Receiver, North Dakota State, 2022–⁠25

RaJa Nelson

Number
No. 3
Height
5′9″
Weight
196 lb
Class (2025)
Senior
Hometown
Lakeville, MN

RaJa Nelson played receiver at North Dakota State (2022–⁠25).

Career highs

103rushing yards, career highvs. Western Illinois, 20236catches, career highat Northern Iowa, 2023113receiving yards, career highat Northern Iowa, 20232receiving touchdowns, career hightwice; last vs. Southeast Missouri State, 2025

Team titles: Missouri Valley Football champions, 2024 and 2025

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2022North Dakota State15956.3014
2023North Dakota State3138812.5240
2024North Dakota State2627310.5333
2025North Dakota State2944015.2436
Career1011,19611.8940

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTDPRYdsTD
2022North Dakota State122390–––
2023North Dakota State71860–––
2024North Dakota State2400–––
2025North Dakota State81680160
Career296330160

Rushing

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2022North Dakota State242.008
2023North Dakota State353028.6276
2024North Dakota State3−5−1.702
2025North Dakota State7142.0010
Career473156.7276

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. A dash: the source has no number for that season (often an FCS season), and career totals count only the numbers on file.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2022North Dakota State3WRFr.
2023North Dakota State3WRSo.
2024North Dakota State3WRJr.
2025North Dakota State3WRSr.5′9″196

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2022North Dakota State (FCS)160.53––8.5–
2023North Dakota State (FCS)650.7139th (n=681)0.8046.57%
2024North Dakota State (FCS)330.549th (n=581)0.9217.87%
2025North Dakota State (FCS)530.6074th (n=1040)0.4632.06%

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2025 North Dakota State 13 games, 29 catches, 440 yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Aug 30atThe CitadelW 38–⁠02601–––
Sep 6atTennessee StateW 59–⁠33241124–
Sep 13vs.Southeast Missouri StateW 41–⁠144412–––
Sep 27vs.South DakotaW 51–⁠132520–––
Oct 4atIllinois StateW 33–⁠161320–––
Oct 11vs.Southern IllinoisW 45–⁠172620–––
Oct 18atIndiana StateW 38–⁠72230–––
Oct 25atSouth Dakota StateW 38–⁠74430–––
Nov 1vs.Youngstown StateW 38–⁠304520369–
Nov 8atNorth DakotaW 15–⁠10–––117–
Nov 15vs.Northern IowaW 48–⁠161−401181
Nov 22vs.St. Thomas (MN)W 62–⁠73450–––
Dec 6vs.Illinois StateL 28–⁠291100240–
2024 North Dakota State 8 games, 26 catches, 273 yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Aug 29atColoradoL 26–⁠314450240–
Oct 5vs.North DakotaW 41–⁠17180–––
Oct 19vs.South Dakota StateW 13–⁠94482–––
Nov 23atSouth DakotaL 28–⁠293480–––
Dec 7vs.Abilene ChristianW 51–⁠315261–––
Dec 14vs.MercerW 31–⁠72390–––
Dec 21 ✦vs.South Dakota StateW 28–⁠21270–––
Jan 6 ✦vs.Montana StateW 35–⁠325520–––
2023 North Dakota State 15 games, 31 catches, 388 yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Sep 2vs.Eastern WashingtonW 35–⁠103140119–
Sep 9vs.MaineW 44–⁠72150–––
Sep 16vs.Central ArkansasW 49–⁠312200–––
Sep 30vs.South DakotaL 19–⁠241110–––
Oct 7atMissouri StateW 38–⁠10118018–
Oct 14atNorth DakotaL 24–⁠49250364–
Oct 21vs.Western IllinoisW 52–⁠71−10–––
Oct 28vs.Murray StateW 38–⁠6––––––
Nov 4atSouth Dakota StateL 16–⁠334360295–
Nov 11vs.Southern IllinoisW 34–⁠104810–––
Nov 18atNorthern IowaW 48–⁠2761131–––
Nov 25 ✦vs.DrakeW 66–⁠32511–––
Dec 2 ✦atMontana StateW 35–⁠34––––––
Dec 9 ✦atSouth DakotaW 45–⁠172120–––
Dec 16 ✦atMontanaL 29–⁠311130–––
2022 North Dakota State 12 games, 15 catches, 95 yards
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Sep 3vs.DrakeW 56–⁠14–––15–
Sep 10vs.North Carolina A&TW 43–⁠31110–––
Sep 17atArizonaL 28–⁠31190–––
Oct 1vs.Youngstown StateW 27–⁠141−30117–
Oct 8atIndiana StateW 31–⁠26290250–
Oct 15vs.South Dakota StateL 21–⁠23140371–
Oct 29vs.Illinois StateW 24–⁠73100123–
Nov 5atWestern IllinoisW 56–⁠17–––117–
Nov 19vs.North DakotaW 42–⁠21180–––
Dec 3vs.MontanaW 49–⁠26180118–
Dec 9vs.SamfordW 24–⁠3439019–
Jan 8 ✦vs.South Dakota StateL 21–⁠45–––129–

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Is this you, or do you know of something wrong or missing here? Suggest a correction. We check each one against a source before changing the page.