Football | August 15

DeKALB, IL – With an experienced veteran core and the addition of transfers and newcomers, the NIU Huskies' wide receiver group looks to build on a productive 2021 campaign.
 
"Our wide receiver position as a whole is playing at a much higher level," said head coach Thomas Hammock after Monday morning's practice at Huskie Stadium. "That's a testament to Coach [Joseph] Hawkins in the job that he's done with them. They are more refined in their route-running and they're catching the ball better. Those guys have stepped up and made plays and our offense, as a whole, hasn't missed a beat. We have an experienced quarterback that can deliver the ball, and if those guys get to the right spots, we have complete confidence in them making plays."
 
Redshirt-Senior Cole Tucker (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) was second on the team in receiving yards last season with 575 on 41 catches, reaching those numbers in only nine games. He had three touchdown receptions on the year, including one against Coastal Carolina in last season's Cure Bowl. Tucker was named to Pro Football Focus' preseason All-MAC Third Team last week.
 
"We've done a good job working hard and making plays," Tucker said. "The younger guys have been getting in the playbook, getting extra catches in, studying hard to be able to contribute."
 
A couple new additions that have been making plays in camp are transfers Shemar Thornton (Miami, Fla./Hallandale/FIU) and Kacper Rutkiewicz (Mount Prospect, Ill./Hersey/Illinois State). Thornton played 34 games at FIU from 2017 to 2021, catching 73 passes for 993 yards and nine touchdowns. He led the Panthers in receiving in 2019 with 51 receptions for 668 yards and five touchdowns. Rutkiewicz comes to DeKalb from Illinois State, where he played in 28 games over three seasons. In 2019 Rutkiewicz was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team after leading the Redbirds with 23 receptions for 429 yards.
 
"Those two guys have had an excellent fall camp," Hammock said. "Shemar has made a lot of plays. He's an excellent route runner and creates a lot of stress for the defense. He's done an excellent job of building upon what he did in the spring and making himself a more complete football player. Kacper has stayed healthy, and we know what he can do on the field."
 
Redshirt-Sophomores Fabian McCray (Chicago, Ill./Phillips) and Messiah Travis (Chicago, Ill./Solorio Academy) bolster a veteran group of receivers. Travis had 13 receptions for 165 yards a year ago. McCray has been a deep threat in practices, making a tough catch along the sideline in a redzone drill late in practice Monday to set up a short touchdown run. Freshman Jalen Johnson (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) has also seen reps with the ones in camp.
"As a group, they have turned the page and are making our passing game better," said first-year wide receivers coach Joseph Hawkins. "Our motto is 'don't count your opportunities; make your opportunities count. We've been doing a phenomenal job of developing that trust with our quarterbacks and working really hard to get those opportunities to shine."
 
The Huskies were back in full pads for practice on Monday in one of the longer practices of preseason camp. Hammock praised his team for putting in a solid day of work, with a lot of give and take between the offense and defense, before a day off on Tuesday.
 
"They were able to sustain," said Hammock. "It was a long practice, a lot of competition, a lot of good-on-good work today. I liked the focus they had, especially coming in the day before an off day. We were able to sharpen our edges. With the competitive nature of our football team, they understand what we need to do and what we need to accomplish and I think we got that done today."
 
NIU is back on the practice field Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. Read the current position previews online and see the complete camp schedule on the 2022 Camp Central page.
 
Purchase NIU Football tickets now online at NIUHuskies.com or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) during regular business hours. Ticket options include season tickets to see all six Huskie home games, Mini-Plans featuring either the All-Saturday ($90) or All-Weekday ($78) package, and single game tickets, priced from $18-$40 depending on the game. Season tickets provide the best value with prices as low as $14.67 per ticket with the Huskie Family 4 Pack (do not have to be related), $97 for East Side general admission seating or $144 for West Side reserved seats. Premium area tickets are also available on both a season and per game basis.  For more information and to see all the options and prices, click here.
 
--NIU--