With the Hammock era underway, no starting spots are safe

DeKALB — Even after winning a Mid-American Conference championship last season, returning football starters are fighting for their spots all over again.

With the departure of former Head Coach Rod Carey and the arrival of Thomas Hammock, returning starters like redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcus Childers are having to prove they have a role to play in the new offense.

Childers said the players, new and old, won’t shy away from competition.

“We all embrace the grind,” Childers said. “We always want to get better, and the best way to do that is through competition.”

The former MAC Freshman of the Year threw for 2,175 yards to go with 15 touchdowns last season. This spring, Childers is in competition with junior Anthony Thomas, redshirt first-year Jiya Wright and Drake Davis, transfer first-year from the University of Illinois.

Childers said it’s not just quarterbacks competing, it’s across the board.

“There’s great competition between some of us,” Childers said. “I know in the quarterback room we have a big quarterback battle going on - same in the running back room. There’s just good competition everywhere.”
Related: Spring football heats up with full speed practice
With the Hammock era underway, no starting spots are safe

Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Marcus Childers scrambles Oct 13 during the Huskies’ 24-21 victory.
Chris Rojo | Northern Star

The backfield’s other half has also been highly competitive. Junior returning starter Tre Harbison, senior Marcus Jones and sophomore Jordan Neddles will be vying for the starting running back position.

With all new coaches and an all new system, Childers said the competition for starting positions is tougher this year than in the past. The quarterback said the competition makes everyone better because it forces everyone to up their game every day.

“With the new system we got put into, everyone has to learn it,” Childers said. “I know we’re all still trying to learn it and get the basics down. We’re making strides everyday.”

The competition for the starting quarterback position doesn’t end Saturday when the team plays its annual spring game. Ross Bowers, who is transferring from the University of California, is expected to join the team after the spring semester, according to multiple media reports.

Bowers started 12 games for the Bruins in 2017, throwing for 3,039 yards and 18 touchdowns. Bowers took a medical redshirt last season after reaggravating a thumb injury.

Childers said the locker room isn’t afraid of more competition, saying he wants to play with winners who can compete.

“We’re happy to have a new guy in the room,” Childers said. “We want champions. We want guys who want to play for us and want to get better. I can’t wait to see him get here and have a little fun.”

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I like Childers, he is a fighter and competitor. This might be a blessing in disguise. Bowers will make Childers better and Childers will make Bowers better.

Competition will be the difference between losing 6-7 games a season,to only losing two or running the table. We’ve been good enough to win/squeak by in the MAC with mediocre play mainly on offense. Very curious to see what the added competition will do for the program long term.

(04-15-2019 10:41 AM)klake87 Wrote:  I like Childers, he is a fighter and competitor. This might be a blessing in disguise. Bowers will make Childers better and Childers will make Bowers better.

Childers might have "looked ok" in practices in the past but on the field in a game is where his true colors come out. The guy has no good QB instincts. Put any pressure on him & his decision making goes in the toilet. He can't see open receivers. He holds onto the ball like it's stuck in his hand with glue. Or he keeps it , runs up the middle for no gain.

I'm ready for a new beginning - a new QB. Looking forward to this fall!

Childers is an easy person to cheer for because he is a great competitor and he does a good job representing the HUSKIES. That said he has been terribly inconsistent in the short, medium and long passing game and I am looking forward to seeing if he can progress with new coaching.

Even if Bowers beats him out for the job this fall (which I feel is likely) I hope that our new staff realizes what Carey's did seemed to forget. A team needs at least two QBs ready to play at all times because the starter can go down on any play. So I hope that Childers improves and plays some meaningful snaps this season as either a starter or a backup depending on how things unfold.

Everything seems to be pointing toward a very interesting year. It has been a while since we have had an offense that can control the clock and put up numbers when it is needed.

The job belongs to Bowers, but even with his improved skill set, its no slam dunk this offense will improve much from its basement standing last year. The offensive line sounds like a disaster, and there is lesser amount of playmakers this year on offense. Hammock will need a few years to get this turned around, and I have confidence in him.

Open competition for all positions is a very good thing and will only help the team be stronger.

2019 NIU Football is going to be a fun ride.

(04-15-2019 04:18 PM)NorthCoast Wrote:  Open competition for all positions is a very good thing and will only help the team be stronger.

2019 NIU Football is going to be a fun ride.

I think it is a token competition for QB. Bowers is not transferring to NIU to sit on the bench. Not to slam DeKalb, but it is not the destination of destinations to sit back with the clipboard and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

(04-15-2019 04:20 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(04-15-2019 04:18 PM)NorthCoast Wrote:  Open competition for all positions is a very good thing and will only help the team be stronger.

2019 NIU Football is going to be a fun ride.

I think it is a token competition for QB. Bowers is not transferring to NIU to sit on the bench. Not to slam DeKalb, but it is not the destination of destinations to sit back with the clipboard and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

Dude....stop being negative, all is well, and there is nothing wrong with DeKalb. Many of us our very fond of the flying corn.

Childers is a warrior. Most people would transfer to a school where they’d start in his shoes.

Agree with the comments on Childers, you're not MAC Champ without being a Tough Competitor. He won't roll over

(04-15-2019 04:20 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(04-15-2019 04:18 PM)NorthCoast Wrote:  Open competition for all positions is a very good thing and will only help the team be stronger.

2019 NIU Football is going to be a fun ride.

I think it is a token competition for QB. Bowers is not transferring to NIU to sit on the bench. Not to slam DeKalb, but it is not the destination of destinations to sit back with the clipboard and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

Go away.

(04-15-2019 04:47 PM)MileHighHuskie Wrote:  

(04-15-2019 04:20 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(04-15-2019 04:18 PM)NorthCoast Wrote:  Open competition for all positions is a very good thing and will only help the team be stronger.

2019 NIU Football is going to be a fun ride.

I think it is a token competition for QB. Bowers is not transferring to NIU to sit on the bench. Not to slam DeKalb, but it is not the destination of destinations to sit back with the clipboard and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

Dude....stop being negative, all is well, and there is nothing wrong with DeKalb. Many of us our very fond of the flying corn.

+1000

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Childers is facing the same uphill battle Santa faced. His coach doesn't want him to be the starter. Hammock has not had Childers back at all. He came here and said we are not good at QB. There's no tape of any other NIU QB's playing. So not good at QB = Childers is not good at QB. This shouldn't be a surprise. I haven't heard a single analyst, commentator, writer or message board have anything other than a negative review of Childers' play. All Bowers has to do is not be a disaster and he's a lock to start.

(04-15-2019 04:15 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  The job belongs to Bowers, but even with his improved skill set, its no slam dunk this offense will improve much from its basement standing last year. The offensive line sounds like a disaster, and there is lesser amount of playmakers this year on offense. Hammock will need a few years to get this turned around, and I have confidence in him.

My biggest concern is the Oline as well.

"Get this turned around" Don't know your heads been, but NIU HUSKIES are MAC Champs. ...

This quote says it all. This is why our offense won’t suck this year.
“From the old system to this system we’ve got now, there’s a lot of opportunities to stretch the ball down the field," Childers said. "Some of the old things we were doing, the old coaches, we weren’t allowed to throw certain routes against certain coverages. But now we have different routes involved in those coverages. We may call a route and there’s two or three different routes they can run based on coverages. It’s really cool to be able to, for those receivers to understand coverages and things like that so we can take shots and hit the big plays and just be explosive.”
May not be Harnish/Lynch good but I think we’ll all be pleasantly surprised.

(04-15-2019 09:48 PM)Shue93 Wrote:  This quote says it all. This is why our offense won’t suck this year.
“From the old system to this system we’ve got now, there’s a lot of opportunities to stretch the ball down the field," Childers said. "Some of the old things we were doing, the old coaches, we weren’t allowed to throw certain routes against certain coverages.

That was my biggest complaint with the Carey era

(04-15-2019 04:20 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(04-15-2019 04:18 PM)NorthCoast Wrote:  Open competition for all positions is a very good thing and will only help the team be stronger.

2019 NIU Football is going to be a fun ride.

I think it is a token competition for QB. Bowers is not transferring to NIU to sit on the bench. Not to slam DeKalb, but it is not the destination of destinations to sit back with the clipboard and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

If Bowers is coming here because he was guaranteed the starting job, then he is a mental midget. He was sold that we are switching to a more pro style offense and he has that skill set. Childers may or may not be able to change to fit this new style but he is not a quiter.