NIU football: Nate Valcarcel and his ball-hawking skills back as fall camp starts

DeKALB – Spring practices. Summer workouts.

There hasn’t exactly been a ton of time off since NIU closed the 2023 season with a 21-19 win over Arkansas State in the Camellia Bowl and the start of fall camp Wednesday.

But with the Huskies’ opener a month away Aug. 31 against Western Illinois, the start of fall camp still has a different feel.

“It’s a different feel for everyone just knowing we’re 30 days away from game day,” free safety Nate Valcarcel said. “So just having that different feel from spring ball, and now it’s time to just lock in for everybody and make plays.”

Valcarcel figures to be a big part of a defense that returns eight starters from last year. He forced a team-best four turnovers, including three interceptions, which tied for the team lead with JaVaughn Byrd, who also returns.

The Huskies were 23rd nationally last year, allowing 319.5 yards of total offense per game. They picked up their first bowl win since after the 2011 season.

“A lot of people had juice. They’re excited,” Valcarcel said. “Just getting the young guys going for fall camp, they’re new here and everything. Guys are just flying around making plays. It was good to see the offense doing well and then the defense doing well.”

Valcarcel had 46 tackles last year, sixth on the team. He had half a sack and 1.5 tackles for a loss and returned a fumble for a touchdown.

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound senior from Greenfield, Wisconsin, is in his fourth year with the program after a year at South Dakota.

“He has a good way to diagnose plays,” defensive coordinator and safeties coach Nick Benedetto said. “He’s done a great job of that. He’s played a lot of football. He’s played a couple different positions, which I think helps him play the free safety role for us very well.”

Valcarcel said time spent in the film room has a lot to do with that, helping him figure out the tendencies of an opposing defense and its quarterback.

“The film room is the biggest part I can take control of,” Valcarcel said. “It puts you in better spots to make plays during games. You start to read stuff, little tendencies from other teams. It just puts you in a better position to make a play.”

Valcarcel joined the program in 2021, playing all 14 games on special teams as the Huskies won a Mid-American Conference title. He got some time at safety the next year before his breakout campaign in 2023. He had a combined 15 tackles and no forced turnovers in his first two seasons with NIU.

Head coach Thomas Hammock said Valcarcel brings a lot of athleticism into the safety position. In high school he played wide receiver and running back, Hammock said, and that shows in his ability to get to the ball.

Hammock also said Valcarcel has improved in his time with the Huskies, not only bulking up and learning new positions as he shifted from corner to nickel to safety, but in other ways, as well.

“Nate has definitely matured in our program,” Hammock said. “When he first got here was immature and not handling his business on or off the field. But every year he’s taken steps in the right direction to put himself in a position to be successful. He’s grown tremendously.”

Valcarcel is scheduled to graduate in December, something Hammock said he is very proud of, saying classroom success and on-the-field success are related.

“The better he’s done in the classroom has really translated to the football field,” Hammock said. “I think those things are directly correlated to success, and he’s finally bought into those things.”