Bison football making case for best cornerback depth chart in Division I era

FARGO — Nobody will see Destin Talbert wearing his own T-shirt around campus these days, the image of his leaping one-handed interception in the Division I FCS semifinals against James Madison last December. It iced the 20-14 victory that sent the Bison to the national title game in Frisco, Texas.

With the NCAA’s new name, image, likeness, Talbert went into the T-shirt business.

“I don’t wear it anymore, that’s more of my own rule,” Talbert said. “It’s not like people are telling me not to. I keep it to last season. I’ll keep it as a trophy, a memento more than anything but it’s cool when I see other people wearing it.”

Another thing about last season that involves Talbert: the Bison return four cornerbacks who have extensive playing experience, a depth of riches very few teams in the FCS enjoy. Defensive backs coach Lewis Walker hasn’t decided on his depth chart, but it probably doesn’t matter with Talbert, senior Jayden Price, junior Courtney Eubanks and sophomore Marques Sigle.

Price and Eubanks started all 15 games. Talbert has played in 52 career games and Sigle emerged in the latter half of 2021 and was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference all-newcomer team.

“It feels good to have the confidence of at least four guys to go in there and play at a really high level,” Talbert said. “It makes all of us feel a little more at ease knowing the next guy up will always be ready.”

Make no mistake, there still is competition. The Bison enter their season opener Dec. 3 against Drake University (Iowa) at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome with perhaps their deepest defensive back corps in the Division I era. Seniors Michael Tutsie and Dawson Weber and junior Dom Jones, who combined have played in 124 career games, return at the two safety positions.

That question that is asked of a team that has a lot of receivers or running backs — are there enough footballs to go around — could be twisted to the NDSU cornerbacks. Are there enough footballs to go around that will be thrown their way with four players rotating in and out?

“Oh, we always want more opportunities but the ones you get you have to make the most out of,” Talbert said.

Lewis figures the first time a cornerback comes off the bench the other team is going to target him.

“We got a rat, we’re going to go at him,” Walker said. “I don’t have any problem with that situation right now the way our guys are playing at the cornerback position. I have full confidence the play will be made and we’ll have great coverage in those aspects.”

Talbert was second on the team in interceptions last year with three, one behind Weber. Sigle had one, returning it for 36 yards, while Eubanks and Price were shut out. But Eubanks led the team in pass breakups with six while Price was second with five.

And rare was the bomb surrendered by the Bison defense. Credit there also goes to the Bison defensive line for putting pressure on opponent quarterbacks.

The University of Albany had a 67-yard scoring pass in the season opener, its only points of the game. Northern Iowa had a 68-yarder in the third quarter with the Bison up three scores. Otherwise the Bison had 13 games where the opponents’ long pass was 44 yards or less. They had seven games where it was 30 yards or less.

“To sit there and say you have four or five guys that you know you can throw in a game, or has a lot of game experience, that can go in and be able to execute at a high level and there’s no dropoff,” Walker said, “I think that’s a hard thing to find in the FCS level for sure.”