Lumberjack Football 2023 Season Outlook

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Aug. 23, 2023) – With 10 days to go until the 2023 season, here's a look inside the Northern Arizona University football team.
 
DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK:
 
A balanced mix, Northern Arizona returns 29 players on the defensive side of the ball and welcomes 32 newcomers. The newcomers are comprised of 19 true freshmen and 13 transfers who all look to step in and make immediate impacts to the Lumberjack defense.
 
The coaching staff has a new look, too, as Kevin Clune was hired as NAU's new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in July right before the start of Fall camp. Joining Clune in their first seasons are Kresean Reed and Harrison Beemiller. After a successful playing career for the Lumberjacks, Beemiller served as a defensive graduate assistant for NAU before being tasked to coach the nickelbacks. Reed handles the cornerbacks and comes to NAU after two years in the same position at Norfolk State. Both Kenji Jackson (pass game coordinator/safeties) and Rudy Griffin (defensive line) return for their second seasons.
 
Despite losing two of NAU's top defensive players and All-Big Sky second team selections in Morgan Vest and Cosmas Kwete, who combined for 162 of the Lumberjacks' 822 total tackles last season, the Lumberjacks return five of their top-ten defensive players from a year ago.
 
After starting nine out of the 10 games he played in in 2022, Kamdan Hightower returns at safety after compiling the second-most tackles (64) and pass breakups (six) on the team last season, putting together a Phil Steele freshman All-American campaign. Jhasi Wilson started all 10 games he appeared in and racked up 63 total tackles. Wilson did it all, compiling 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three breakups, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Fellow linebacker, Heston Lameta, was right beside Wilson with 10 starts in 10 games played. He racked up 62 tackles, five for loss, and two sacks.
 
The lone All-Big Sky Conference preseason pick for the Lumberjacks is Eloi Kwete who anchored the defensive line with 11 starts last year. Kwete ended the season second in the Big Sky with seven sacks and fourth with 11 tackles for loss. In all, he had 50 sacks on the season. His sack total also ranked 32^nd nationally.
 
Starting in seven games last year, George Steele returns at cornerback after contributing with 39 tackles and an interception last year. A starter in just two games, Tommy Ellis looks to add depth and veteran leadership to the linebacker corps after totaling 38 tackles and a sack last year.
 
Another strong veteran presence is senior Mark Ho Ching who started nine out of 10 appearances last year on the defensive line. He had 20 tackles, two breakups, a fumble recovery and 3.5 tackles for loss. Nehemiah Magalei started in two contests and had 25 tackles. The duo has 39 combined games of experience.
 
Adding to the defensive line are returners Micah Carreon, Ezekial Duncan, Cory Hall, Richard Kwete, Alani Ma'afu, Jaxon Richards, Ty Robinson, Warren-Stevens Tayou. Nine of NAU's 32 newcomers will join the defensive line in transfers Malik Charles (Western New Mexico), Jon Jones (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC) and Daniel Robledo (Missouri) and true freshmen Kaden Bancroft, Idgerinn Dean, Braeden Kaczmarek, Salehe Koonooka, Matthew Orthmann and Brodrick Stewart.
 
Colby Humphrey is a returning defensive back who played in nine games with seven starts last year. He led the team with nine pass breakups and had a blocked kick to go with 29 total tackles. Fellow defensive back, Sean Haymon, was in the mix as well with an interception and 22 tackles in just five appearances with two starts. Brady Shough and Malachi Williams add a combined 24 games of experience. Shough appeared in eight games, two starts, last season with 19 tackles while Williams contributed in 10 games in his first season at NAU with 13 tackles, starting one game.
 
Defensive back returners also include Brevin Czosnyka, Skylar Edmonds, Amelec Juntunen, Edward Rhambo, Andy Ruiz and Tre Tate.
A unique addition to the defensive backs is Jeff Widener who is no stranger to the program, as he played at quarterback his first four years with the Lumberjacks.
 
Northern Arizona reloaded at defensive back as well, welcoming transfers Shawn Dorseau (East Carolina), Mikale Greer (San Jose State), Camden Haggard (Northern State), Michael Harkins (San Diego Mesa CC), Zach Lewis (Nevada), KJ Miniefield (Air Force), Chris Rankins (Penn), Keno Shelby (East Miss. CC) and Kyle Thomas (Saddleback College). There are also five true freshmen listed at defensive back heading into the 2023 season.
 
Not to be forgotten are the linebackers whose top returners also include Quinlan Popham, Mo Sarnowski and Brandon Wong. Clune will coach two linebacker transfers, Zion Magalei (Colorado) and Garrett McKenna (Idaho State), and nine true freshmen in the position group.
 
Eemil Herranen was named a Phil Steel Freshman All-American last year at punter. He played in 11 games and punted 50 times for a total of 2,089 yards, ranking fourth in the conference with 41.8 punting yards per game. Also listed at punter are sophomore Marcus Lye and Arizona State transfer, Brody Richter.
 
In all on the defensive side of the ball, the Lumberjacks return seven starters in Eloi Kwete, Ho Ching, Wilson, Lameta, Hightower, Humphrey, and Steele. In addition to Kwete being named preseason All-Big Sky, he also landed on preseason teams for Phil Steele and the Bluebloods. He is also the lone returning All-Big Sky player from the 2022 season after he landed on the third team.
 
Joining Kwete on the preseason Phil Steele and Blueboods teams are Herranen, Wilson, Lameta, Steele and Ho Ching.
 
As a squad, the Lumberjacks excelled and ranked 65^th nationally with 6.5 tackles for loss per game, 50^th with 2.09 sacks per game and were 44^th in all of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) with two blocked kicks, all marks they will look to improve heading into 2023.
 
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK:
 
It's no secret that after RJ Martinez transferred out of the program after compiling 4,590 yards passing and 30 touchdowns in two seasons, the Lumberjacks have a hole to fill at quarterback. However, they have options with six quarterbacks listed on the 2023 roster. While Niko Haen is the only one to have taken a snap in the blue and gold, the offensive staff went to work in the offseason to bring in a pair of transfer in Kai Millner (Cal) and Daniel Britt (Montana) and brought in true freshman Adam Damante. The trio joins Haen, Angel Flores and PJ London.
 
Haen did not see the field in 2022 but played in three games with his first career start against Montana in the Fall of 2021, finishing the season 18-of-36 for 159 through the air. PJ London is working towards his first career snap, while Flores played at running back in two games last season. Damante impressed at ALA Gilbert, throwing for 4,769 yards and 59 touchdowns as a senior. As a redshirt freshman for the Griz in 2022, Britt completed 29-of-43 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns while also adding 190 yards on the ground with one touchdown on 40 carries. At Cal, Millner played in three games during this past Fall and completed 9-of-15 passes for 120 yards and two scores. Millner prepped at Higley High School and finished his career with 4,564 passing yards and 46 touchdowns.
 
Jeff Widener and Xander Werner took snaps at quarterback last year and remain on the team but have since switched positions to defensive back and tight end, respectively.
 
While the quarterbacks may be a bit on the inexperienced side, their targets are not, as NAU returns its top six reception leaders from last season. At the top is second team All-Big Sky selection, Coleman Owen, who hauled in 690 yards on 62 catches with four touchdowns. Hendrix Johnson returns with the chance to make history, as he is only 33 receptions away from becoming NAU's all-time leader in career catches. He currently sits at sixth all-time with 169. Additionally, one more receiving touchdown will place him in the career top-ten. Johnson enters his senior year with 2,281 career receiving yards.
 
Jamal Glaspie (435 yards, 37 catches, one touchdown) and Elijah Taylor (198 yards, 20 catches), also return. Glaspie started all seven games he played in last season and Taylor started in three. The receivers are coached by first-year head coach Joel Filani, and his room is comprised of seven other returners, three transfers, and three true freshmen.
 
The Lumberjacks are set on the running back front as well. Draycen Hall returns after a season that saw him start in just four games but lead the team with 546 rushing yards on 133 carries to go with two touchdowns. Hall also ranked third on the team with 344 receiving yards on 50 catches and a score.
 
Fellow running back Chase Belcher compiled 159 yards on 28 carries. First year running backs coach Austin Jones will implement the run using returners Ryan Fontaine and Alec Wyble-Meza, transfers TJ McDaniel (SMU) and Devon Starling (Tennessee State), and true freshman Nikia McCrimon.
 
Another new face on the offensive side of the ball is tight ends coach, Bailey McElwain. A top returner in the tight end room is Isaiah Gerena who started the last six games a year ago. He was fifth on the team with 232 receiving yards on 27 catches, scoring two touchdowns. Joining Gerena are returners Quinn Carolan and Braden Kramer, transfers Bryzai White (Eastern New Mexico), Marcus Phillips Jr. (Southern Utah) and Kevin Sawitzke (Iowa State) and true freshmen Kyle Bartnik and Cole Revis.
 
Charged with protecting the offensive unit, 10 offensive linemen return for the Lumberjacks under first year coach, Austin Davis. Northern Arizona will need to replace center Jalen Hooper, left guard PJ Poutasi, and right tackle Jonas Leader who combined for 27 starts last year. Ready to take on that challenge will be returners Michael Flood, Connor Deprez, Blake Gamez, Kaden Hicks, Alofaletauia (AJ) Maluia, Andrew Mason, Caiden Miles, Alexis Sanchez, Seth Smith and Eriq Williams. The group is relatively young, with only 45 combined games last season. Miles saw the field the most, appearing in and starting all 11 games while Williams appeared in 10.
 
A healthy mix of 11 true freshmen and transfers will also compete for playing time on the offensive line. Among the transfers are Que Baker-McCauley (Central College), Jonny Bottorff (Missouri Western), TC Carey (Idaho State), Jack Forsyth (Howard), Dimitri Georgiadis (Virginia Tech), Krikour Koustanian (Northern Colorado), Ethan Kramer (Northern Colorado), and Jesus Reyna (Arizona Christian).
 
On special teams, Northern Arizona returns long snapper Tyler Wigglesworth and kicker/punter, Marcus Lye.
 
In all on the offensive side of the ball, the Lumberjacks return six starters in Miles, Johnson, Owen, Gerena and Glaspie. Johnson, Owen, Hall and Glaspie represented Northern Arizona on both the Phil Steele and the Bluebloods preseason All-Big Sky teams.
 
As a group, the Lumberjacks will look to improve on 2022's end of season NCAA rankings that saw the squad excel and rank ninth in fourth down conversion, 19th in passing offense, 22nd in completion percentage, 36th in first down offense, and 63rd in total offense, among others.
 
While Aaron Pflugrad returns for another season as NAU's offensive coordinator, the offense could see an entirely new look as the other four offensive coaches are in their first seasons at Northern Arizona. Special teams coordinator, Dave Ungerer, also returns.