Football | August 5

DeKalb, Ill. -  The Northern Illinois University football team had their second full team practice at Huskie Stadium on Saturday morning (Aug. 5). The wide receiving group had a busy day of practice, that was full of route running and intense practice with the team's secondary.

"I think the strength is that we have depth, we have multiple guys who can come in at different spots and take care of the responsibilities," wide receivers coach Joseph Hawkins said.

The Huskies wide receiver room has 16 student-athletes, although just two – Trayvon Rudolph and Kacper Rutkiewicz – have made more than one catch for NIU over the last two seasons.  
Rudolph led the Huskies in receiving yards with 877, on 49 catches, en route to earning all-conference accolades in 2021. Senior Rutkiewicz was second on the team in receiving as a newcomer in 2022 with 26 catches for 432 yards and six touchdowns.  

 "We have Trayvon Rudolph coming back and Kacper (Rutkiewicz), those two guys have done a phenomenal job as far as bringing the leadership to the room," Hawkins said. "Then transfer Davis Patterson has done a great job grasping the playbook and maximizing his opportunities."

Rudolph was named to the 2023 PFF Preseason All-MAC First Team. After an impressive season in 2021, he missed the 2022 season due to an injury.

Sophomore Trey Urwiler and redshirt freshman Keyshaun Pipkin are back after appearing in five and four games, respectively, for the Huskies last year. Other returnees who saw limited action in 2022 and are looking to break into the rotation in 2023 include Malik Armstrong, Isaiah Bragg, Jalen Johnson, Dane Pardridge and Eli Reed.

NIU brought in seven wide receivers who are new to the squad in 2023, including transfers Patterson and Cam Thompson, a redshirt freshman from Eastern Illinois. Junior Grayson Barnes transferred to NIU in January and was listed as a tight end in the spring, before moving to wide receiver in preseason camp. Barnes had 526 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games with American River Community College in 2022.

"We're doing a nice job around Rudolph and Rutkiewicz, along with Davis Patterson, the transfer who has come in, and then we've got some young guys that we're developing," said NIU head coach Thomas Hammock.
Patterson, a 6-4 grad transfer from Notre Dame College who had five touchdowns and 629 yards in 2022, thinks he's had a good start to practice at NIU.

"I definitely feel like it's been a good transition from my last school to here. We've got a lot of good talent at wideout, but I've learned the playbook and am working into the rotation," Patterson said. "We've definitely got the young guys coming along and learning plays."

True freshmen Kobe Askew, Christopher Gore, James Smith Jr. and Kyle Thomas complete the wide receiver group.
Rutkiewicz had a strong practice Saturday morning, making multiple deep catches across the middle of the field, to stand out among the receiving group as the Huskies wrapped up their second straight full team practice Saturday morning and second donning shoulder pads.

"This is a competitive group," said Hammock, who complimented the energy and effort of the Huskie defense during Saturday's practice. "Our defense is playing pretty good right now and the offense has to meet their challenge every single day. They're good up front and playing with a lot of confidence and energy. The competition is great and the offense must respond. I think it was a good practice overall and I like where the guys are at four practices in."

Season, single game and mini-plan tickets for the 2023 Huskie home games are all on sale now 24 hours a day, seven days a week online at NIUHuskies.com/myhuskies or by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225). Season tickets provide the best overall value at as little as $17 per game for general admission seating on the West Side of Huskie Stadium ($102 total). Sit in the same reserved seat for all six games for just $144 (sections A, B, F) or $162 (sections C, D, E). With the addition of the new Homecoming + One option, there are three "Pick Your Pack" mini-plans available, including Saturday Only and MACtion+Saturday four-game plans. See all the ticket prices and options, including premium experiences, here.