FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (August 25, 2021) – Following an extended absence from the field, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks wrapped up a brief spring season with a 2-0 record in the Walkup Skydome while regaining and defending the Grand Canyon Trophy for the first time in its 10-game history.
Now back to a normal schedule in head coach
Chris Ball's third season at Northern Arizona, the Lumberjacks open the season with a challenge as the No. 1-ranked Sam Houston Bearkats arrive after wrapping up the spring with their first ever FCS Championship. Northern Arizona returns a large contingent from the spring season, effectively losing just one starter while also boasting its deepest team in recent memory, with the season kicking off at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 2 against Sam Houston.
OFFENSIVE PREVIEW
Led by starting quarterback
Keondre Wudtee, the Lumberjacks bring back their leading rushers from the spring and nearly all of their leading receivers.
As he was in the spring, Wudtee will be joined by
Jeff Widener and
Niko Haen at quarterback. Two freshmen also joined the room, led by offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Aaron Pflugrad, with
RJ Martinez and
PJ London signing in December and February respectively. The team also added Oregon transfer
Cale Millen in March.
Both Wudtee and Widener played a part in Northern Arizona's run game during the spring, but it was
Draycen Hall and
George Robinson that led the way. Accounting for 100 of the team's 181 rushes, Hall and Robinson totaled 68 percent of the team's yards on the ground during the spring.
Hall, granted a waiver to compete in the spring, signed with the program in December following the completion of his two-year mission. The freshman's 5.0 yards per carry included the team's longest run of the spring when he broke off a 49-yard touchdown against the Weber State Wildcats. Similarly, Robinson broke free for a 38-yard score against Eastern Washington, one of two touchdowns during the five-game spring schedule.
Northern Arizona's running backs group essentially includes only underclassmen, with
Kevin Daniels,
Tyson Grubbs and
Jeiel Stark also getting their first taste of college football during the spring, while
Joshua Maignan and Tristen Lee add another two freshmen to the group.
Daniels also worked his way into the receiving game, scoring one a 1-yard touchdown pass from Wudtee on the road at Southern Utah, setting up a run of 28 unanswered points in the victory.
Stacy Chukwumezie and
Coleman Owen also ended up in the end zone during the shortened spring schedule, with their first scores coming in the season opener against Southern Utah. Chukwumezie scored on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Wudtee in the season opener, a game that was capped off by Owen's 2-yard touchdown as time expired to win the Grand Canyon Trophy. Owen also scored from two yards out in the finale against Idaho, recording the lone touchdown in the 19-9 victory by Northern Arizona.
Hendrix Johnson,
Brandon Porter and
Matthew Kempton also ranked among the team's receiving leaders, with Johnson finishing the year with 121 yards against the Vandals. Porter moved up Northern Arizona's all-time receiving yards list with 137 across three games and Kempton returned from injury to earn All-Big Sky Second Team with 10 catches for 118 yards.
Competition at receiver remains intense as 16 players enter the fall listed at the position, including transfers
Jamal Glaspie from Fresno State and
Tyrone Marshall from Montana State. The team also added to its tight end depth, with offensive lineman
Trevor Reinwald sliding to tight end and the signing of
Quinn Carolan and
Joe MaQatish in December. Fellow December signee and early enrollee
Xander Werner is also listed as an athlete for the Lumberjacks, having arrived shortly after signing and finishing his high school season for Saguaro.
Blocking upfront for Northern Arizona's underclassmen-heavy skill positions is a mix of underclassmen alongside a few returning starters. An All-Big Sky Second Teamer in the spring,
Jonas Leader will stand as Northern Arizona's most experienced linemen while
Donovan Outlaw has started 14 games over the past two seasons since arriving from UNLV.
Offensive line coach
Bob Connelly mixed in a host of freshmen during the spring, with
Blake Gamez,
Angel Flores,
Maxwell Flores,
Noah Barta and
Eriq Williams all seeing playing time during the spring. The Lumberjacks list 18 players on the offensive line, including
Victor Arteaga who arrived from El Camino College last year, and Cal transfer
PJ Poutasi as well as five December signees and one more in February.
DEFENSIVE PREVIEW
A pair of veterans return to the middle of
Jerry Partridge's defense while a mix of underclassmen and All-Big Sky returners make up the defensive line and secondary. Forcing six fumbles and picking off four passes in just five games, the Lumberjacks' drastically picked up their turnover margin in Ball's second season with the program.
Eloi Kwete and his brother Cosmas proved to be the force many within Northern Arizona's program expected as they reunited in Flagstaff this past spring. Eloi finished with 2.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks during the spring, giving him 7.5 and 5.0 respectively early on in his career. Meanwhile, Cosmas tied for the team lead with four quarterback hurries while also blocking an extra point.
Sheldon Newton also stepped into a major role in the middle of the defensive front, quickly serving as an anchor up front in his first collegiate season. In his fifth season with the program,
Carson Taylor continued to do more of the same this past spring as he led the team with 3.0 sacks and added 4.5 tackles for loss. Taylor also tied
Cosmas Kwete with four quarterback hurries and ranked second on the team in tackles.
Eloi and Cosmas' brother Richard joins the team for the fall alongside three other incoming freshmen.
Mark Ho Ching returns to the middle of the line after missing last season while
Malik Johnson adds another option after debuting with the Lumberjacks in the spring where he recorded a sack against Weber State.
Tristen Vance and
Harrison Beemiller return for one last season with the Lumberjacks this fall. Vance, a mainstay with the Lumberjacks dating back to 2015, returned this past spring after missing all of the 2019 season. With his most recent game coming in the 2018 season finale, Vance finished fourth on the team in tackles while breaking up a pass and forcing a fumble during the spring to earn All-Big Sky Honorable Mention.
Beemiller broke out in his second season, earning All-Big Sky Second Team honors as he finished with a team-best 5.5 tackles for loss as well as 2.0 sacks.
Jhasi Wilson served a crucial role as he rotated in at linebacker for the Lumberjacks, producing three quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and 2.0 tackles for loss in his second season with Northern Arizona. Three freshmen linebackers from the state of Arizona were among the program's signees in December and February, and Akron transfer
Demetrick Watts II is also set to join the team for the fall.
Grad transfer
Brenndan Johnson stepped into one of Northern Arizona's safety spots during the spring, finishing his first season in Flagstaff with a forced fumble and a pair of pass breakups while also ranking seventh in tackles across just three games.
Morgan Vest lined up alongside Johnson in the backend of Northern Arizona's defense with a breakout season. Earning All-Big Sky Unanimous First Team honors, Vest's delayed debut for the Lumberjacks was worth the wait as he led the team with 53 tackles in addition to breaking up five passes, recovering two fumbles, picking off a pass and adding a pair of tackles for loss. Vest led Northern Arizona in tackles in four of its five games, landing in double-digits on four occasions.
After playing corner in his first year with the program,
Kamdan Hightower shifted to safety for this fall. Picking off a pass in his first career game, and running it back for NAU's first score of the spring season, Hightower saw considerable playing time right away and should factor into the team's depth at safety.
While the safety position is led by upperclassmen, the outside of NAU's secondary includes a pair of freshmen who saw significant playing time.
Devontae Ingram and
Colby Humphrey each started at least one contest during the spring. Ingram picked off their first career passes in the second week of the spring season. Meanwhile Humphrey broke up a pass in the end zone against Idaho to prevent a touchdown as the Lumberjacks held the Vandals out of the end zone in the season finale 19-9 victory.
A newcomer a year ago,
Johnathan Phenix stands to make an impact in the secondary for the Lumberjacks while
Jacob Mpungi and
Cejai Parrish add two other experienced players in the secondary, with both starting games during the spring season. Northern Arizona also added nine new defensive backs between its announced signing class of freshmen and its incoming transfers
Kieran Clark from Nevada,
Dupree Williams from Fresno State and
Tavian Montgomery from Charleston Southern.
SPECIAL TEAMS PREVIEW
Luis Aguilar,
DJ Arnson and
Justin Hathoot get one more run together as Northern Arizona's trusted special teams unit, one of the best in all of the FCS.
Snapping for both Aguilar and Arnson on place kicks and punts, Hathoot has earned All-Big Sky and All-American honors during his Lumberjack career with both of Northern Arizona's other All-Americans crediting him for their success.
Aguilar landed on a number of All-American lists following another strong season, hitting 9-of-10 field goals and all eight extra points. Entering his final season with the Lumberjacks, Aguilar is within reach of the program record for points scored by a kicker as well as the top kicker based on percentage for both extra points and field goals.
Meanwhile, Arnson earned the FCS Punter of the Year Award from the Augusta Sports Council following a season in which he kicked the second-longest punt in program history to cap off the season. Rolling a ball to the 1-yard line, Arnson drilled an 82-yard punt to cap off a season that included 14 of his 25 punts landing inside an opponent's 20-yard line.
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased online at
www.nauathletics.com/buy and questions can be directed to the Lumberjack Ticket Office at LumberjackTicketOffice@nau.edu or 928-523-0639.
Season tickets for the Lumberjacks' five home games in the Walkup Skydome this fall are available for as low as $75 for general admission. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more on a per game basis, as well as a Pick-Two Flex Mini Plan for any two home games for as little as $36 per person.
