DeKALB, Ill.  –  Twelve members of the Northern Illinois University football team have earned spots on Phil Steele's 2023 preseason All Mid-American Conference team released by the media outlet Monday with four Huskies named to the first team. NIU's selections include six offensive and five defensive players, plus one specialist.
 
Huskie offensive linemen Nolan Potter (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington HS) and Logan Zschernitz (Spencer, Wis./Spencer HS), wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee HS) and defensive tackle Devonte O'Malley (Midlothian, Ill./Bremen HS) collected preseason first team honors from Phil Steele.
 
A three-year starter at right tackle, Potter earned first team All-MAC honors following his junior season in 2022 while Zschernitz was on Phil Steele's postseason second team. Rudolph, who missed the 2022 campaign with an injury sustained in preseason, looks to return to his 2021 form, when he led NIU in receiving with 892 yards on 51 catches and seven touchdowns en route to second team All-MAC honors. O'Malley started every game for the Huskies in 2022, tying for the team lead with 5.5 sacks and recording 36 tackles, seven for loss. His 11.5 career sacks lead all returning NIU players.
 
Sophomore center Pete Nygra (North Indianapolis, Ind./Brownsburg HS) is the third Huskie offensive lineman on Phil Steele's list and one of five NIU players on the preseason All-MAC second team. He is joined by NIU's leading returning rusher, junior Antario Brown (Savannah, Ga./Beach HS) whose seven touchdowns and 6.3 yards per carry average led the Huskies in 2022.
 
Defensive linemen James Ester (Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech) and Raishein Thomas (Racine, Wis./Washington Park HS) and safety C.J. Brown (Canton, Mich./Walled Lake Western HS) round out the second team choices. A three-year starter, Ester contributed 28 tackles, six for loss, with two sacks and an interception in the end zone for a touchdown in NIU's win at Eastern Michigan in 2022 to earn second team All-MAC honors from Phil Steele and PFF.  Two-time All-MAC honoree Brown led NIU in tackles for the second consecutive season in 2022 and has 196 stops in 32 career games for the Huskies, while Thomas' nine tackles for loss topped all NIU defenders a year ago and his 44 tackles ranked first among defensive linemen.
 
Sophomore long snapper Isaac Hatfield (Georgetown, Ind./Floyd Central HS) was NIU's lone representative on Phil Steele's preseason All-MAC third team. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi (Clive, Iowa/Valley HS) and linebacker Jaden Dolphin (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West HS) garnered a spot on the fourth team. Lombardi, who led NIU to the 2021 MAC Championship, returns after playing in just four games a year ago. In five active seasons at Michigan State and NIU, the super senior has completed 409-of-750 passes for 5,144 yards and 31 touchdowns in 39 games. He has accounted for 3,715 yards of total offense with 30 total touchdowns (passing and rushing) in just 17 games for the Huskies. Dolphin made a career high 52 tackles in 2022, including a career high 16 versus Central Michigan, and came out of spring practices atop the Huskies' depth chart at middle linebacker.
 
First Team (4)
Devonte O'Malley, DT, Jr.
Nolan Potter, OT, Sr.
Trayvon Rudolph, WR, Sr.
Logan Zschernitz, OG, Jr.
 
Second Team (5)
Antario Brown, RB, Jr.
CJ Brown, S, Sr.
James Ester, DT, Sr.
Pete Nygra, C, Soph.
Raishein Thomas, DE, Jr.
 
Third Team (1)
Isaac Hatfield, LS, Soph.
 
Fourth Team (2)
Jaden Dolphin, LB, Jr.
Rocky Lombardi, QB, Sr.
 
Phil Steele is the second media outlet to publish its 2023 preseason All-MAC team. Ten Huskies were named to Athlon's preseason squad in May. 

Football season ticket prices for NIU's six-game home schedule in 2023 are unchanged from a year ago, beginning from as little as $97 annually for general admission (East Side) tickets with payment plans available. Reserved seat pricing on the West Side is $144 (sections A, B, F) and $162 (sections C, D, E) annually.  Purchase four season tickets with Huskie Family 4 Pack for even greater discounts. To review all the ticket options, including a new West Side general admission section, go to NIUHuskies.com/tickets or call 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
Through the new Build Your Membership plan, NIU fans can customize their game day experience by adding parking, hospitality passes and more to their season ticket orders on an a la carte basis. Premium seating opportunities – including in the chairback section and the SkyBox – are available. Find information on the opportunity to Build Your Membership or to directly support NIU Football through the Huskie Athletic Fund click here. 
 
NIU fans can still purchase tickets to the road games at Boston College and at Nebraska through the Huskie Ticket Office. Ticket price for the game at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass. is $20 while Nebraska game tickets are $55 each. Click here to purchase tickets now. Tickets can be mailed for a $5 fee. They can be picked up at the Huskie Athletics Ticket Office in the NIU Convocation Center beginning three weeks prior to the game until the Thursday before the game, or at the stadium on game day.  

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