A North Dakota-bred offensive lineman who anchored South Dakota State's line as a team captain before signing with Houston as an undrafted free agent.
Sam Hagen grew up in Fordville, North Dakota, and started his college career at North Dakota before transferring to South Dakota State, where he was voted a team captain. The Houston Texans signed the 6-foot-6 lineman as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft, giving him a chance to compete for interior offensive line depth.
Path to the league
Hagen starred in multiple sports at Park River High School before enrolling at North Dakota, where he started as a 19-year-old redshirt freshman in front of a crowd of 85,000 at Nebraska. After three seasons at UND playing both guard and tackle, he transferred to South Dakota State for his final college season. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with the Houston Texans.
Career highlights
Hagen earned Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll recognition in four straight years (2021-2024) and won the conference's Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award twice. He started 12 of 13 games at right tackle for South Dakota State in 2024 before being voted a team captain heading into his final season.
2025 season recap
Hagen served as a team captain for South Dakota State in his final college season, continuing to anchor the offensive line after a coaching change on the staff. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft but signed with the Texans as a free agent, projecting as a guard in Houston's gap and man-power run scheme.
Sources
- ESPN: Sam Hagen player page
- Grand Forks Herald: Sam Hagen of Fordville, N.D., battling for a spot with the Houston Texans
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- South Dakota State
- Hometown
- Fordville, ND, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
