McFeely blog: NFL Draft analyst says Lance's stock 'has taken hit'

FARGO — One analyst says former North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance's NFL Draft stock dipped because of a sub-par performance against Central Arkansas in the Bison's only game this fall.

Matt Miller, who does mock drafts for Bleacher Report and runs the Twitter account @nfldraftscout, said in a video that Lance's struggles in NDSU's 39-28 victory Oct. 3 at the Fargodome bumped Lance from the second-ranked quarterback on his board to the third-ranked QB.

Clemson's Trevor Lawrence remains No. 1, while Miller said Ohio State's Justin Fields leap-frogged Lance to the second spot.

"I think he actually made a mistake by playing in that game against Central Arkansas, where he did struggle as a passer," Miller said.

Lance finished 15 of 30 for 149 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears, throwing the first interception of his college career. The redshirt sophomore's performance was particularly rugged in the first half when he was 6 of 16 for 47 yards. He was sharper in the second half, and broke the game open with his running ability. Lance finished with 143 yards rushing and two TDs, including a 54-yard scoring run on the second play of the third quarter.

"His stock has taken a hit," Miller said, adding that "I'm still really, really intrigued by him as a prospect. There's a lot of room for him to get better."

Lance declared for the draft three days after the Central Arkansas game. The NFL Draft is scheduled April 29-May 1 in Cleveland.

Ex-Bison running back Adam Cofield, who entered the NCAA transfer portal in mid-October, has received an offer from Football Bowl Subdivision team Liberty University. The offer was reported by Liberty fan site A Sea of Red .

Cofield rushed for 813 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, including a game-winning 71-yard TD run against rival South Dakota State late in the fourth quarter. He'll graduate from NDSU this fall and have one year of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer.

In a Twitter statement announcing his decision to transfer, Cofield said his goal is to "make it to the next level" and moving to a different school would help him achieve that goal.

Reached via online message, Cofield declined to reveal what other schools had offered him and said he would offer more information later this month. He said he will sign in early December.