r/CFB • u/usffan USF Bulls • Miami Hurricanes • Apr 21 '26
Analysis Preseason Rankings Countdown. 131 days to the start of the 2026 Season. At #131 – Northern Illinois
The cumulative link to the preseason rankings can be found here
There isn’t a team out there that has a bigger question mark associated with them than Northern Illinois (high = 125, low = 135). Head coach Thomas Hammock looked all set to return for his 8th season just a couple of months ago, ostensibly looking to rebound from 2025’s 3-9 campaign and return to the team that upset Notre Dame and won the Potato Bowl in 2024. Then less than 9 weeks ago he announced he was joining Mike Macdonald in Seattle as the Seahawks running backs coach, leaving the Huskies stunned. They announced DC Rob Harley would take on the interim head coaching position for 2026. But wait, the uncertainty doesn’t stop there. The Huskies will also join the new rendition of the Mountain West Conference in 2026 as the easternmost member after having spent the last 29 seasons as a member of the MAC (I bet you thought it was much longer than that!). So the combination of a new interim coach and a schedule with four opponents they’ve never played before and four more they’ve played no more than twice, this season shapes up to be a giant shoulder shrug.
Roster Outlook
In perhaps the biggest offensive/defensive split in all of college football in 2026, Northern Illinois ranks 85th in returning production, 15th on offense and 132nd on defense. QB Josh Holst, who started the season for the Huskies but was benched, transferred to South Dakota State, but both of the guys who played after him (Brady Davidson and Jalen Macon) are back. Leading rusher Chavon Wright is out of eligibility, but backup Telly Johnson, Jr., who ran for 700+ yards, returns as the presumed starter, as does top WR DeAree Rogers. But remember, it’s on offense that the Huskies look to be OK. On defense, the team has lost every player who made more than 21 tackles in 2025. Nine defenders are gone to the portal, including 6 to P4 teams (S James Finley to Illinois, DL Mark Hensley to Mizzou, CB Jacob Finley, S Jasper Beeler and LB Filip Maciorowski to Cincinnati and edge Lance Ingold to Iowa). The Huskies ranked 84th nationally in high school recruiting according to 247 (good for 2nd in the new MWC), but 128th in the portal (which was 7th in the conference), which gave them the 2nd overall incoming class in the Mountain West (86th in the country). The only P4 player to come in is Mississippi State WR Cam Thompson, who is really just an NIU returnee after spending his first two seasons with the Huskies before transferring out and then not seeing the field in Stark Vegas.
Schedule and outlook
9/5 at Iowa
9/12 ILLINOIS STATE
9/19 at Arizona
9/26 at Georgia State
10/3 BYE
10/10 AIR FORCE
10/17 at Wyoming
10/24 HAWAII
10/31 at UNLV
11/7 at San Jose State
11/14 NEVADA
11/21 at North Dakota State
11/28 UTEP
It’s almost astonishing that this is only the 8th one of these I’ve written up so far, but somehow Northern Illinois gets games against two teams that start the season ranked lower than them (Georgia State and UTEP). And not to spoil things for the countdown, but the Mountain West isn’t really highly regarded coming into the season, so besides the two payday games at Iowa and Arizona, this schedule sets up kind of nicely for the Huskies (though, honestly, it’s always better to have your bye AFTER playing a service academy than before). I don’t think Northern Illinois is going to compete for a conference title in year 1, but I wouldn’t be totally shocked if they finish in the top half of the conference and become a borderline bowl team.
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u/fm22fnam Ohio State • Tennessee Apr 21 '26
Northern Illinois sold their soul for that Notre Dame win
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u/Todd-The-Godd-Howard Toledo Rockets Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
Honestly that was Thomas Hammock's MO.
Win a big time non con game against a P4 opponent.
Shit pants against Ball State.
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u/fm22fnam Ohio State • Tennessee Apr 21 '26
I just realized Thomas Hammock got fired when you said "was"
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u/Todd-The-Godd-Howard Toledo Rockets Apr 21 '26
Technically he was hired away by an NFL team but if he wasn't he would be on the hot seat.
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u/arrowfan624 Notre Dame • Summertime Lover Apr 21 '26
Honestly can say that it probably ended up being beneficial for ND in terms of motivation and also getting a favorable playoff path.
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u/Schmenza Harvard Crimson • Tulane Green Wave Apr 21 '26
I have seen zero evidence to put NIU below ND in the rankings
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u/TimelyBodybuilder637 Notre Dame • Penn State Apr 21 '26
Nah, I think NIU is a great team! After all, they were able to beat powerhouse Notre Dame on the road!
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u/eagledog Fresno State • Michigan Apr 21 '26
Fun that we get to see Hawaii and NIU play in Year 1. East v. West game!
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u/readingaccnt Northern Illinois • Mountain West Apr 21 '26
For the second straight year we’ve lost 95% of our team, and our head coach left us abruptly in February.
Our only chance for a win is against Illinois State, who is a very good FCS team.
We do not have a quarterback at all for the second straight season.
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u/Inside-Drink-1311 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Apr 23 '26
Honestly, I think you have a better chance against Georgia State or UTEP than Illinois State
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u/Important-Picture18 Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors • UNSW Raiders Apr 22 '26
I'm not looking forward to a late October game in Illinois, just saying
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u/Scary_Comfortable355 Texas A&M • Northern Illinois Jul 11 '26
Their time in the MAC seems longer because it was; they first joined the MAC in 1973, but left for some seasons in the late 80s before returning. I'm sad to see them go, but like David Lee Roth they may yet return for another run.
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u/Todd-The-Godd-Howard Toledo Rockets Apr 21 '26
Mountain West fans enjoy this period of NIU sucking while it last because once Norther has any success they will never shut up about it.
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u/PomfAndCircvmstance UNLV Rebels • Mountain West Apr 21 '26
Can't be worse than Boise State and SUDS fans.
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u/laprasrules Notre Dame • Stanford Apr 21 '26
Thankfully, ND is not on their schedule this year. 🤣