Football | June 12

DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University football team had seven members selected to preseason All-Mountain West Team by Phil Steele, including four offensive players.

Running back Telly Johnson Jr. (Augusta, Ga. / Hephzibah), wide receiver DeAree Rogers (Lexington, S.C. / Lenoir-Rhyne) and cornerback Dev'ion Reynolds (Zion, Ill. / Carmel Catholic) were all named to the Mountain West Third Team. A pair of offensive linemen in Landon Hron (Hartford, Wis. / Hartford) and Ross Liegel (Rock Springs, Wis. / Baraboo) joined linebacker Jashawn Nelson (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Wayne) and kicker Ryan Short (Hinsdale, Ill. / Butler) on the Fourth Team.

Johnson steps into 2026 after rushing for a career-high 712 yards and four touchdowns on 124 carries as a sophomore. The Georgia native continued to show his explosiveness last season with 5.74 yards per carry, ranking 29th in the FBS. All four rushing touchdowns from Johnson last season were at least 40 yards. In 18 career games, Johnson has totaled 1,192 rushing yards.

Rogers led the Huskies in receiving last season with 506 yards and three touchdowns on 46 receptions in his first year with NIU. Rogers had a season-high 107 receiving yards and a score against Ohio, one of three games with 70-or-more receiving yards. Entering his redshirt senior season, Rogers has recorded at least one reception in 32 consecutive games dating back to the 2023 season.

Reynolds, who was also named to the Second Team as a kick returner, played in all 12 games last season and started four. As a redshirt freshman, Reynolds finished the season with 16 tackles and three pass breakups in the Huskies secondary. As a returner, Reynolds ranked 16th in the FBS in kickoff return average with 25.3 yards per. He scored his first career kickoff return touchdown in the season opener against Holy Cross.

Hron and Liegel are both returning starters on an offensive line that averaged 187.1 rushing yards per game, ranking 29th in the FBS. The Huskies rushed for 300 yards or more in three games last season. The group also only allowed 1.58 sacks per game, ranking in the top 40 of the FBS. Hron served his first full season as a starter in 2025, starting all 12 games while Liegel stepped into the starting tackle role in the final six games of his redshirt freshman season.

Nelson earned playing time in the final four games of his true freshman season last year and recorded a blocked punt against UMass, the first NIU player to do so since 2019. Short went 15-of-16 on field goals last season at Butler while knocking in 22-of-25 point-after attempts.

NIU opens the season at Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 3:15 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network. The Huskies home opener is scheduled against Illinois State on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. CT on MW+. For more information on MW+, visit here.

Season tickets are on sale now for the Huskies first season in the Mountain West, beginning at just $102 and are available online at NIUHuskies.com/tickets, by calling the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225) weekdays between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by emailing, huskiestickets@niu.edu. Single game tickets will be made available late summer.