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DeKALB – Throughout spring practices for Northern Illinois, a lot of full-team scrimmage drills featured running backs catching the ball out of the backfield as the Huskies look to spread out and speed up their offense.
Sophomore running back Telly Johnson said even though the tempo and formation may be different, NIU will still look to rely on its run game, the 16th best in the country last year.
“We’re going to open it up a little more, but we’re still going to be NIU,” said Johnson, the team’s leading returning rusher from last season. “We’re still going to run the ball.”
The team’s spring camps were scheduled to wrap up Tuesday morning. The focus throughout the spring, including Saturday’s Spring Showcase, was getting acclimated to new offensive coordinator Quinn Sanders’ system.
Johnson, now wearing No. 1 instead of No. 22, saw limited time Saturday during the showcase, an open-to-the-public scrimmage that takes the place of most programs’ spring games.
“He didn’t get much work today because we know who he is and what he is about,” NIU coach Thomas Hammock said. “I wouldn’t have given him No. 1 if I didn’t think he was going to be that type of playmaker for us.”
Johnson played in six games last year, mostly after leading rusher Antario Brown got hurt. As a true freshman, he ran for 495 yards and tied for the team lead with four rushing touchdowns. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
He helped the Huskies maintain their rushing attack during Brown’s absence. The Huskies averaged 203.8 yards on the ground per game, 16th best in the nation.
“He got here last summer as a true freshman and we had to get him in shape,” running backs coach Ty Boles said. “It was a lot of conditioning, then halfway through the season he got himself ready to go. So when the opportunity came he took advantage of the opportunity.”
Boles is in his third year with the program and first as the RB’s coach. Former offensive coordinator Wesley Beschorner coached the running backs last year. He left for the tight end coaching position at Wake Forest.
Hammock said Boles reminds him of a younger version of himself, a former running back eager to prove himself.
“He has those guys playing out of their mind,” Hammock said. “If we can continue to have that kind of production out of that position, I think good things are in store.”
Hammock said he liked the depth of the position. Johnson and redshirt sophomore Jaylen Poe saw most of the first-team action Saturday, with redshirt freshman Romelo Ware in the mix as well.
Boles and Hammock said they were excited for true freshmen Lazaro Rogers and Triston White, who will join the program in the summer. And after the showcase Sunday, the team announced senior transfer Chavon Wright in joining the club from Charlotte, Sanders’ former school.
“We got a little bit of depth,” Johnson said. “If we get some players that go down, I feel we have more players that can step up and go in.”
Johnson said he liked the pace of the offense and the different looks the Huskies can throw out there.
Hammock said the new offense allows the backs to get the ball multiple ways, with the goal being that they’ll have plenty of room to make a play.
“They’re certainly going to have more opportunities to not just run the ball,” Hammock said. “We’re going to give them the ball in space, run screens, do different things, run routes. They can handle all that. This is going to truly give them an opportunity to show their full skillset and how they can impact the game a bunch of different ways.”