FARGO — The journey for North Dakota State senior Barika Kpeenu has been displayed for all to see in his backyard, from a standout at West Fargo Sheyenne High School to being the featured running back in this year’s offense. Then again, it’s nothing compared to the path his parents, Prince and Endurance Kpeenu, took in leaving war-torn Nigeria.
It’s a constant source of motivation for NDSU’s rushing leader heading into his final regular-season home game Saturday afternoon against the University of St. Thomas.
“They’re trying to make sure I have the best life possible,” Barika said. “I just want to make my folks proud because they’ve done so much for me. You see all the work and all the extra hours they had to put in to put food on the table, I think it makes you appreciate it more as you get older because you see it unfolding in front of your eyes.”
Kpeenu is one of 16 players who will be going through the team’s annual Senior Day that includes fullback Truman Werremeyer from Fargo Davies. The Bison were able to shut off the outside recruiters in landing both of them and both have made an impact with the program.
“A dream come true playing in front of your family and friends and people who have supported you since the beginning,” Kpeenu said. “It’s so awesome seeing the countless love and support, you don’t want to trade that for anything. The reason you want to play so hard is because of the people who put you in position to be where you’re at so I haven’t taken that for granted.”
Certainly, defensive tackle Jaxon Duttenhefer isn’t taking anything for granted
after being transported to a Terre Haute medical center
in the Indiana State game, only to be cleared to play two weeks later. Duttenhefer, Werremeyer and Kpeenu are North Dakota players making good of a Division I football career.
“It’s wild to think about how talented our high school class was,” said Duttenhefer, from Mandan.
Barika Kpeenu was a star running back at West Fargo Sheyenne before playing for North Dakota State.
David Samson / The Forum
That includes offensive lineman Andrew Leingang from Bismarck Century who went to Kansas State and linebacker Enock Sibomana from Fargo South who transferred from NDSU to Wyoming last year. Duttenhefer likes to include basketball player Jacksen Moni from West Fargo Sheyenne in that conversation.
“It’s cool to see those guys who grew up in Fargo watching this team play,” Duttenhefer said. “I just had to do it from a few more miles away. It’s cool to see how far we’ve come in the past five years.”
Kpeenu’s rise in the Bison backfield has been a steady one, coming to NDSU in the fall of 2021 at 199 pounds. He’s now a solid 213 who has been tough to bring down all season. That was something Bison head coach Tim Polasek wanted to see more of this year: break tackles and turn short gains into longer runs.
“The season just flew by so fast, I remember just being in fall camp and we’re getting ready for a season,” Kpeenu said. “It’s crazy how time is flying by, just having fun with it. It’s awesome with all the seniors that I came in with, the road that we came in and the time is dwindling down. So crazy.”
West Fargo Sheyenne’s Barika Kpeenu with his parents Endurance, left, and Prince during a recruiting visit while he was still in high school.
Forum file photo
Kpeenu admits to the usual ups and downs of a college football player, from redshirting in 2021 to playing just three games in 2022. The tide turned in his sophomore year when he had 501 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
That improved to 725 yards and seven touchdowns last season and he heads into the St. Thomas game with 843 yards and 17 touchdowns, with the TDs ranking him tied for fifth in the FCS with Lafayette running back Kente Edwards. Southern Utah running back Joshua Dye is the leader with 25 touchdowns.
Kpeenu has been held out of the end zone only twice this season against Southeast Missouri State and the University of North Dakota.
“A lot of ups and downs but a lot of perseverance through it all,” Kpeenu said. “I wouldn’t change anything for it.”
Polasek made it known from his first press conference in August that Kpeenu was going to be the workhorse. That has held true with the No. 1-ranked Bison holding an 11-0 record and a Missouri Valley Football Conference title heading into the nonconference date with the Tommies.
Kpeenu has 165 carries and is on pace to match Marty Brown’s total of 244 rushing attempts last season, if the Bison make a run in the playoffs anyway. Brown’s carries were the most by an NDSU running back since Adam Cofield had 167 carries in 2019.
“I’ve had a chip on my shoulder, I wanted to prove so many people wrong,” Kpeenu said. “But at the end of the day and as the season has gone on, I feel like I don’t have to prove anybody wrong, just prove myself right that I’m able to play this game at a high level. (Polasek) has given me so much confidence at the beginning of the season to where I can just go out and play free.”
North Dakota State’s Barika Kpeenu leaps for a touchdown against Northern Iowa on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at the Fargodome.
David Samson/The Forum
Polasek said he’s been impressed with how decisive Kpeenu has been with his carries, especially inside the 20-yard line.
“Great red zone running,” Polasek said. “Unbelievable in the inside zone game and getting better and better at the outside zone and we’re still looking for one or two more explosive plays from that position overall and that has to be cultivated from the o-line and tight ends first and foremost.”
Adding to the season enjoyment for Kpeenu is having his brother, sophomore running back Barry Kpeenu, on the team. Barry, a sophomore, transferred from Rochester Community and Technical College (Minn.) in the offseason.
“He motivates me so much,” Barika said. “If I miss stuff, he’ll look at the tape and say, bro, you missed it. I’ll say I know. It’s the extra criticism that you need but you know it’s coming from a loving place.”
North Dakota State’s Barika Kpeenu celebrates his 6-yard touchdown run against Southern Illinois on Saturday, October, 11, 2025, at the Fargodome.
David Samson / The Forum
Jeff Kolpack, the son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he’s covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995. He has covered all 10 of NDSU’s Division I FCS national football titles and has written four books: “Horns Up,” “North Dakota Tough,” “Covid Kids” and “They Caught Them Sleeping: How Dot Reinvented the Pretzel.” He is also the radio host of “The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack” April through August.
