Hot Mic with Dom Izzo: Despite Kienholz choosing elsewhere, NDSU is now a national recruiting factor

We're in the heart of college recruiting season as commits keep rolling in for North Dakota State and the University of North Dakota.

As you see the list of offers coming in for these newly minted college players, there was one player hanging out there until about 4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon that could have put NDSU at another level.

Pierre, South Dakota native Lincoln Kienholz is a three-star ranked quarterback who has blown up the recruiting world over the last two months. Kienholz has offers from over 20 schools, NDSU being one of them.

Kienholz is the prototypical quarterback, 6-3, 185 pounds with a rocket arm. His high school team has dominated South Dakota football, current NDSU offensive lineman Grey Zabel played for the Governors and won state titles there.

Late last month, Kienholz trimmed his list of schools down to four. Again the Bison were among the schools, along with Wisconsin, Wyoming and Washington. The fact that the FCS school was being considered with two Power 5 schools should have everyone stand up.

Earlier this afternoon, Kienholz made his decision, he's going to the University of Washington to play for former Sioux Falls coach Kalen DeBoer.

Two sources confirm to WDAY Sports that Kienholz had narrowed his choice between Washington and NDSU.

Now we may be making way too much about what an 18 year old is going to decide about where he goes to college, but I have been speaking for a few years about the impact NDSU made with having three straight quarterbacks drafted into the NFL.

This is the direct result.

Even though Kienholz has decided to go elsewhere, it should give the FCS pause that NDSU is in the conversation for one of the best high school players in the country.