Sam Hagen

Samuel “Sam” Hagen, who has two sisters, grew up on his family’s farm in tiny Fordville, N.D. (population: 200). He started playing football at the Pop Warner level and continued at Park River Area-Fordville Lankin High School. He started at right guard and defensive tackle, earning all-region honors as a junior and senior. He was also a standout in baseball and basketball, collecting more than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. A no-star recruit, Hagen mostly went overlooked after playing at a low level of competition, but North Dakota took notice and offered him a scholarship (his only Division I offer) after his junior season. He spent three years in the program before entering the transfer portal after the 2023 season, when his former offensive line coach (Joe Pawlak) left for Montana. He considered following Pawlak to Montana and received offers from FBS programs such as Coastal Carolina and San Diego State. But he chose South Dakota State for his final two seasons because of the coaching staff and proximity to his family. Hagen has adequate size and play strength to run off the ball and move people at the point of attack. He has functional movements to execute combinations, with the body control to maintain positioning through engagement. He took a positive step forward as a senior in pass protection, but his average feet and length are limiting factors against explosive defenders. He had his work instilled in him at a young age, and he will be an easy personality fit in any offensive line room. He has missed time because of knee injuries, however. Overall, Hagen is a strong, aggressive-minded blocker who wants to run power/counter, although he will be a better fit for most schemes inside at guard. BEST OF THE REST NAME SCHOOL HEIGHT WEIGHT 40 YD 20 YD 10 YD VJ BJ SS 3-CONE BP HAND SIZE ARM LENGTH WING SPAN 31 LIAM BROWN Montana 6046 307 5.20 2.98 1.78 33 1/2 8'11" 4.68 7.50 26 10 1/4 33 78 7/8 32 TOMAS RIMAC Virginia Tech 6057 317 4.95 2.75 1.