Northern Illinois Football: Can Huskies return to MAC contention in 2021?

Seven starters return on a shaky defense

Northern Illinois has put some quality NFL defenders in the league throughout their run including guys like Larry English and Sutton Smith most recently, but the Huskies have left a lot to be desired on that side of the ball the past few seasons and if NIU wants to have an improved record in 2021, the defense needs to make a turnaround.

The defensive line was a very young unit in 2020 and it will be that way once again this season. Pierce Oppong and Raishein Thomas are back to man the edges on the defensive line and they have potential, but they are still very young. James Ester is back in the interior and he will likely be joined by freshman Demond Taylor Jr. This is a young group that will be depended on in turning the defense around.

Linebacker is where the experience lies on the Huskies defense. Lance Deveaux Jr. and Kyle Pugh are back to lead the defense and Pugh was the third leading tackler on the team last season. Daveren Rayner is going to be the other linebacker for the Huskies and he is expected to make a big impact this season.

The secondary is a spot to be concerned about heading into the season and it is a unit that is lacking depth. Jordan Gandy will be the top corner for the Huskies, but he is by far the leader inexperience at the position. Eric Rogers should start opposite Gandy. The safety spots will be manned by a pair of young guys in Devin Lafayette and Jordan Hansen, who showed promise last season.

The defense is defined by inexperience and might be slow at the start of the season. They could be better by the end, but this is a group that is tough to have a lot of confidence in.