From ‘run, run, run’ to ‘throw it cause we can,’ but NIU still needs to pick a QB

Old NIU offense: Run, run, run. Throw it when we have to. New NIU offense, per WR Dearee Rogers: "Throw it cause we can." All that's left is figuring out a starting QB, even after the addition of Taron Dickens.

The NIU offense struggled mightily in 2025, ranking in the bottom nationally in most passing categories. But this year new offensive coordinator Tony Petersen came on board to help revamp the offense. Quarterback Taron Dickens joined the team through the transfer portal in early July after decommitting from Bill Belichick’s North Carolina team.

And of course, there’s the new conference for the Huskies, who go from the Mid-American Conference to the Mountain West. At the conference’s Media Days in Las Vegas this week, wide receiver Dearee Rogers said he’s excited for what the NIU offense is going to look like this season. “He’s definitely trying to expand the field and get the ball to the playmakers down the field instead of just run, run, run, throw it when we have to,” Rogers said.

“He’s more throw it cause we can. Not throw it cause its third and 15. Let’s throw it early on, get the receivers’ hands warm for the rest of the game.”

Rogers led the team with 46 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns, all team highs. But no other receiver had more than 12 catches, 145 yards, or one touchdown catch as quarterbacks Josh Holst, Brady Davidson and Jalen Macon struggled throughout the year. The Huskies were 132nd out of 134 teams in completion percentage, 132nd in passing offense, 132nd in yards per completion, 127th in scoring offense, 133rd in passing efficiency, and 130th in total offense.

Josh Holst transferred to South Dakota State during the offseason, leaving Macon and Davidson in a battle through spring practices for the starting position. Dickens’ arrival from Western Carolina complicates that. He set a Southern Conference record with 3,508 passing yards last year and was second in the Walter Payton award voting, the honor presented to the most outstanding offensive FCS player.

At the Mountain West Media Days on Thursday, NIU coach Rob Harley said, as he did after the spring game, there’s still no frontrunner for the quarterback position. “I don’t know, we never coached him,” Harley said when asked if Dickens was the clubhouse leader to be the starting quarterback. “We obviously his love mentality in talking to him and recruiting him.

Right place, right time, perfect timing and all those different things that kind of play into him coming to NIU. He’s looking for an opportunity. ...

I don’t know if anybody is in the lead. I just want to see who rises to the top.” Harley said Dickens’ biggest advantage over Davidson and Macon is experience.

Although Macon is a senior who transferred from Arkansas-Pine Bluff after the 2023 season, he’s played only 16 games in his career, six with the Huskies. Davidson played in eight games last year, starting two. “You bring in Taron, so there’s a different level of variety there to give us another bullet to fire,” Harley said.

“And that’s a reality, because we know we played a third quarterback last year. You can’t just have one.” Offensive lineman Landon Hron said the addition of Dickens to the quarterback room has the potential to push Davidson and Macon even further.

The team has a deep group of offensive weapons, starting with Telly Johnson at running back. And the wide receiver group is incredibly dangerous, with Cam Thompson back from Mississippi State after leaving for the Bulldogs after a breakout 2024 season. “We know Taron coming in, he’s a guy who has the stats, has the touchdowns, has the leadership he has at his old school,” Rogers said.

“If he can bring that here and push and all three quarterbacks can do that, we’ll be unstoppable with this offense we have with coach Petersen.” Harley said the team’s going to do whatever it has to in order to move the ball. But both Hron and Rogers said there’s a lot more throwing this season.

“We’re passing the ball. A lot,” Hron said. “Obviously as a lineman I like running the ball, but it’s nice to get some big explosive plays in there, get down the field and score.”