Northern Illinois Huskies

Founded in the 2016 season and coached by LaserCats, the Northern Illinois Huskies began as a CFBHC team playing in the West division of the AAC. In 2017, the team switched conferences from the AAC to the MAC. In 2017, the Huskies defeated Miami OH to win the MAC Championship. In 2018, coach LaserCats led the team to their second consecutive conference title. NIU would select robcarlson77 as head coach for the 2019 season after Lasercats was named head coach at the University of Georgia. Noobie is now the Head Coach for NIU

## 2019

### Individual Awards and Accolades

**Daniel Hutchins** - RB
* National Offensive Player of the Week (Week 5)
* MAC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 5)

**Dovid Gunter** - P
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 2)
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 9)

## 2018

### Individual Awards and Accolades

* MAC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 2)
* MAC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 11)
* MAC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 15)
* Named to the 2018 MAC Legends List
* 2018 1st Team All-MAC

**Carlos Bright** - FS
* MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 7)

**Joshua Brown** - OT
* 2018 1st Team All-MAC

**Dovid Gunter** - P
* 2018 2nd Team All-MAC

* MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 6)
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 10)
* 2018 1st Team All-MAC (P/K Returner)

**Richard Archer** - K
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 11)

**Dave Parker** - WR
* 2018 1st Team All-MAC

**Russell Brandt** - DT
* 2018 2nd Team All-MAC

### 2018 Signing Class

* RB Daniel Hutchins 5-7 212 Jr Illinois Valley Community College (Oglesby, IL) 4.5 of 5.0 [Power]
* ATH Oliver McNeal 6-1 251 Fr Gibsonburg (Gibsonburg, OH) 1.0 of 5.0 [Run Zone]
* C Cooper Oneill 6-3 251 Fr St. Philip Catholic Central (, MI) 1.5 of 4.0 [Run Blocking]
* TE Jaden Payton 6-2 217 Fr Indian Lake (Lewistown, OH) 1.0 of 4.0 [Run Blocking]
* C Zachary Way 6-4 274 Fr Pickerington North (Pickerington, OH) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
* RB Khalil Eubanks 6-1 173 Fr Escanaba Area (Escanaba, MI) 1.0 of 3.5 [Speed]
* C Kenneth Shackelford 6-4 267 Fr Chatfield (Chatfield, MN) 1.0 of 3.5 [Pass Blocking]
* OLB Sean Clarke 6-1 223 Fr Hall (Valley, IL) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Zone]
* QB Justice Matthews 6-0 204 Fr Indian Creek (Trafalgar, IN) 1.0 of 3.0 [Scrambling]
* SS Stephen Hutchinson 6-2 210 Fr Marshall (Milwaukee, WI) 1.0 of 2.5 [Man Coverage]
* DE Tywin Reis 5-11 253 Fr Lincoln Park (Chicago, IL) 1.5 of 2.5 [Pass Stop]
* FS Edward Whelan 6-2 188 Fr Coon Rapids (Rapids, MN) 1.5 of 2.5 [Zone Coverage]
* K Achachak Moon 5-8 154 Fr Indian Lake (Lewistown, OH) 1.0 of 2.5 [Accuracy]
* DT Jamal Parris 6-2 304 Fr Lincoln Park (Chicago, IL) 2.0 of 2.0 [Run Stop]
* FB Henry Bertrand 5-11 207 Fr Warren Central (Indianapolis, IN) 1.0 of 2.0 [Speed]
* ILB Shane Shaw 5-11 229 Fr Roxana (Roxana, IL) 1.0 of 2.0 [Pass Zone]
* P Nikolas Egan 6-4 171 Fr Springfield (Holland, OH) 1.0 of 2.0 [Accuracy]
* QB Zion Tyler 6-3 236 Fr Glen Lake (City, MI) 1.0 of 2.0 [Scrambling]

## 2017

2017 marked the Huskies first season as part of the Mid-American Conference. Northern Illinois was considered by most to be the front-runner to win the MAC. The Huskies faced tough competition in the West division, but were able to clinch the West division title by defeating Eastern Michigan, the other top team in the West, in Week 14. After finishing undefeated within the conference, NIU faced the Miami Redhawks in the conference championship. The Huskies won the game in a tight defensive battle, beating the Redhawks 12-10.

### Individual Awards and Accolades

* 2nd-Team All-MAC

**Calvin Hayes - WR**
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 7)
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 15)
* 2017 MAC Special Teams Player of the Year
* 1st Team All-MAC WR and KR/PR

**Emory Johnson - TE**
* 2nd-Team All-MAC

**Greg Coughlin** - OG
* 1st-Team All-MAC

**Russel Brandt - DT**
* 1st-Team All-MAC

* MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 4)
* MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 14)
* 1st-Team All-MAC

**Hunter Mackey - SS**
* MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 12)
* 1st-Team All-MAC

**Richard Archer - K**
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 2)
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 4)
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 10)
* MAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 11)
* 2nd-Team All-MAC

### 2017 Signing Class

* CB Samuel Echols 5-10 200 Fr St. Francis DeSales (Toledo, OH) 1.0 of 4.5 [Zone Coverage]
* ILB Kieran Linn 6-0 235 Fr Adams Central (Monroe, IN) 1.0 of 4.5 [Pass Man-to-Man]
* P Dovid Gunter 5-11 177 Jr Lewis & Clark Community College (Godfrey, IL) 3.5 of 4.0 [Accuracy]
* QB Charlie Sanford 6-0 225 Fr F.J. Reitz (Evansville, IN) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pocket]
* K Jasper Horton 6-2 150 Fr Alex Monroe (Alexandria, IN) 1.5 of 3.5 [Accuracy]
* CB Alpha Mitchell 6-1 195 Fr Frankfort (Frankfort, IN) 1.0 of 3.5 [Zone Coverage]
* DT Samuel Nielsen 6-3 320 Fr Southeast Warren (Liberty Center, IA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Pass Stop]
* OG Austin Haynes 6-5 310 Fr White Lake (White Lake, WI) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
* P Charles Hoff 5-8 188 Fr Chatfield (Chatfield, MN) 1.0 of 3.5 [Power]
* ILB Harrison Braswell 5-11 217 Fr Jackson (Masillon, OH) 2.0 of 3.0 [Pass Zone]
* FS Christian Brumfield 5-11 197 Fr Abilene (Abilene, KS) 1.0 of 3.0 [Zone Coverage]
* ILB Jordan Lambert 5-11 219 Fr Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, MN) 1.0 of 3.0 [Pass Man-to-Man]
* OT Anthony Sprague 6-7 326 Fr Sisseton (Sisseton, SD) 1.0 of 3.0 [Run Blocking]
* K Rocco Grove 5-10 182 Fr Stebbins (Riverside, OH) 1.0 of 3.0 [Power]
* K Leonardo Preston 6-2 223 Fr Indian Creek (Trafalgar, IN) 2.5 of 2.5 [Power]
* K Dominick Weaver 5-9 166 Fr Keystone (La Grange, OH) 2.0 of 2.5 [Accuracy]
* FB Justice Cotton 6-1 227 Fr Rich South (Richton Park, IL) 1.0 of 2.5 [Power]
* FB Miles Starnes 6-0 201 Fr Barnesville (Barnesville, OH) 1.0 of 2.5 [Speed]
* QB Nathaniel Goetz 6-1 191 Fr Terre Haute South Vigo (, IN) 1.5 of 2.5 [Scrambling]
* C Leonard Carlin 6-2 242 Fr Wauseon (Wauseon, OH) 2.0 of 2.0 [Pass Blocking]
* DT Jaden Green 6-5 329 Fr Sterling (Sterling, IL) 1.5 of 2.0 [Run Stop]
* FS Mario Ross 6-1 199 Fr White Lake (White Lake, WI) 1.5 of 1.5 [Zone Coverage]
* OG Leonardo Lyle 6-3 339 Fr Winchester (Winchester, IN) 1.0 of 1.5 [Run Blocking]

## 2016

NIU's inaugural season went better than most expected. The team finished with a 6-1 record in conference play, and earned a bowl bid. They faced NC State in the Mile High Bowl. However, Northern Illinois would go on to lose their bowl game, and move to the Mid-American Conference for the 2017 season. The team's kicker, Wilson Mitchell, would go into the NFL draft after the 2016. Mitchell went undrafted, but was signed as a UDFA by the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the start of the 2017 NFL season.

### Individual Awards and Accolades

* AAC 1st Team All-Conference

**Calvin Hayes - PR**
* AAC 1st Team All-Conference

**Richard Gomez - ILB**
* AAC 2nd Team All-Conference

* AAC 2nd Team All-Conference

**Wilson Mitchell - K**
* AAC 2nd Team All-Conference
* AAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 2)
* AAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 5)