Donovan Woolen holds the SLB · Starter spot in North Dakota State Bison’s linebacker room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Donovan Woolen is a linebacker for North Dakota State who grew up in Frisco, Texas, and graduated from Wakeland High School in 2024. As a freshman in 2024, he appeared in 11 games primarily on special teams and recorded 10 total tackles. In 2025, Woolen started all 13 games and led the Bison with 86 total tackles, three interceptions, and nine pass breakups. He posted a season-high 18 tackles against North Dakota and earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for that performance. He also returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee State and posted 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the year, earning All-MVFC second-team recognition.

North Dakota State2024 — present