NIU Football: Work gets tougher in year two for Thomas Hammock
By Zach Bigalke
Ross Bowers and the passing game must pick up slack in 2020
Northern Illinois benefitted in 2019 from the addition of Ross Bowers, the former Cal quarterback who transferred as a graduate student. Bowers reinvigorated what had been one of the worst passing offenses in the country in 2018, throwing for 2100 yards in nine games for the Huskies. He returns to the field in 2020 after a medical redshirt granted him a sixth year of eligibility.
Bowers won’t contend with Marcus Childers for the starting spot this season, after the former Northern Illinois starter left the program along with Anthony Thompson. With a lot of inexperienced quarterbacks behind him, the starter position belongs to Bowers until further notice. He will be working with a familiar group of receivers as both Tyrice Richie and Cole Tucker return along with frequently-targeted tight ends Mitchell Brinkman and Daniel Crawford.
Losing versatile offensive lineman Jordan Steckler puts some strain on the line, but injuries in 2019 forced nine different linemen to earn starts. That should help provide some much-needed depth for what proved a solid unit last season as they head into the new campaign.
Focusing on the running backs
Perhaps the toughest loss to shoulder for Northern Illinois on offense is the departure of running back Tre Harbison, who left the program after posting his second straight 1000-yard season on the ground. Harbison transferred to Charlotte, where he will be less than an hour from his hometown and will be eligible to play immediately as a graduate student.
Along with the transfer of Childers at quarterback and the graduation of four-year reserve back Marcus Jones, that puts even more strain on redshirt junior Jordan Nettles to pick up the slack and show he can handle the load of a feature back. At 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, though, the team cannot overload Nettles lest he break down later in the season.
Incoming freshman Jevyon Ducker, the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska, will likely share the workload with Nettles. Both backs have the potential to enjoy a breakout year if the offense gets going.