Welcome to this week's edition of the HuskieWire.com Q&A.
Every Thursday, I'll answer your NIU and MAC-related questions right here. Do you have a question about NIU or the MAC? E-mail your questions to me at jsahly@daily-chronicle.com and I'll answer them next Thursday.
Here are this week's questions and answers:
Pat E. asked:
I know that NIU recruited a JUCO QB out of Alabama, Casey Weston. Will he be [Chandler] Harnish's backup, or compete for the starting job? And what does it mean for A.J. Hill, DeMarcus Grady, and Jordan Lynch?
Also, along with Pat Schiller returning...NIU got a nice crop of linebackers...any of them have potential to start?
What freshmen have the best chance to start true?
John Sahly: Pat, thank you for your questions.
1. Everything at quarterback is up in the air right now because of the health of Chandler Harnish's right knee. If Harnish plays at least some spring football and shows no ill effects from that injury, then I believe he's still the starter coming into the season. If Harnish doesn't play spring football at all (or re-injures the knee or any one of another bunch of scenarios) then the quarterback spot could be up for grabs. Right now, there are too many potential situations in play (we haven't even addressed the development of Grady, Lynch and Hill) to slot Weston's role yet.
2. I think if there's one it's Cameron Stingily. He comes in at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds and won't need a year in the weight room to get his strength where it needs to be. Greg Barksdale is another one that NIU was happy it got, but I picture (and this is purely a guess on my part) at least two of the incoming linebackers getting redshirted.
3. After some post-signing day reflection, I think there are a couple that have a chance. But the one with the best chance in my view is safety Dechane Durante. He's a 6-foot-2, 195-pound player that was called "an athletic freak" by both Kill and Durante's high school coach.
Durante also comes in at a position that is looking for a starter and his competition in Mike Sobol and Jody Van Laanen have battled injuries in the past.
Running back Jasmin Hopkins isn't a freshman, but I think he could battle for playing time in a crowded backfield of Chad Spann, Me'co Brown, Ricky Crider, Cameron Bell and Antione Kirkland.
