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NIU Football Welcomes 26 For Incoming 2026 Class

FB25 - NIU Takes The Field vs SDSU 9-27
Scott Walstrom, NIU

Football | December 3

DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University football program and head coach Thomas Hammock announced the addition of 26 players, including 24 freshmen and two junior college transfers on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

"We have a lot of guys coming back we feel good about but we're looking for ways we can build our team moving forward and yesterday was a good start," said Hammock. "We're always going to look forward to building our team with high school student athletes first and yesterday was just the tip of the iceberg."

Of the 26 signees, NIU signed six from the State of Indiana, five in-state products, three players from Georgia and two from Florida. Defensive line is the largest incoming group with six followed by offensive line (four), wide receiver (four) and linebacker (four).

"One thing about us, we trust our eyes in the evaluation process and put a lot of work and thought into how we evaluate, why we evaluate and the way that we evaluate," said Hammock. "The great thing about this class is 17 kids are mid-year, which gives us an opportunity to add depth and competition on our roster."

The incoming freshmen from Illinois are Jaiduan Cranford (Metamora, Ill./Metamora Township), Kellen Gamble (Homewood, Ill./Homewood Flossmoor), Cristian Harkins (Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic), Asa Johnson (Aurora, Ill./Aurora Christian) and Cian Mahoney (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin).

The 2026 class includes players from 13 different states. The two incoming junior college transfers are Glen Weber, a tight end that a spent the last two seasons at Modesto Junior College, and Joseph Nnamuchi, a defensive lineman from Garden City Community College.

NIU Football will move into its first season with the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026.


Braylon Agee | Wide Receiver | 6-4, 200 lbs. | Park Hill | Kansas City, Mo.
Agee was an All-Conference selection as wide receiver at Park Hill in Kansas City, Mo., and earned honorable mention as a punter. As a junior, the 6-4 wide receiver recorded 901 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, earning Second Team All-State honors. Agee is a standout track and field athlete, a two-time qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles.
 
Bryshawn Brown | Quarterback | 6-6, 200 lbs. | Winton Woods | Cincinnati, Oh.
Brown is 6-6, 200 lbs. quarterback from Winton Woods in Cincinnati, Oh. and earned First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-District as a senior. Brown passed for 2,431 yards with 18 passing touchdowns against only three interceptions while adding 10 rushing touchdowns in 2025. Led Winton Woods to a 9-3 record and advanced to OHSAA Regional Quarterfinal. As a junior, he was an Honorable Mention All-Conference as a junior after accounting for throwing for 14 touchdowns and rushing for five.
 
Jaidaun Cranford | Running Back | 5-9, 190 lbs. | Metamora | Metamora, Ill.
Cranford rushed for 1,170 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior in 2025, earning IHSFCA 4A All-State and First-Team All Mid-Illini Conference honors at Metamora High School in Illinois. As a junior, Cranford rushed for 955 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also a member of the track team, Cranford was a 2A state qualifier in the 100-meter in 2025.
 
Justus Donahoo | Linebacker | 6-1, 190 lbs. | Niceville | Niceville, Fla.
As a junior at Niceville High School in Florida, Donahoo recorded 49 tackles with 15 passes defensed and four interceptions, helped his team reach the Florida Class 5A Semifinals in 2024. As a senior, Donahoo had 10 pass breakups and three interceptions including 21 tackles.
 
Justin Faulkner | Wide Receiver | 6-1, 165 lbs. | Bremen | Bremen, Ga.
Faulkner is a 6-1 wide out from Bremen, Ga. who also ran track and field for Bremen High School. This past season, Faulker was selected to First Team Offense in the Georgia All-Region 6 Team. Earlier this season, the incoming freshman ran the leadoff leg of Bremen's 2025 GHSA 1A 4x200 meter relay state championship team.
 
Kellen Gamble | Offensive Lineman | 6-5, 280 lbs. | Homewood-Flossmoor | Flossmoor, Ill.
Gamble comes to DeKalb as a 6-5, 280 offensive lineman from Flossmoor, Ill. A three-year varsity contributor at Homewood-Flossmoor, Gamble helped the Vikings reach the second round of the Illinois Class 8A playoffs in 2025 as a senior.
 
Jermaine Green | Wide Receiver | | 6-0, 195 | Bellevue West | Omaha, Neb.
Green was a 2024 All-District selection as a junior at Bellevue West in Omada, Neb. The 6-0, 195 wide receiver recorded 659 yards and eight touchdowns on 31 receptions.
 
Cristian Harkins | Cornerback | 6-0, 180 lbs. | Montini Catholic | Lombard, Ill.
Harkins helped Montini Catholic win the 2025 Illinois Class 4A title, going 14-0 while playing on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and defensive back. As a junior, Harkins was apart of Montini Catholic's 3A state title team with 11 touchdowns and over 700 receiving yards and contributing as a defensive back.
 
Ryan Hassett | Defensive Lineman | 6-4, 245 lbs. | Rabun Gap | Rabun Gap, Ga.
Hassett comes to NIU from Rabun Gap, Ga. and was a member of Rabun Gap's 2024 NCISAA D-I state championship team, recording 40 tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles as a junior. This past season, Hassett help led Rabun Gap to the D-I state semifinals in 2025 while adding 32 tackles and six sacks.
 
Jvon Hatcher | Defensive Lineman | 6-2, 251 lbs. | Atlantic | Delray Beach, Fla.
Hatcher played high school at Atlantic in Delray Beach, Fla. The 6-2, 251 lbs. defensive lineman helped Atlantic reach the Regional Semifinals in his senior season in Florida's Class 5A. Hatcher had eight tackles for loss and five sacks as a senior and recorded eight sacks as a junior.
 
Da'sean Howard | Running Back | 6-2, 215 lbs. | Glynn Academy | Brunswick, Ga.
Howard is an explosive back with size coming out of Brunswick, Ga. at 6-2, 215 lbs. As a senior, Howard helped Glynn Academy reach the playoffs for the 17th straight year and earned the No. 4 seed in Georgia's Region 1-5A. As a junior, Howard earned First-Team All-Region as a running back.
 
Asa Johnson | Quarterback | 6-4, 210 lbs. | Aurora Christian | Aurora, Ill.
Johnson is a 6-4, 210 lbs. quarterback from nearby Aurora Christian. As a senior, Johnson threw for 2,597 passing yards and 32 touchdowns and added 717 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. Johnson finished top 10 in the state in passing yards and touchdowns in 2025. As a junior, he passed for 2,332 yards and 24 touchdowns.
 
Deacon King | Linebacker | 6-1, 215 lbs. | Westfield | Westfield, Ind.
King played on both sides of the ball at running back and safety at Westfield High School and was named to Indiana Mr. Football watchlist by Indy Star prior to senior season. Helped Westfield reach the 2025 Indiana Class 6A state title game, rushed for 822 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 45 tackles on defense. As a junior, recorded 1,440 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior with 39 tackles and two interceptions.
 
JT King | Defensive Lineman | 6-4, 240 | Ashley Ridge | Summerville, S.C.
As a junior, King had 43 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three forced fumbles at Ashley Ridge in Summerville, S.C. The 6-4, 240 defensive lineman helped the Swamp Foxes go 8-4 and reach the second round of the South Carolina 5A Division I playoffs.
 
Tyler Klaner | Tight End | 6-4, 245 lbs. | Boonville | Boonville, Ind.
Klaner is a 6-4, 245 lbs. tight end from Boonville, Ind. The last two seasons, he was a 2024 and 2025 Pocket Athletic Conference selection at tight end while also playing on both sides of the ball at Boonville High School.
 
Cian Mahoney | Offensive Lineman | 6-6, 260 lbs. | Sacred Heart-Griffin | Springfield, Ill.
A 6-5, 270 lbs. offensive lineman from Springfield, Ill., Mahoney helped Sacred Heart-Griffin reach the third round of the Illinois 4A playoffs in his senior season. An All-Conference player in 2025, Mahoney was a part of an offensive unit that averaged 42.5 points per game.
 
Mason Markel | Offensive Lineman | 6-4, 290 | Blue Springs | Blue Springs, Mo.
Markel was named to the 2025 Second Team All-Suburban Gold Conference as a senior at Blue Springs High School in Missouri. As a junior, he was named Honorable Mention All-Conference and also was a member of the wrestling team at 6-5, 275 lbs.
 
Zaire McKinney | Wide Receiver | 6-4, 190 lbs. | Michigan City | Michigan City, Ind.
McKinney finished his senior season at Michigan City High School with 1,264 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 68 receptions. The 6-4 wide out finished 2025 with the second most receiving yards in Indiana Class 5A. He earned Duneland Athletic Conference All-Conference Team honors and is also a member of the baseball team.
 
Jack Murray | Linebacker | 6-2, 220 | Brookfield East | Brookfield, Wis.
Murray was named the 2025 Waukesha Freeman All-Freeman Football Player of the Year playing both linebacker and tight end at Brookfield East in Brookfield, Wis. Murray was First Team All-State as a linebacker and All-State Honorable Mention at tight end in 2025, recording 91 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Joseph Nnamuchi | Defensive Lineman | 6-7, 235 lbs. | Garden City Community College | Louisville, Ky.
Nnamuchi is a 6-7, 235 lbs. defensive lineman and has spent the last two seasons at Garden City Community College. Nnamuchi recorded 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2025. He also played basketball at Garden City in the 2024-25 season. In high school, Nnamuchi played both football and basketball at DeSales High School in Louisville, Ky.
 
Ross Ogden | Linebacker | 6-3, 200 lbs. | Bloomington South | Bloomington, Ind.
As a senior at Bloomington South High School in Bloomington, Ind., Odgen recorded 96 tackles with 16 tackles for loss and five sacks. Odgen was named to the IFCA Class 5A All-State team as a junior, posting 104 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and three interceptions.
Braden Petzel | Offensive Lineman | 6-8, 280 lbs. | Mankato East | Mankato, Minn.
Petzel is 6-8, 280 lbs. offensive lineman from Mankato East in Minnesota. Following his senior season, Petzel was selected to the Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association. Petzel is a member of the basketball team as well.  
 
Terry Robinson | Defensive Lineman | 6-3, 260 lbs. | Cardinal Ritter | Indianapolis, Ind.
Robinson heads to DeKalb from Indianapolis, Ind., where he played at Cardinal Ritter. The 6-3, 260 lbs. defensive lineman was named the Indianapolis All-City 2025 Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by the coaches. Robinson finished the 2025 season with 63 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. During Robinson's time with Cardinal Ritter, he finished with 137 career tackles and 18.5 tackles for loss.
 
Darrius Summers III | Defensive Lineman | 6-4, 230 lbs. | Cass Technical | Detroit, Mich.
As a senior at Cass Technical in Detriot, Mich., Summers helped lead Cass Tech to Michigan Division 1 State Championship game, going 13-1. Summers, a 6-4, 230 lbs. defensive lineman, was named Division 1 All-Region 3 Team in 2025. As a junior, Summers helped Cass Tech win the Michigan Division 1 State championship.
Glen Weber | Tight End | 6-6, 245 lbs. | Modesto Junior College | Oakdale, Cali.
Weber has spent the last two seasons at Modesto Junior College in California and was a Valley Conference First Team selection in 2025. A physical tight end, Weber appeared in 17 games with Pirates. At Oakdale High School, he earned Valley Oak League First Team honors and was also a member of the baseball team.
 
Omar Williams Jr. | Cornerback | 6-3, 178 lbs. | Lafayette Jefferson | Lafayette, Ind.
Williams played on both sides of the ball at Lafayette Jefferson in Indiana, and helped Lafayette Jeff win Sectional Championships in both 2024 and 2025. At 6-3, 178 lbs., Williams earned First-team All-Conference as a senior and earned Second-Team All-Conference as a junior. Williams had 1,119 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025.
 
 
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