James Nellis brings classic NDSU trench value: big, physical, and battle-tested
James Nellis is a redshirt freshman guard at North Dakota State in the 2026 season, listed at 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, and he fits the Bison mold: stout, physical, and developed through a decorated high school résumé as a three-year starter, two-time captain, and all-state lineman. He has not logged game stats yet, so the appeal is more projection than production, but his size, multi-year starting experience, and reputation as a lineman who also made plays on defense suggest a tough, high-effort interior presence that NDSU traditionally turns into a strength.
