Football | August 21

DEKALB, Ill. – Catching the eyes of a quarterback just before he zeroes in on his target, jumping the route and racing the other way toward the end zone. It's a defensive players dream and during Wednesday's Northern Illinois University football practice, senior linebacker Jaden Dolphin (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) found himself in that exact situation. 

When asked about the play after practice, Dolphin immediately flashed a wide smile.

"As soon as the ball hits my hands and I see the green grass, I'm gone," Dolphin said. "I told them, its not my first rodeo."

It's a reference that flashes back to Dolphin's redshirt freshman season in 2021 when he recorded a 59-yard interception for a touchdown against Eastern Michigan. At the time, the Des Plaines, Ill., native was playing a hybrid safety/linebacker role, now, he is firmly entrenched in the middle of the NIU defense as a linebacker. Dolphin is coming off a 2023 season in which he made nine starts at linebacker, finishing second on the team with 61 tackles, which included a team-high 41 solo stops, while also recording three pass breakups. 

Led by Dolphin, NIU head coach Thomas Hammock has been happy with what he has seen from the linebackers in camp. 

"I really like that group," said Hammock. "Jaden (Dolphin) has done a nice job, (Christian) Fuhrman has come in, Quinn Urwiler and (Jake) Gassaway, those guys give us a pretty good four that we can play with. They have been consistent, they are bigger body-types, so they can have a chance to be knock-back tacklers. We really feel like the middle of our defense has greatly improved."

Christian Fuhrman (Mesa, Ariz./Queen Creek/SE Missouri State) appeared in 11 games a season ago at SE Missouri State where he made 65 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Fuhrman joined the Huskies as a grad transfer in January, something that NIU linebackers coach Adam Breske notes makes a huge difference in accelerating a player's transition by the time fall camp comes. 

"From their first couple of practices in the spring until now, they are completely different football players," Breske said of NIU's midyear transfers. "It helps with the room; it helps with the comradery. Getting them in and getting them acclimated to what we do defensively has been very important. 

"With our transfers, what we tried to do is make sure they had a high volume of reps (in the spring), so we were able to see them play live football and have the film. I think that is what has helped them fit in so easily."

Quinn Urwiler (Mooseheart, Ill./Batavia/North Dakota) also began his NIU career as a transfer, joining the Huskies in 2022 following two seasons at North Dakota. Playing in four regular season games, plus NIU's bowl win over Arkansas State, Urwiler was able to receive a redshirt in 2023 after making seven tackles in his five games of action. 

Jake Gassaway (Omaha, Neb./Millard South) saw action in nine games a year ago, primarily on special teams. Like Hammock, Breske noted the performance of Urwiler and Gassaway during fall camp, behind Dolphin and Fuhrman, noting the chemistry they have developed as a tandem. 

"Quinn Urwiler and Jake Gassaway will be the next two, and they have really blossomed since spring ball," said Breske. "They work well together, they have great strengths, they play off each other's strengths and they will be two guys that will get valuable reps. The crew behind them has done a fantastic job, too. We are going to be eight-deep, and we are excited about them.

"I love the depth that we have in the room right now. The old guys are good, the young guys are getting better, and it is an easy group to coach and teach. They are all bought in, they all have a high football IQ, and it has been a real pleasure so far."

Those sentiments were echoed by Dolphin, who has enjoyed taking on the role of leader in the Huskie linebacker corps. 

"It has been great, I love the room, I love the guys we have in the room," said Dolphin. "They know how to handle business. We have a lot of guys who have been here for a little bit now, they have more experience than some of the guys we had in the past. It is easy to work with them, it's easy to lead them and we are all working together as a group."

Wednesday was a transition day for the Huskies in camp as it marked the last day before NIU officially turns its attention toward the season opener against Western Illinois. With no practice scheduled for Thursday, Hammock was pleased with his team's final day before the focus shifts toward the Leathernecks. 

"We put a lot of emphasis on 'field zones,' working different areas and different situations, and I thought they handled it," said Hammock of Wednesday's practice. "It was very competitive. On Friday, we go to scout team, and we will try to get as much 'speed of the game work' as possible so guys can get used to the speed of the game when it is time to play."

The Huskies open the 2024 season at Huskie Stadium on Saturday, August 31 against Western Illinois. Check out all of the ticket options and buy tickets anytime online at NIUHuskies.com/myhuskies. To request more information and connect with a member of the NIU ticket staff, click here or call the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225). Calls received outside of business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm CT) will be returned the next business day.