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FARGO — A day after the regular season ended, North Dakota State cornerback Marques Sigle, wide receiver D.J. Hart and running back Dominic Gonnella are entering the transfer portal.
Sigle confirmed that he has played his last down with the Bison and confirmed Hart and Gonnella are leaving NDSU, too.
"My tank is on empty," Sigle wrote in a message. "Super drained. Need a new start and environment."
The Bison completed their regular season Saturday with a 42-21 victory over North Dakota at the Fargodome. NDSU is 9-2 and earned a No. 3 seed for the 24-team Football Championship Subdivision playoffs that start next weekend. NDSU has a first-round bye.
Sigle, a sophomore, was starting to emerge as a reliable defensive player. This season, Sigle played in all 11 games, racking up 27 tackles and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown against Western Illinois.
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Sigle was a key in NDSU's cornerback rotation, logging 232 snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus. That's third most among Bison cornerbacks behind Destin Talbert (495 snaps) and Courtney Eubanks (410).
Sigle was the Bison's highest graded cornerback, according to PFF. His 84.9 grade topped Talbert (74.4) and Eubanks (61.7).
It's likely Jayden Price will pick up Sigle's snaps.
Sigle was also a regular on special teams, including kick coverage, kick return and punt return.
Sigle made his decision known, posting his availability on his Twitter biography. Attempts to reach Bison head coach Matt Entz on Sunday were not immediately successful.
Hart and Gonnella are also entering the portal.
Hart has emerged as a key player in NDSU's passing game. The wide receiver is coming off his best performance with a career-high 83 receiving yards, including the 76-yard catch against North Dakota.
Hart had 13 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown in 11 games this season.
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Gonnella rushed for 259 yards and one touchdown on 40 attempts in 10 games. He didn’t play against Southern Illinois after he was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the game against Indiana State.
Gonnella was the leading rusher for the Bison his freshman year with 495 yards on 91 attempts.
In his sophomore season, Gonella started eight games and played in the first nine before he suffered a season-ending injury. He rushed 65 times for 380 yards and two touchdowns.
Gonnella didn't immediately respond to a message Sunday night.
