Five predicitions for NIU football this season

Forget the basics. Forget the gimmies.

Here are five insanely bold predictions about Northern Illinois University's upcoming season, which opens Saturday at Boston College.

1. Chris Carter is the dude at tight end

The NIU roster lists eight tight ends. But Carter was listed atop the depth chart the team released Tuesday.

Call it a gut feeling, but Carter has made some great plays in camp since coming over from Howard in the portal. Coach Thomas Hammock said Tuesday Carter has done a good job blocking and catching since coming in after spring ball.

Plus, he's 6-foot-7, so that's good too. That's why it seems he'll be the main guy at tight end, and it may not be as much a platoon as expected.

2. Antario Brown ends up carrying the load more than any NIU back in a while

Since Hammock came on board in 2019, there's been some balance among backs - at least after that first year when Tre Harbison had almost four times as many carries as the second most-used back Jordan Nettles.

Last year, lead back Harrison Waylee's 165 carries was exactly 50% more than Brown's 110. In 2020 and 2021, the lead backs had slightly more than twice as many carries as the second back or backs.

There's a lot of potential behind Brown, but aside from Iowa transfer Gavin Williams, not a lot of experience. And Brown has been impressive, to say the least, during spring and fall camps.

So does he end up with four times the carries as Williams or anyone else? Probably not. But he probably gets more than twice the carries than any other back.

3. If they ain't first, they're last

NIU was picked third in the coaches' preseason poll. But this team hasn't been a middle-of-the-road club. That's why it seems this team is either going to win the MAC West or finish last for the second straight year.

Of course, if this were truly bold I'd guarantee one over the other. And I'm very inclined to pick them to win the whole banana. But lots of things can happen, as many people learned last season with the NIU sideline looking more like a MASH unit. It's been feast or famine with this club, and that trend will continue this year.

4. Jalen Johnson will be in the Top 3 on the team in receiving

If this were again truly bold, I'd have him second. But Johnson, a redshirt freshman out of Metea Valley has spent his Huskie career injured on the sidelines.

But he's been back for camp and making plays. At 6-foot-3 he has height. He was a high school sprinter so he has speed. And only one of four players who had more than 15 catches last year are back this year.

With the return of Rocky Lombardi at quarterback, the Huskies are going to be less reliant on the run. So after Trayvon Rudolph and Kacper Rutkiewicz, Johnson is a tempting target poised for a big year if he can stay healthy.

5. Rocky Lombardi is going to be a head coach at the NCAA Division I level at some point

During Tuesday's news conference, I asked Jaden Dolphin what he's seen about this defense that has him optimistic for a turnaround (short answer: they're gonna force a lot of turnovers). But after he answered, in the pause waiting for another question, Lombardi jumped in and answered the question.

The team's starting quarterback, unprompted, gave an answer about how the defense has improved. It was a technical, detailed response. An honest response. Unsolicited.

So maybe this prediction is wrong and he ends up in a broadcast booth, but I don't think so. This is the one prediction I am most sure of. Rocky Lombardi is the head coach of a Division I program after his playing days are over.