While then-redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Lynch shouldered the majority of the running load last season, the NIU Huskies will go with a running-back-by-committee system this season that could wreak havoc.

The running back committee will feature redshirt junior Cameron Stingily, sophomore Keith Harris Jr., redshirt junior Giorgio Bowers and redshirt junior James Spencer.

The other major component of the committee is senior Akeem Daniels, who rushed for 447 yards and nine touchdowns and recorded 259 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns last season but is still dealing with an injury.

“He’s [Akeem Daniels’] not healthy,” said head coach Rod Carey in a news conference. “He’s got a little toe thing that’s keeping him from going yet. He’s going to be back with us; it’s just a matter of when.”

With the 5-foot-7, 184-pound Daniels still sidelined with an injury, Stingily and Harris are listed as the No. 1 and No. 2 running backs, respectively, on the two-deep depth chart and will take on the majority of the carries against the Iowa Hawkeyes this weekend. Stingily had exactly one rush for five yards last season, and Harris had 55 carries for 226 yards and four touchdowns.

“Cam [Stingily] obviously is the bigger of the two guys,” said running backs coach Kelton Copeland. “He brings something to the table that NIU hasn’t had at running back for a while with his size and his power. He’s a weapon to be reckoned with, for sure.

“The secret’s out on Keith [Harris Jr.]. He played last year, and he actually scored in last year’s game against Iowa, so everybody knows what kind of talent he had as a true freshman.”

Stingily, standing at 6-foot-1, weighing in at 244 pounds, is out to prove that he “can be an impact player” on the Huskies’ offense this season after not playing much last season. Coupled with the 5-foot-8, 181-pound Harris, the duo has the makings of a first-rate backfield.

“They’re a great combination, with Cam [Stingily] being the bigger, stronger back, and then Keith [Harris Jr.] coming in and being more of a slasher-type running back,” Copeland said. “So with those two we feel like we have a serious one-two punch in the backfield.”

Rounding out the committee are Bowers and Spencer, who will take on more reps with the team. At 5-foot-8, 218 pounds, Bowers carried the ball 12 times for 64 yards last season while Spencer, at 5-foot-8, 181 pounds, took two handoffs for 30 total yards.

“We’re a very high-octane, high-tempo offense, so we’re gonna use more than just Keith [Harris Jr.] and Cam [Stingily],” Copeland said. “Giorgio Bowers got experience last year, and we’ll look for him to contribute even more this year. Then there’s a young man by the name James Spencer. We’ll look for him to contribute, as well. So, it will definitely be a running back by committee outlook.”