DEKALB, Ill. – This year's version of the Northern Illinois University offensive line is a young and talented unit. What they lack in age, they more than make up for in experience.

Each year, whether it returns four seniors of none, the offensive line room is always a different. Fifth-year NIU offensive line coach Joe Tripodi knows a little something about retooling the offensive line. It is something he has been doing for the last seven years, five as an assistant and two as a graduate assistant.
 
"Every year it's a new group whether one, two or three guys leave or no guys leave," Tripodi said. "We've been through it all here. It's always a new room. As far rebuilding, we're retooling. It's a good group and it's a young group."
 
Tripodi will build this year's line with eight freshman, six sophomores, two juniors and no seniors. However, he does have three solid returners from last season to build this year's group around – Max Scharping (Green Bay, Wis./Southwest), Luke Shively (Tipton, Ind./Tipton) and Jordan Steckler (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers).
 
The make up of this year's offensive line could be traced back to week five of last season when Steckler then a redshirt-freshman stepped in at right guard at Ball State. Scharping and Shively were already starting at right tackle and center, respectively, but the addition of Steckler seemed to bring the unit together.
 
The anchor of the unit is Scharping, who is moving to left tackle after spending last season on the right side. He brings a wealth of experience to the front five despite only being a redshirt junior. Two years ago, Scharping split time at right guard and right tackle.
 
"A lot of guys will see that we're young because our oldest guys are juniors, but we really have three returning starters and we have had a couple of young guys that have stepped up in the six months alone," Scharping said. "That's really good to see."
 
Shively, who is also a redshirt junior, will be starting his season-straight season at center for the Huskies. Like Scharping, he is a leader on the group and all the players on the line have faith in his calls.
 
Like Scharping, Steckler is moving to the other side of the line this year as the redshirt sophomore will be playing left guard. Tripodi knows the experience he gained last year will pay big dividends this season.
 
"You grow up a lot when you play and Steckler, like Max and like Luke, those guys are mature beyond their years and that helps with the whole group," he said. "Max and Luke have obviously assumed leadership roles, and Steckler's a really good teammate and he supports them. Steckler's also one of the stronger guys and he can get after it when he needs to."
 
The three veterans have solid group of young players to work with. Ryan Roberts (Northville, Mich./Northville) has taken hold of the starting job at right tackle, while Nathan Veloz (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek), who originally came to NIU as an offensive lineman and spent last year on the other side of the ball, returned to the O-line this year and has emerged as the starter at right guard.
 
"Nate Veloz has been a pleasant surprise," Tripodi said. "I recruited him and we moved him to D-line, then he came back. He had a tremendous summer. He's a strong kid and he really has his head in the playbook."
 
Other young guys Tripodi identified to look out for are Benn Olson (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville), Isaac Hawn (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North), Austin Warner (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) and Brayden Patton (Elletsville, Ill./Edgewood).
 
"There's a lot of talent, but there's just a lot of youth," he said. "The question is, who's going to rise first, because I think they're all going to be good players but you're trying to look for seven or eight guys that can play game one."
 
PRACTICE NOTES: NIU practiced for an hour and a half in full pads under cloudy skies and humid conditions at Huskie Stadium. Sunday's practice belonged to the defense as the Huskie defenders won all three team segments on the day. The two squads faced off in a team overtime situation with the defense needing to score a touchdown and two-point conversion to win. NIU's offense scored two TDs in two periods, but was unable to convert on the two-point conversion.
 
In the third and long team segment, the defense recorded interceptions from Jackson Abresch (Heartland, Wis./Arrowhead) and Trayshon Foster (Tuscaloosa, Ala./Tuscaloosa Academy). In the final team portion of practice, sudden change situations, the defense had two more picks, one from Jalen McKie (Pensacola, Fla./Waukegan) and another from Jonathan Parker (St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers/Iowa).
 
CAREY ON SUNDAY'S PRACTICE: "The defense really got after the offense today. It was one-sided. I was happy for the defense, extremely disappointed in the offense. They got themselves in some really bad positions and we had them in some really tough situations, but some really favorable situations and they didn't dig themselves out in the favorable from the tough ones.
 
"Defensively, man you love to see them flying around to the ball and turning the ball over like that and playing with that emotion. I just think the had a whale of a day and I think that's more of the case than the offense had a truly bad day, but I'll watch the film and know for sure.
 
The Huskies open the 2017 season Friday Sept. 1 when NIU plays host to Boston College in Huskie Stadium, as the Eagles become the first Atlantic Coast Conference opponent to play at NIU since 2003.
 
Single game tickets for all six home games this fall are now on sale online at NIUHuskies.com or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225). Season tickets offer the best value with options like the new $199 Family Pack featuring four tickets in sections A or G and a new, lowered $60 price for season tickets on the East Side with general admission seating.  Reserved seats in sections A, B, F and G are just $115 for the season, a cost of less than $20 per game.
 
Three-game mini-plans, priced at just $40 and featuring two different options, are also available. Mini-plan purchasers receive all the benefits of season ticket members, including exclusive invitations to special events throughout the year. Check NIUHuskies.com for all the details.
 
The Huskies will be back on the practice field Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Check Training Camp Central on NIUHuskies.com for daily updates, videos and more.
 
-NIU-