North Dakota State keeps stockpiling commitments for the 2027 recruiting class, and the latest could join the long lineage of talented running backs in Fargo.
Martin Sleen, who rushed for 1,908 yards and 29 touchdowns on 162 carries last fall, announced his commitment to the Bison on Saturday via social media. Sleen plays for Hermantown, Minnesota, and the 5-foot-11 and 187-pound rusher has been running through defenses for years in northern Minnesota. He had 1,623 yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024.
“Thank you Jesus for the gifts you’ve blessed me with to make all this possible,” Sleen wrote via X on Saturday. “Thank you to my family and friends for always being there for me and supporting me. Thank you to my teammates and coaches at Hermantown for pushing me to improve every day. And thank you to all the coaches at NDSU for believing in me and giving me this opportunity!”
Sleen passed on offers from South Dakota and Brown in his recruiting process. He’s the second running back commit for NDSU in the 2027 recruiting class.
New Richmond, Wisconsin, standout Austyn Wittek committed to the Bison earlier this year. Wittek is a 6-foot-10, 190-pound back, who rushed for 1,853 yards and 31 touchdowns last season.
What Martin Sleen Offers at Running Back
Sleen is dangerous between the tackles and can outrun everyone on the field when he breaks free.
“I wanted to be more productive running up the middle, better at breaking tackles. I wanted to do whatever I could to make this team better, so my goal is just to be better in every way than I was last year,” Sleen told WDIO in September 2025.
Sleen had a 300-yard, six-touchdown game at that point in his junior season. Overall, Sleen finished with 1,979 all-purpose yards in 2025, and he helped Hermantown reach a section final in the playoffs.
“He’s lost that idea where he just needs to run outside,” Hermantown head coach Mike Zagelmeyer told WDIO in September 2025, “he definitely wants to take on contact.”
“That’s always a big question when you have a smaller back or somebody of his stature, whether he wants that contact. He seems to relish in it a little bit right now, which is really dangerous for other teams,” Zagelmeyer added.
Hermantown quarterback Sawyer Senst praised Sleen for his impact on the offense.
“It makes it a lot easier knowing that he knows all the plays inside out and that he’ll get the yards that we need, and it just takes a load off, knowing if we need a big play or anything that he’ll get it for us,” Senst told WDIO.
Where the 2027 Recruiting Class Stands
The Bison now have 10 commitments for the 2027 class, and many of them have come from Minnesota of late.
That includes Mahtomedi 6-foot-3, 230-pound edge Jacob Sokoll and Minnetonka 6-foot-0, 190-pound safety Cody Braun. Bloomington Jefferson 6-foot-3, 215-pound edge Dorian Ward and Rosemount 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive lineman Jack Noonan are also recent commits.
NDSU also has its first FBS recruit from in-state with 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive lineman Andrew Matt from Carrington.
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