Iowa defensive lineman Yahya Black (94) rushes against Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

It’s becoming a bit of a common occurrence for this area of Minnesota over the last decade, but it still feels good to turn on the television on Saturdays and see players who grew up in southwest Minnesota competing on a national level.

Here’s a summary of what some of these former area athletes are doing on the gridiron at the next level.

Bryce Lance, NDSU

Watching a North Dakota State University football game and seeing the No. 5 jersey and a nameplate that reads “Lance” brings back memories for people who followed the journey of Trey Lance from Marshall High School to NDSU to the National Football League. But this time, No. 5 is catching touchdowns instead of throwing them. And of course it’s no longer Trey, but his younger brother Bryce who is making an impact for one of the top teams in the Football Championship Subdivision level.

After playing mostly on special teams over the last two seasons, Bryce has emerged early in his junior season as a go-to weapon at starting wide receiver for quarterback Cam Miller and the No. 2-ranked Bison.

“I think Bryce probably would have been ready to play two years ago,” Miller said. “But like he said, he paid his dues and waited his turn. He really flashed today and I couldn’t be more proud of him. The kid has put in a lot of work pre-practice and post-practice this offseason, and I knew it was going to come before the game.

The 6-foot-3, 204-pound receiver finished Saturday’s game against Tennessee State University with seven receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

“Cam put me in a lot of really great positions today,” Bryce said. “It made my job a lot easier.”

“I knew that he was going to have a great game,” Miller added. “I told him that before the game and that’s what happened.

All throughout fall camp leading up to the season, coaches were high on Bryce’s chances to be one of the top targets on a team that lost a number of playmakers over the offseason.

“That first catch he had, that’s who we’ve got to become. We’ve got to break tackles and create explosive plays,” NDSU head coach Tim Polasek said. “I’m just excited for Bryce for taking advantage of his opportunities.”

Zach Durfee, Washington

Another kid from the area who had to wait his turn for his time in the spotlight was Dawson-Boyd graduate Zach Durfee, who is now an EDGE rusher in the Big Ten Conference.

After playing a year at the University of Sioux Falls in 2022, Durfee entered the transfer portal and ultimately landed at the University of Washington. But due to some NCAA policies regarding his previous transfers between schools, Durfee was ruled ineligible for all of the 2023 season as Washington advanced all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Huskies lost to the University of Michigan.

Durfee is eligible and back in the lineup this year, and made his biggest impact yet during Saturday’s win over Eastern Michigan University. The 6-5, 256-pound senior recorded five tackles and 2.5 sacks in the win.

“(UW defensive coordinator Steve) Belicheck calls a great defense, so honestly it’s really just us doing our jobs,” Durfee said. “Just doing our job and trusting his play and our game plan, all 11 of us on defense.”

Durfee leads the Huskies in both sacks and tackles for loss through two games, and is third on the team in tackles with eight.

Durfee entered the game listed as questionable on the injury report, and UW coach Jedd Fisch noted that he was limited in practice during the week.

“I’m definitely growing in the game, just getting more snaps,” Durfee added. “I think I still feel a little rusty, and I don’t feel as good as I want to. But we do a great job here of practicing hard during the week, and we’re a team that’s going to stay on the rise. I feel decent where I’m at, but I’m not satisfied.”

Durfee and UW do not face the University of Minnesota during the 2024 season, but will travel to Iowa City for a game against the University of Iowa on Oct. 12.

Yahya Black, Iowa

Speaking of Iowa, former Marshall athlete Yahya Black is a key contributor along the stout defensive line unit for the Hawkeyes. The 6-5, 317-pound senior had a relatively quiet game in Iowa’s season opening win over Illinois State University with just one tackle for loss, but recorded four tackles and a pass breakup in the Hawkeyes’ 20-19 loss against in-state rival Iowa State University.

It was the 16th career start for Black, whose opportunities have increased this season due to some player departures of other defensive linemen in the rotation.

“It’s kind of a younger group again,” Black said over the offseason. “The change is there. [Now it’s just] getting everybody on the right page.”

Others at the next level

Tony Nelson of Tracy-Milroy-Balaton is in his redshirt sophomore season with the Minnesota football team, and the 6-6, 315-pound redshirt sophomore saw his first career game of action on Saturday against Rhode Island. Nelson is a two-sport athlete and saw action on the Gophers outdoor track and field team in the spring, which included a season-best shot put mark of 17.33m (56-10 1/4) at the Hurricane Invitational in Miami, Fla.

Marshall’s Deylin Hasert is listed as a top backup at left guard along the Iowa State offensive line, but the 6-4, 315-pound sophomore has not seen game action during the 2024 season.