This offseason had to be different for NIU football.

It just had to — especially after what was supposed to be a grand send-off from the Mid-American Conference instead became another disappointment for a program once regarded as a mid-major power. 

The Huskies stumbled out of the gate, barely surviving a pedestrian FCS opponent, before limping to an abysmal 3-9 record, all while cycling through quarterbacks and fielding one of the worst offenses in Division I football despite preseason promises of fireworks. Naturally, early optimism gave way to justified frustration. Calls for head coach Thomas Hammock’s job intensified, even with his buyout standing at roughly $1.2 million. By season’s end, one thing was absolutely certain: Things needed to change, and fast.

With NIU preparing to join a new conference, this offseason is pivotal — not just for building a team that can compete in the Mountain West, but also for Hammock himself.

Yet, once again, NIU finds itself in an unenviable position.

The Huskies were hit by another wave of departures, losing 30 players to the transfer portal for the second straight year. And once again, NIU responded by replenishing its roster almost entirely with transfers from lower levels. While Hammock and Co. have struck gold with that approach before — DeAree Rogers and Chavon Wright among recent examples — it’s the same formula that produced last season’s lackluster results. 

With the absolute flood of talent in the transfer portal — over 10,000 entries this year — the Huskies needed to take full advantage and bring in a handful of established FBS players, at minimum. Instead, they stuck to their usual tactics. It’s not surprising for a program that has prided itself on player development under Hammock, but continued reliance on that strategy after last season’s outcome is a gamble, especially with tolerance for the team’s frequent shortcomings only growing thinner.

NIU’s most egregious misstep of the offseason, however, was its failure to properly address one of its most glaring weaknesses: quarterback.

After last year’s carousel under center, the Huskies desperately needed stability. They needed a seasoned passer with FBS experience who could either step in as the starter or serve as reliable insurance if the staff chooses to ride with young Brady Davidson or even Jalen Macon.

That quarterback never arrived.

Instead, NIU appears to have brought in only Charleston transfer Ean Hamric. While Hamric’s connection with offensive coordinator Quinn Sanders is a plus, familiarity doesn’t fix a position that almost single-handedly torpedoed last year’s offense. 

Meanwhile, other MAC and Mountain West teams have been much smarter with the portal. Akron added journeyman Reese Poffenbarger from North Texas, while UNLV landed former SEC starter Jackson Arnold. NIU can’t afford to lean on old tactics while conference rivals plug key holes with proven talent, thus gaining a competitive edge.

Remember, college football moves fast, and fortunes shift ever faster. Look no further than Indiana. In just two years, the Hoosiers went from a 3-9 team to a 16-0 national champion. Granted, NIU isn’t Indiana, and probably won’t ever reach that level. Curt Cignetti and Fernando Mendoza (probably) won’t be showing up in DeKalb anytime soon, either. But the point still stands: change can facilitate success.

Fortunately for NIU, the offseason is still young. The 15-day transfer window is now closed, but there’s still opportunities to capitalize on portal-palooza and snag high-impact players from the Division I ranks — à la Izayah Green-May, Gavin Williams and Rocky Lombardi.

Otherwise, NIU will be doing the same thing again and expecting different results. That’s not a viable strategy. Einstein just called it insanity.