Northern Illinois University 2021 Spring Football Guide Northern
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NIU SPRING FOOTBALL 2021 NorthernNorthern IllinoisIllinois UniversityUniversity HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS Head Coach ..........................................................Thomas Hammock Alma Mater/Year ................................................................. NIU ‘02 20212021 SpringSpring FootballFootball GuideGuide Record at NIU/Years ................................................................... 5-13/1 Career Record/Years ...................................................................Same HUSKIE BITES Basic Offense/Defense .................................................Multiple/4-3 • Eighty Huskie players - 71 returnees and nine newcomers - returned to the First Year of Football .......................................................................1899 practice field on Friday, March 19 for the first of 15 spring practices. 2020 Record/MAC Record/Finish .......................... 0-6/0-6/6th • NIU graduate Thomas Hammock, a two-time first team Academic All-American All-Time Record ...................................................................592-507-51 who rushed for over 1,000 yards to lead the Huskies in both 2000 and 2001, Last Bowl Game ................2018 Cheribundi Roca Raton Bowl begins his third season as head coach at his alma mater. Prior to returning to ..................................................................................... UAB 37, NIU 14 NIU, he served as running backs for the Baltimore Ravens for five seasons. Bowl Appearances (FBS) ..................................................................13 • With every player receiving an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 MAC Championship Appearances, Last ........................ 8, 2018 pandemic, NIU returns 22 starters, including 19 on offense and defense, in 2021. MAC Championships, Last .....................................................5, 2018 One notable exception is on offense where the Huskies must replace two-year Experience Returning/Lost .......................................................47/14 starter Ross Bowers. Starters Returning ..22 (9 offense, 10 defense, 3 specialists) • The Huskies 2020 roster ranked as the second-youngest in the Football Bowl Starters Lost ................... 5 (4 offense, 1 defense, 0 specialists) Subdivision with 71 percent of the roster consisting of underclassmen. The 64 freshmen (including true, second-year and redshirt) and sophomores on the spring roster will be joined by 34 freshmen recruits (scholarship and walk-on). 2020 RESULTS • The veterans on the 2021 NIU roster are led by seventh-year linebacker Kyle Overall & MAC: 0-6 (.000) Pugh, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility for 2020 which has carried over Home: 0-3; Away: 0-3 to now a seventh season for 2021. Pugh was a semifinalist for the Mayo Clinic Day, Date Opponent (TV) Score Comeback Player of the Year Award last season. Wed., Nov. 4 BUFFALO* (ESPN2) L, 49-30 • Another returning senior, Tyrice Richie became just the eighth player in NIU Wed., Nov. 11 CENTRAL MICHIGAN* (ESPNU) L, 40-10 history to record four 100-yard receiving games in a season in 2020, and was the Wed., Nov. 18 at Ball State* (ESPNU) L, 31-25 first Huskie since 2000 with three consecutive 100-yard days. He collected first Sat., Nov. 28 at Western Michigan* (ESPN+) L, 30-27 team All-MAC honors after catching 53 passes for 597 yards last year. Sat., Dec. 5 TOLEDO* (ESPN3) L, 41-24 • In all, six seniors - five starters - elected to return for 2021. Sat., Dec. 12 at Eastern Michigan* (ESPN3) L, 41-33 • Another player coming off a break-out season is freshman Trayvon Rudolph, who went from walk-on to second team Freshman All-American in 2020. Rudolph MAC teams played a 6-game league only schedule ranked second in the country in combined kick return yards and 10th in all- in 2020 due to COVID-19. purpose yards per game. While playing just six games, he returned more kickoffs (30) for more yards (717) than any player in the nation. • A pair of transfers are already making an impact early in spring drills as junior NIU FACTS quarterback Rocky Lombardi joined the Huskies from Michigan State and will compete for the starting job under center, while multi-purpose back Clint Location .......................................................................... DeKalb, Illinois Ratkovich came in as a grad transfer from Western Illinois. Founded ................................................................................................1895 Enrollment ........................................................................................ 16,769 2021 NIU SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE Affiliation ..................................NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Conference ....................................Mid-American (West Division) Practice #1 Friday, March 19 7 am Colors.......................................................................Cardinal and Black Practice #2 Saturday, March 20 11 am Practice #3 Tuesday, March 23 7 am Nickname ...................................................................................... Huskies Practice #4 Thursday, March 25 7 am Stadium.....................................Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium Practice #5 Friday, March 26 7 am Surface/Capacity............................................FieldTurf /23,595 Practice #6 Saturday, March 27 11 am OPEN TO MEDIA President ...................................................................Dr. Lisa Freeman Practice #7 Tuesday, March 30 7 am Assoc. VP/Athletic Director ..................................Sean T. Frazier Practice #8 Thursday, April 1 7 am Alma Mater, Year .......................................................Alabama ‘92 Practice #9 Saturday, April 3 11 am OPEN TO PUBLIC Tickets ................................................................815-753-PACK (7225) Practice #10 Tuesday, April 6 7 am Practice #11 Thursday, April 8 7 am ON SOCIAL HUSKIE SPRING SHOWCASE Practice #12 Saturday, April 10 11 am OPEN TO PUBLIC Twitter ............................................@NIUAthletics, @NIU Football Instagram .......................................................niuhuskies, niufootball Practice #13 Tuesday, April 13 7 am Facebook ...............................................NIU Huskies, NIU Football Practice #14 Thursday, April 15 7 am YouTube ..............................................................................NIU Athletics Practice #15 Saturday, April 17 11 am OPEN TO PUBLIC LinkedIn ..............................................................................NIU Athletics **Schedule Subject to Change** NIUHuskies.com | Twitter: @NIUAthletics | Facebook & Instagram: NIU Huskies 1 NIU SPRING FOOTBALL 2021 2021 SCHEDULE 2021 NIU SPRING PERSONNEL CHART Day, Date Opponent Time (CT) +EXPERIENCED PLAYERS RETURNING - 47 Sat., Sept. 4 at Georgia Tech TBA Offense (20): FB Brett Bostad, OL Evan Buss, OG John Champe, RB Erin Collins, OT Sat., Sept. 11 WYOMING TBA Marques Cox, WR Billy Dozier, OL Leif Engstrand, QB Dustin Fletcher, OL J.J. Lippe, C Sat., Sept. 18 at Michigan TBA Brayden Patton, OT Nolan Potter, WR Tyrice Richie, WR Trayvon Rudolph, TE Liam Sor- Sat., Sept. 25 MAINE TBA aghan, TE Tristen Tewes*, WR Mohamed Toure, WR Messiah Travis, WR Cole Tucker, RB Sat., Oct. 2 EASTERN MICHIGAN* TBA Harrison Waylee, OG Logan Zschneritz Sat., Oct. 9 at Toledo* TBA Defense (24): S C.J. Brown, LB Jordan Cole, LB Lance Deveaux Jr., LB Jaden Dolphin, S Sat., Oct. 16 BOWLING GREEN* TBA Joshua Earl, DT James Ester, CB Jordan Gandy, DT Jeffrey Griffin Jr., S Jordan Hansen, LB Eddie Jackson, DE Michael Kennedy, S Devin Lafayette, CB Jayden Lambert, CB Zhamaine Sat., Oct. 23 at Central Michigan* TBA March, S Myles McGee, DT Devonte O’Malley, DE Pierce Oppong, S Jashon Prophete, LB Wed., Nov. 3 at Kent State* TBA Kyle Pugh, LB Nick Rattin, LB Daveren Rayner, DT Demond Taylor Jr., CB Dillon Thomas, Wed., Nov. 10 BALL STATE* TBA DE Raishein Thomas Wed., Nov. 17 at Buffalo* TBA Specialists (3): LS Erik Abrell, P Matt Ference, K John Richardson Tues., Nov. 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN* TBA Sat., Dec. 4 MAC Championship TBA +EXPERIENCED PLAYERS LOST - 14 Ford Field, Detroit, Mich. Offense (7):QB Ross Bowers, TE Daniel Crawford, QB Andrew Haidet, RB Jyran Mitchell, *Mid-American Conference Game WR Dennis Robinson, OG Benn Olson, TE Maximilian Thrower Defense (7): DT Miles Baggett, LB Rayshawn Gay, LB Nathan Harman, CB J.D. Harris, DE Cortez Hogans, LB Reggie Jennings, DT Weston Kramer SPRING ROSTER BREAKDOWN +Played in 3 or more career games; *Played linebacker last year. BY CLASS Off. Def. Spec. -- RETURNING STARTERS - 22 Senior 4 2 1 Junior 4 4 1 Offense (9): OG John Champe, OT Marques Cox, C Brayden Patton, OT Nolan Potter, Sophomore 4 5 1 WR Tyrice Richie, WR Trayvon Rudolph, WR Cole Tucker, RB Harrison Waylee, OG Logan Zschneritz Freshman (R) 7 3 0 Defense (10): DT James Ester, CB Jordan Gandy, S Jordan Hansen, S Devin Lafayette, DE Freshman (C) 18 18 1 Pierce Oppong, LB Kyle Pugh, LB Nick Rattin, LB Daveren Rayner, CB Dillon Thomas, DE Freshman 5 2 0 Raishein Thomas Specialists (3): LS Erik Abrell, P Matt Ference, K John Richardson BY POSITION Offensive Line .......................................................................15 -- STARTERS LOST - 5 Tight End/Fullback ..............................................................8 Offense (4): QB Ross Bowers, TE Daniel Crawford, WR Dennis Robinson, OG Benn Wide Receiver ......................................................................10 Olson Running Back .........................................................................5