2019 Northern Illinois Huskies

[Red Raider]

Since 2006, NIU has started 11, 11, 14, 12, 11, 7, 7, 9, 6, 8, 10, and 9 white players. This year it looks to be back to 10.

This D-Line will be fun to watch again, too bad that’s all there is on defense. S Adam Buirge is a senior but he’s behind two returning starters who are also seniors, he should be on every special team and also be the top backup at safety again.

WR/PR Cole Tucker will be a full time starter this year. Not sure if he will keep his punt return job as he was below average last season (17 returns for 69 yards).

An almost all white O-Line, the right guard isn’t black though he’s Mexican. Sacred Heart transfer (3 year starter) Andrew Starr should be in the mix to push the starters for time.

Offense
QB Marcus Childers or Ross Bowers
WR Cole Tucker
TE Mitchell Brinkman
LT Isaac Hawn
LG Christopher Perez Jr.
C Austin Warner
RT Jordan Steckler


Defense
DE Matt Lorbeck
DT Jack Heflin
DT Weston Kramer


Players to watch:
QB Anthony Thompson, WR Ryan Gibbons, TE Corey Lersch, OL Andrew Starr, OL Nolan Potter, OL Benn Olson, OL Brayden Patton, LB Vinny Labus, S Adam Buirge

 

[Leonardfan]

Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus lists Northern Illinois redshirt senior DT Jack Heflin as the top returning player for the Huskies in 2020.
PFF gave Heflin (6'4/319) a 90.1 grade for his work with the Huskies in 2019, and that was good for the sixth best score of any interior defensive lineman in 2019. Treash notes that he went from "good to great" last year, in large part due to the fact he "was actually among the limited group of players at the position to own grades above 80.0 in both run-defense and in the pass-rush." Only 12 players were able to achieve those marks last fall. If Heflin can limit the missed tackles next year -- he missed on 13 of 44 attempts last year -- he'll be among the best defensive tackles again in all of college football.

 

[Bucky]

Nice mention on Heflin @Leonardfan and I noticed @Red raider mentioned him in his initial write up!

6'4 315 DT with over 60tkls and 9 sacks last two seasons. Definitely should be on NFL Radar's. Can't believe I've slept on this guy. Haven't paid much attention to NIU since Jordan Lynch year's. I'd say it's time to do so. NIU also brought in a complete snowplow last recruiting class from up North in Wisconsin.

 

[Leonardfan]

Heflin is transferring. This will be an interesting one to follow - hopefully he ends up at one of the big time programs and this is a move to help his draft stock.

Northern Illinois redshirt senior DT Jack Heflin entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Heflin (6'4/319) makes for a big new fish in the transfer portal waters. He earned second-team All-MAC honors this past season on the strength of 29 tackles (8.5 for loss), three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles while making 11 starts. For his NIU career, Heflin started 28 of the 38 games in which he appeared. PFF's Anthony Treash tagged Heflin as NIU's top returning player for 2020 earlier this spring. His overall grade on PFF last season of 90.1 was the sixth-best grade among all FBS interior DL last season. We will be very, very interested to see where Heflin lands for his final year of college ball. Hitting the transfer portal as a graduate, Heflin will be eligible to play immediately with his next team, assuming he ultimately opts to go through with a move. Stay tuned on this one, because whoever lands him is getting a good one.

 

[Bucky]

Wasn't expecting that! Interested to see where he lands at!