2024 NIU Football Chicago Media Day

you know this is always the uh The Unofficial start to the season for for us um a week from tomorrow we we start training camp I couldn't be more excited uh about this team and I think one thing that's very unique about this team is um this is a team that has 33 seniors we got seven in the back right there and guys that are you know we recruited uh brought into the program helped them develop uh been through some some ups and downs some growing pain some adversity some champion ships uh and different things but uh I couldn't be more proud uh of this group uh of men uh for their maturity the discipline their focus um the way they do things how they set the standards how they set the expectations for our program and I think they've done nothing uh but give me great hope uh going into the 20 24 season uh with the way they they've done things couple things uh about us uh since January to now uh you know our players have have put a lot of work in a lot of time a lot of discipline uh and done things that we've asked them to do uh and to our coaching staff you know I talk to our coaches all the time it's about us uh it's about putting them in position to be successful because we certainly have the talent uh to do it now we have to go out there and and and stay committed to the Daily process of what it takes to be a champion and I think these guys uh what they've shown me uh gives me great hope couple things we talk about uh some things we talk about within our program you know we have a model is sore um this year we talk about standards you know what are the standards we're going to set it as a team how we going to attack it uh we talk about opportunities I mean we got a great schedule this year uh filled with great opportunities to go out there and play our best football then we talk about accountability uh number one we have to be accountable uh to one another we have to be accountable to the program um you know coaches and players all together and then we talk about results at the end of the day this is all about the results of of of trying to win football games and I think we built it the right way uh with the right DNA of guys um in our program you know just talking about our offense obviously I know a lot of people want to ask me about the quarterback position uh one thing I can tell you is I think we have three guys that can lead this team to Victory uh now it's about you know finding the one guy that's going to rise to the occasion each and every single week you know one thing we're going to do a little bit different in training camp is we're going to tailor uh make the the offense to each specific player uh at the quarterback position so each gu is going to have their own little uh Nuance to the offense I think that's going to give us a chance to truly evaluate uh what guy gives us the best uh chance to win games then you look at it from an offensive standpoint up front we got 110 uh starts returning up front and so if you look at it uh across Five Guys that's an average of 20 22 starts uh per man I think you know we built our program inside out it starts with the guys up front on the offensive line uh Logan sheres is here today but you know we got a lot of guys with a lot of experience that's going to take a lot of pressure off the quarterback position then the tight end position we got 44 starts at that position Grayson Barnes uh is representing that group today um but we feel like that's a dynamic group an extension of the offensive line in some aspects but also an extension of the the wide receiver position at the wide receiver position we bring back 32 starts obviously everybody knows uh trayon Rudolph but I I feel like we have some young guys that have really uh matured and developed in our program uh that's going to be a nice resource for the quarterbacks at their disposal and at running back we got 20 starts uh returning uh and and obviously I know a lot of people know about uh anio Brown he's a great player uh has really developed in our program but also his group uh of running backs uh come back uh we have a a tremendous stable of guys that can make plays in the running game and the passing game uh as well as protecting the quarterback and then defensively you know obviously we had a top 25 defense last year uh I feel like we can uh you know uh raise our level of play as a group on the D line we got 78 uh starts returning uh led by a guy that's in the back Devonte Al a guy like Ray Thomas a lot of experience experience up front and the great thing we do with our defense is we rotate a lot of guys a lot of guys get different experience a game experience where when they put in a situation uh is not too big for them at the linebacker position we we returned 34 STS Jaden dolphin is representing that group uh added a couple guys uh in the transfer portal and really feel like the middle of our defense at the linebacker uh position is going to be a bigger strength than what it was in the past and then on the back end uh we got 83 starts returning uh you see Javon bird is here uh Nate voso is here uh two guys that are veterans that are leaders uh that are great communicators but also we got a lot of young guys with with a lot of experience a guy like am Maran knon uh Jacob Finley sha Dabney uh Cyrus mcaro uh a bunch of guys that's played a lot of football that's going to allow us to number one be able to rotate guys on defense but also play to a level um that hopefully we will not be matched for four quarters so uh you know for us as as in any season is about how you handle adversity I mean last year we we we dealt with some adversity uh with losing four games in a row but love the response of our football team uh obviously I don't want to lose four games in a row this year but we have to make sure we have that same mentality week in and week out uh to make sure you know our back is is against the wall every week and that's that starts against Western Illinois uh stay healthy is is is another thing I think we've we transitioned um obviously in 21 we won a championship really wanted to fight complacency and and maybe push them a little bit too hard but I think we found a happy balance of of keeping guys mentally and physically fresh I've been proud of of the job that juny and his staff has done with the guys we're bigger we're faster we're stronger uh and and and we're fresh and I think when you have a fresh team uh mentally and physically that gives you a chance to be able to sustain over the course of a season you know off offensively obviously every body knows about the running game but you know we want to fight for balance uh and I think we want to make it uh uncomfortable for defenses you know whether if they load the Box we got to be able to take shots down the field and if it's a light box we have to be able to run it so uh you know I mean uh 5050 is maybe not ideal but obviously we want to be balanced uh in a way that we can attack people uh in all facets on defense we want to attack we want to make people get people off schedule uh and then obviously with our secondary and what they can do on the back end of the def defense try to create turnovers where we can separate from people and then obviously special teams is a big part of you know how we build things when you look at games uh at the at the Mac media day they talked about uh 41% of of Mac games comes comes down to one possession uh and the way you win one possession games is obviously to be excellent on special teams and I have Tom Foley back and Canon wow and Isaac uh back uh all of our Specialists the back this season allows us to uh build the type of special teams we want and then the athletes that we we're going to be able to put on the field uh from a special team standpoint gives me great hope that those guys can can change games by the way they play so you know for us you know everything starts um you know up front starts in the weight room but also I want to talk about you know with 33 seniors obviously you want to have a plan of uh of you know moving forward as a program and one thing we're fighting for is consistency and I couldn't be more proud with the with the freshman class that we were able to bring in this year uh a group that to me uh top to bottom has been outstanding as far as uh work capacity uh outstanding as far as Focus uh and mental fortitude and all those things that it takes to become a good player now we'll see next week how well they play but I'm excited about our freshman class and knowing that they have a great group to learn from from our seniors and they can carry that tradition on so um to me I think uh you know obviously I've seen a lot of football here in my six years uh but I I don't know if it's been a time I've been more more excited to watch a group go out there and compete and we're gonna go out there and give it our best so with that I'll take any questions you finished last year with three straight wins including a bowl win Thomas I know it's a different team but as you talk about there's many people coming back can you take things from last season confidence momentum into 2024 yeah no I think uh the way we ended the year um overcoming some things early in the year obviously we struggled a little bit uh early offensively we were able to to write that ship but these guys are are beaming with confidence uh I think they understand um how good they can be I think they understand what it takes uh to to get where we want to go uh and they've they've you know checked off every box along the process so uh we're going to stay process oriented uh throughout training camp throughout the season uh we're not going to look ahead we going to take it for you know what's right in front of us I know a lot of people want to talk about Notre Dame and obviously that's a great opportunity but you know we got a game before that and I think the the more we can stay focused on the task at hand the better our chance for Success will be you don't have a quarterback going into the season but in your thoughts is it going to come down to you Toledo and Miami contending for the conference Championship yeah you know um that that's a hard question to answer right there's a lot of factors that that into it but you know what we're going to focus on are the things that we can do uh to control our own destiny um and I think you know we play all those teams which is a great opportunity for us uh when the time comes but you know we're going to take one step at a time uh and be able to get oursel in position uh to to make sure we playing our best football week in and week out um can you just touch on what each of your quarterbacks brings to the table and how the the offense will differ from signal caller to Signal caller yeah first of all I think uh you know I'm extremely confident with all three of those guys uh I think our quarterback play uh will be improved uh this season I I truly believe that and that's not you know a knock against anybody but I think these guys are are are really excelling I think they have a lot of Playmakers around them that can make plays they just got to be a great facilitator and uh you know Ethan obviously he he brings the most experience back uh you know has the best understanding of our offense um you know has really added a nice deep ball into his Arsenal he got we we hit more deep shots in Spring ball than we' we've hit in my time here and I think uh those are the type of things that we have to be able to complete uh if if people want to try to you know stack the Box obviously Jaylen is a tremendous athlete you know you talk you talking about a guy that's 65 240 lbs uh can throw it he can out throw every receiver we have in the program uh he can run um he's tough uh you know it's just about him catching up uh from a football standpoint uh and and making sure he can execute our offense but you know we're going to tailor it uh to him and his abilities uh to be a dual threat type guy uh and then see what he can handle um but at the end of the day you you're going against the top 25 defense so we will have a great understanding of what guy gives us the best chance and Josh Holtz is a young guy that you know he's kind of a uh a compliment to both guys um you know he he gives you some some versatility as far as a runner but also some touch as far as a passor so I think he's a he's an interesting guy that you know he'll have a chance uh you know at some point in his career but but he's G you know we gonna give him every opportunity to compete this this uh fall Camp coach you talk about amount of experience you have this roster especially with the 33 seniors um now you've seen this team do a spring have you identified any of those players who can really step up to filling those Captain rules that replicated by uh people that left yeah no I think that's an excellent question and one thing we're going to do uh this year is we're going to have weekly captains I think over the course of a season different people step up at different times and and I don't want to minimize anybody's voice so we're not going to name captains at the beginning uh of the year we're going to let that materialize throughout the season because I think sometimes you name a captain at the beginning of the year then all of a sudden maybe a guy gets beat out or he's not playing as good as he he wants to play and then his voice is minimized so we don't want to minimize anybody's voice uh we want everybody to be competing week in and week out and you'll be surprised at what guys Step Up um through some adverse situations last year we had a guy like Tyler Jackson Step Up um you know wasn't a starter initially but then wind up you know having a strong voice uh the second half of the season and I I don't want those things to be be Sil silenc coach you also mentioned um you know the amount of people from the transfer portal that you bought it specifically at that linebacker position and you also talked about the Freshman Class were there any of the new guys on the team that kind of stood out in your eyes heading yeah you know Christian Ferman was with us I'm only going to speak about the guys that that's been here that we've seen practice uh the Freshman you never know right a guy May heard us toe the first day and he's out for three weeks but uh Christian Ferman is definitely a guy that has come in and helped solidify the line back in position uh for us down the middle um uh the tight end uh Jake um you know this guy is we recruited him out of high school uh and and really feel good about him in high school and then Nebraska offered him at the last minute uh but you know he gives us a guy an athletic why at the point of attack that can do a lot of different things um the midye guys uh you know we had a young freshman come in uh Corner deshan Gibson um but I think we got some we got some guys that you know to me that's ready to take the next step uh as far as their development a freshman like uh Santana ban the safety that we have in our program uh that really has made an offseason jump so I'm anxious to watch him compete um you know amaran nigh at corner Jacob Finley at corner those are younger guys that you know been in the program know what it takes but uh guys that I think are are making a step to be upper echelon at their position coach and then you mentioned the top you having top 25 defense last year how's how important is it to maintain some of those guys like Javon yeah no uh it it was big you know um you know in December you know a lot of guys was texting me you know when you get a text from a player in December that's never a good feeling as a head coach uh but uh I'm happy these guys stayed uh you know they had opportunities to do different things uh they believe in our program Believe In you know how we do things and and what we're building and I want them to play their best football as seniors so um you know Javon bird is a big part of that n Nate is a big part of that uh two excellent leaders on the back end of our defense uh that I feel like you know we got a bunch of guys back there that can make a bunch of plays so uh anxious um as a team if we can get the lead and force people to throw I think they're going to have have their hands full we talked a lot last week in Canton about this team being a players program so is that kind of blend itself to having as many seniors as you have as you have guys that you've recruited that wanted to be here for four years and have bought into your coaching Style and what you expect them yeah no I they almost uh to stern in my opinion uh they call me and text me I don't you know this guy's not doing what he need to be doing I say listen remember uh when you was a freshman and and maybe you wanted to quit or maybe things wasn't going your way you have to have Grace but I've been very pleased like I said when I go home at night I know that the the leadership of our team is handled the locker room is handled uh the culture of our team is handled uh and that's an attribute to our players uh what they've been able to learn from us as coaches and then at least giv them some leeway right it's like when your kids get older right you don't you don't you don't have the same restrictions that you had when they were younger uh and we we've allowed them to to be men uh to grow up as men to have a voice and I respect their voice Thomas no one's going to be surprised by the Brown and how he plays for his team on that too far question how good could anterio Brown be this year and he does does he remind you every day that he did pass you on the C rushing yard did he pass me no he hasn't reminded me of that and he's a stat guy so uh he I that that's news to me how good can he be um he could be as good as he wants to be and and and I I truly I truly mean that and he understands that um you know we've grown together uh we we've we we've had our our our moments uh but I'm proud of him and how he's worked and how he's developed himself as a man first and then as a player second so you know I'm not taking very many backs above him uh in the country and I and I mean that sincerely not because he's here when you talk about the strides the guys make in the wait room and how well they're doing that way is that a sense of how that can lead into a style of play for you guys obviously you want to run the ball and you talk a lot about how big big you guys are on both sides of the line is that a sense of where your physicality can succeed in an era where teams are just spreading everybody out from number to number yeah I I love the physicality of our team but also I love the speed you know we test these guys and these guys have gotten faster as a football team so not only are we big and physical we got guys that can run and uh you know I think it it you know this this is a physical game is a test of wheels and uh you know I love the way we're built um you know with the office line and defensive line and then our skill guides are going to be um you know everything we want them to be so you know for us it's about playing a physical brand when the weather changes obviously the the elements become a factor in the game you have to win the line of scrimmage and if we can win the line of scrimmage great things will happen any more questions yeah uh so coach obviously the big thing that's been going around college football over the past week has been the release of the new n .5 game you guys are ranked 73 overall um in there how do you feel the ranking is in your eyeses yeah I you know I think the rankings are a little bit unjust in my opinion uh I think our offense was ranked higher than our defense which based on what I have no idea um you know we had a strong defense now I think our offense will be improved uh this season so you know it's a subjective rankings but like anything right you win more games your rankings go up and and so you know I look forward to being able to see the rankings in in 2026 who plays NIU at your house yeah no um uh my my son it was NIU versus NIU and I will say this anio brown is a lot better in the game no that's a joke no uh I we got some really good players on the game and uh it's fun you know I'm not very good but he beats me pretty good um but I I've been pleased with what I've seen on the game and hope our players play it all the time as well so they know their rankings them rankings have nothing to do with who you are as a true player in real life just so we all understand that