From the Fall 2026 issue of Bison Illustrated.
Photo by Gavin Fernholz, Dynamic Studios.
Q: Do you take more pride in a tackle at the line of scrimmage, an interception, or forcing the quarterback off his first read, even when the play doesn’t show up in your statistics?
Donovan Woolen: I think I take the most pride in an interception. All three are very important, but definitely an interception.
Q: An interception can change the game at any time. Anytime you change possession, that’s huge. How do you think your length helps you when matching up with tight ends, running backs, and other players in coverage?
Woolen: Being able to get off blocks is definitely how my length has helped me. Being able to get full extension and rip off blocks has definitely helped.
Q: What do you think you’ll have to improve on the most when going up against the bigger athletes of the Mountain West?
Woolen: I definitely think everybody on this team is physically able to compete against those guys. I think we all need to improve in the film room, studying a little bit more and being able to have a prediction of what they might do pre-snap.
Q: What excites you most about making the leap to the Mountain West?
Woolen: What excites me the most is obviously the better competition and being able to play a great team every single week.
I also love the idea of being able to travel to a lot of places, like Hawaii, Las Vegas, and others. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
Q: Is there a particular opponent you’re looking forward to playing the most?
Woolen: I’m excited for all of them. I would say UNLV, playing in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, is going to be pretty fun.
Q: When you open against Jacksonville State in Week 1, how will you help keep your teammates grounded with all the excitement? The Fargodome is going to be loud. What can you do to help keep the team in the moment?
Woolen: Definitely just keep letting them know that we’re all built for this moment. We’re all here for a reason.
Just tell them to fall back on their training and trust themselves. We’re all going to be ready to go on August 29.
We’re going to have nerves. Everybody is going to have nerves. It’s just about going out and playing fast. We’re going to have a lot of fun if we play fast, and we’re going to have a great day.
Q: What have you put the biggest emphasis on this offseason, not just with the move to the Mountain West, but in your own personal growth as an athlete?
Woolen: Like I said earlier, I would definitely say the film room. I’ve made a big improvement there, just learning different offensive schemes, route concepts, whatever it might be.
That’s probably one of the biggest improvements I’ve made so far. Then, definitely just continuing to get stronger, leaner, and whatever else it might be.
Q: With this move being such an exciting moment for the program, what can NDSU fans expect from the team and from you personally?
Woolen: They can expect the same old NDSU team.
Specifically with Code Green, we’re going to be out there playing fast, playing hard, and playing together. We’re going to be a top-notch physical team—the most physical team in America. That’s what they can expect.
Q: What’s your message to NDSU fans to cap it off?
Woolen: The Bison defense loves playing with 12. On August 29, we’re excited to play with 12, and we’re excited to play under a packed Dome.
We can’t wait for it, and we can’t wait to go out and show what we can do.
Career Highlights
- 2025 All-MVFC Second Team.
- 2025 MVFC Defensive Player of the Week following the North Dakota game.
- 2024 MVFC Honor Roll.
- Led NDSU in tackles, interceptions and pass breakups in his first season as a starter.
- Recorded the program’s highest single-game tackle total in a decade with 18 against North Dakota.
- Scored his first defensive touchdown on a 34-yard interception return.
Read the Fall 2026 magazine feature.
