Lawless Republic
Fansided

BYU Football: Scouting the Schedule – Northern Illinois

By Shaun Gordon

DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 26: Jauan Wesley #9 of the Northern Illinois Huskies makes a first half catch next to Michael Carter II #26 of the Duke Blue Devils that he ran in for a touchdown during the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field on December 26, 2017 in Detroit Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 26: Jauan Wesley #9 of the Northern Illinois Huskies makes a first half catch next to Michael Carter II #26 of the Duke Blue Devils that he ran in for a touchdown during the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field on December 26, 2017 in Detroit Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 26: Marcus Childers #15 of the Northern Illinois Huskies throws a first half pass while playing the Duke Blue Devils during the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field on December 26, 2017 in Detroit Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 26: Marcus Childers #15 of the Northern Illinois Huskies throws a first half pass while playing the Duke Blue Devils during the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field on December 26, 2017 in Detroit Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

The Offense

Quarterback

Even with Ryan Graham back from injury, the starting quarterback spot is Marcus Childers’ to lose. Childers is a dual-threat who wasn’t stellar as a passer, but good enough to manage the offense. He doesn’t make mistakes and can use his legs when needed, but he’ll have to improve his passing to become a true game-changer.

Childers finished last season with 1,674 passing yards and 16 touchdowns through the air. His 57.4 percent completion rate wasn’t stellar, but he only threw five interceptions. He added 609 yards and five touchdowns with his legs.

If Childers struggles early or gets hurt, it will fall to Graham. The senior has experience, so he may not be much of a drop-off in production compared to Childers.

Running Back

Jordan Huff is gone, leaving the starting running back spot open. Last season Huff rushed for a team-high 761 yards and scored four times.

Expect to see Marcus Jones (Jr.) get the starting nod. He had 379 yards and three touchdowns in 2017, and he’ll see a lot more action this year.

Tre Harbison (So.) will get plenty of touches as well. He wasn’t far behind Jones last year, finishing the season with 294 yards and three scores.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Wideout will be a thin position for the Huskies. They’ll bring back two reliable targets in Spencer Tears (Jr.) and D.J. Brown (Sr.), but the only other receiver that caught a pass last year was Jauan Wesley (Sr.).

Wesley, along with freshmen Cole Tucker, Jordan Nettles, and Dennis Robinson, will have to step up in the passing game to keep defenses from keying in on Tears and Brown.

At tight end, Northern Illinois loses all-conference graduate Shane Wimann. That will leave a fall camp battle between Mitchell Brinkman (Jr.) and Ty Harmston (Sr.). Both will see plenty of snaps throughout the season.

Offensive Line

All five starters are back from 2017, and should be a strong base for the Husky offense. Max Scharping (Sr.) is a First Team All-MAC left tackle, and he’ll bookend the line with junior Jordan Steckler. Ryan Roberts (Jr.) and Nathan Veloz (Jr.) will man the guard positions, and Luke Shively (Sr.) is back at center.

One name to watch is sophomore Benn Olson. He’ll push Roberts and Veloz at guard, and there’s a good chance he’ll take one of those spots by season’s end.

Home/BYU Football