ADVERTISEMENT Lincoln, Nebraska tight end Caden Ward announced his commitment to the Bison after attending NDSUs camp.

He was officially offered by the Bison on Friday.

I was up for an official visit Thursday and Friday and it felt like every 10 seconds someone was checking up on us that everything was good and we were doing fine, Ward said.

They had a lot going on such as their youth camp and high school camp, yet they made me feel that me being there was the most important thing on their schedules.

COMMITTED!! ROLL HERD @CoachTimNDSU @FBCoachLarson @CoachLJ38 @MisterLilly @CoachBostad @CooperMattern @NDNextUp @NDSUfootball @NDSUathletics @DomIzzoWDAY @SlattSpeed626 @SoutheastFB @CoachGottula pic.twitter.com/YT8UBXixS7 Ward is 6-foot-3, and weighs 217 pounds.

He plays for Lincoln Southeast High School, the Knights play in Class A in Nebraska, which is the highest class.

LSE posted a 7-3 record in 2024, losing in the first round of the Class A tournament to Millard North High School.

He had two other offers, from Penn out of the Ivy League and the University of Sioux Falls.

Ward had camped all over the Midwest, and was rising on most recruiting boards.

Ward is primarily a blocking tight end, he had ten receptions for 164 yards, and a touchdown.

He added seven tackles and a sack on defense during the 2024 season.

Ward appreciated the history of the tight end position at NDSU, that has produced NFL prospects in Ben Ellefson and Josh Babicz.

The appealing thing about the offense is that theyre not afraid to use their tight ends to create matchups, said Ward.

There are several ways they use their tight ends and I am excited to be a part of that.

Ward becomes the thirteenth commitment for the Bison Class of 2026 and the first out of the state of Nebraska.

NDSU had three recruits out of Nebraska for the incoming 2025 class; Alijah Wayne from Omaha, Thomas Roberts from Albion and Mikhale Ford from Lincoln East.

ADVERTISEMENT Sources indicate to WDAY Sports that NDSU had a goal of trying to land a tight end commit heading into the weekend.

Going to camp was great because it really let me see how the coaches actually coach, Ward said.

Coach (Dan) Larson is a great guy off the field and on the field.

Being at camp helped show how passionate he is about his job.

He reinforces the fact that you can always get better and I truly believe that.

Ward is a two-year starter for the Knights, whos considered one of the top tight ends in the state of Nebraska.

The Bison had offered a pair of other tight ends who had committed to FBS programs.

What definitely sealed it for me is the true culture that exists from the coaches, staff, players, and even the town, Ward added.

Whenever I asked someone about the best part of NDSU, culture was always brought up.

They take a lot of pride in relationships and it definitely goes a long way..

This article has been shared from the original article on thedickinsonpress, here is the link to the original article.