Crawford, Brueckner highlight NIU football’s late signing class

Northern Illinois football coach Thomas Hammock continues to bolster the Huskies’ 2021 roster, adding 12 walk-ons to the program Wednesday.

Among the additions are wide receiver Tyler Brueckner, a DeKalb resident who played at Aurora Christian alongside quarterback Ethan Hampton, a December signee who enrolled at NIU for the spring semester. The Huskies also added Macomb, Michigan, wide receiver Alex Crawford, the younger brother of former Huskies tight end Daniel Crawford, who finished his NIU career in 2020 with a pair of degrees and 65 career catches over the past six seasons.

“We’re really excited about adding this group of talented student-athletes to our incoming class,” Hammock said. “The walk-on tradition here at NIU has been strong for as long as I can remember. When I was playing, we had some great walk-ons like Travis Moore, now our defensive ends coach, Larry Williams, Brian Atkinson and Randy Drew to name a few who became all-conference players and were nationally recognized. As an assistant coach here, I helped recruit Chad Spann, who would become [Mid-American Conference] Player of the Year.

“Since becoming head coach, we’ve got a large core of this team who have earned their scholarships, getting it done on the practice field, on game day and in the classroom. I have great respect and admiration for guys that do it the ‘Hard Way.’ This group we’re signing today fits that mold, and we’re excited to see what they can do.”

NIU football has had a traditionally strong walk-on program with players such as Spann, the 2010 Vern Smith Award winner, eight-year NFL veteran Rashaan Melvin and current Huskie Nick Rattin, who started all six games for NIU at middle linebacker last season.

Multiple walk-ons from Hammock’s 2020 signing class – including freshman All-American kick returner Trayvon Rudolph and defensive end Devonte O’Malley – have been awarded scholarships.

“We are really excited about the walk-on program we have going here, and I really believe we knocked this class out of the park,” he said. “These young men will be given every opportunity to show what they can do and earn a scholarship, and we expect big things out of them.”

The newest Huskies, representing four states, join a signing class of 22 players, announced in December, and graduate transfers Rocky Lombardi and Clint Ratkovich, who came to NIU at the start of the semester.

The February group consists of six defensive players, four on offense and two special teams players.

Other players include Brendan Carr (OL/Hanna, Indiana), George Gumbs (WR/Simeon), Isaac Hatfield (LS/Georgetown, Indiana), Anthony Hernandez (LB/Schaumburg), Ryan King (LB/Missouri), Ryan Mann (S/Vernon Hills), James Ongtengco (DT/Boylan Catholic), Jaden Wilson (DE/Detroit), Kanon Woodill (K/Plainfield North) and Ronde Worrels (LB/Princeton).