The success of a team depends highly on its ability to rebuild and reload after losing players to graduation and other scenarios.

NIU football has been able to do this very well, especially at the wide receiver position.

The Huskies go into this season without two of their top wide receivers from last season in Martel Moore and Perez Ashford.

Moore put together one of the greatest careers at the wide receiver position in school history, finishing second in the record books in both receiving yards with 2,544 and receiving touchdowns with 24.

Despite playing in just nine games last season due to an injury, Ashford was still third on the team in receptions and receiving yards as he recorded 34 catches for 373 yards and one touchdown.

With the departure of Moore and Ashford, the door has been opened for junior wide receiver TommyLee Lewis to step up and become the leader of the receiving core and senior quarterback Jordan Lynch’s go-to-receiver.

“It’s time to step up,” Lewis said. “It’s my junior year; I’ve been here since I was a freshman. It’s time to step up, as well as the other guys, and just play our roles. I want to be a key guy.”

Lewis primarily worked in the slot, with Moore and Ashford on the outside, last season. He was the Huskies’ second leading receiver. Lewis recorded 48 receptions for 539 yards and five touchdowns.

Fellow junior wide receiver Da’Ron Brown will also look for a more involved role in the passing game this season as he and Lynch developed a strong chemistry together in fall camp.

The Huskies will also look to sophomores Juwan Brescacin, Angelo Sebastiano and Jacob Brinlee to step up and make plays. Brescacin has shown he has the ability to make big plays as he averaged 20.3 yards per reception last season, which led the Huskie receivers who had recorded double digit receptions.

“I expect to take on a bigger role than last year,” Brescacin said. “I just want to help these guys out, Tommy and Da’Ron, as much as I can and just make as many plays as possible.”

Wide receiver coach Thad Ward believes the Huskies could also get some help from some of their true freshman this season.

“Aregeros Turner has done a great job,” Ward said in a news release. “Chad Beebe has done a great job for us in camp and Malik Mitchell. All three of them have done a great job. They’re sharp kids and they’re growing each and every day.”