UNI football signs 22 with more expected

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa football officially inked 22 signees to its 2024 recruiting class during Wednesday’s early signing period, with a total of 25 expected before Friday’s deadline.

UNI Coach Mark Farley and his staff seemingly put an emphasis on premier positions, adding three-star recruits at running back, offensive tackle and pass rusher, and two-star recruits at quarterback, tight end and defensive tackle.

“It all worked out this year,” Farley said. “We wanted to get key players. We wanted to get guys that we feel, in time, will be names that we all recognize because of their production on the football field.

“We think what we do in the weight room and what we do in the offseason is different and we can make a huge impact if we can get the right frame (of recruit).”

Quarterback Cale McThenia from Marion Central Catholic in Woodstock, Ill., signed his national letter of intent after having been long pursued by offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder.

McThenia — a two-star who had interest from Iowa State, Boston College and Cincinnati — wrapped up a highly decorated prep career with 3,186 yards, 40 passing touchdowns, 552 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns and a 72-percent completion percentage as a senior.

“The loyalty showed to UNI from the beginning to the end (was impressive) because he was recruited by everybody all the way through this,” Farley said. “His escapability (and) his ability to run along with his obvious passing skills — feel really good about that. It was probably the guy that did the most social media to gather the rest of the class together.”

Other notable additions for the Panthers’ offense include three-star running back Titus Cram from Bondurant-Farrar and 6-foot-6 tight end Briggs Hughston from West Plains high school in Missouri.

Hughston — a Class 4 second team all-state honoree — caught 20 touchdowns as a senior to go along with 1,080 yards and 58 receptions.

Cram — a three-star recruit who ran for 1,238 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior — also made plays for the Bluejays’ defense, racking up 50 1/2 tackles and 3 1/2 tackles for loss at linebacker this season.

“We’re excited to see what we’ve got. He falls in that category, and I hate to name drop, but he’s got the size of what David Johnson was coming out of high school,” Farley said. “His coach loved him. His community loved him. I’m looking forward to what he’s going to be.”

Tono Cornell from Iowa City High and Iowa Central transfer Kolben Miller headline the Panthers defensive signees.

UNI was able to flip Cornell’s commitment to Missouri Valley Football Conference rival Illinois State in early November. Cornell — at two-star recruit — registered 6 1/2 tackles for loss as a senior for the Little Hawks this season and was arguably the team’s best offensive lineman, starring at guard for an offense that put up 4,362 total yards.

Miller — a native of Greene who was a standout prep at North Butler — is a three-star outside linebacker and edge rusher who had 55 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks as a sophomore at Iowa Central this fall.

“I think Kolben’s a home run,” Farley said. “He is exactly what you think of an Iowa high school football player and exactly what you think of a UNI football player. Everything about him I liked as far as how he plays the game. He’s intelligent. I mean, this guy could run a defense.”

Besides McThenia and Hughston, other notable out-of-state signees include three-star offensive lineman Sam Thomas from Omaha, Neb., and two-star defensive back Dillon Marshall from Saint Thomas Acquinas high school in Overland Park, Kan.

Thomas was a Nebraska Super State second-team honoree while Marshall was a Kansas 4A all-state honoree.

Fifteen of UNI’s 25 new players are from Iowa and four signees are transfers — Miller from Iowa Central, defensive back Khai West from Minnesota State and linebackers Naahlyee Brant from Western Michigan and Albert Nunes from Hutchinson Community College. Farley seemed to indicate Wednesday that transfers would enroll early and participate in spring practices.

UNI releases 2024 schedule

UNI also released its 2024 schedule Wednesday and drew the ire of fans on social media because an 11-game schedule included just four home games.

While a statement was later released on social media from the program indicating a 12th game is being sought to play at home, the Panthers’ current non-conference schedule features three road games at St. Thomas, Nebraska and Hawaii.

The FCS is allowing the scheduling of 12 games next season. UNI could also schedule a 13th game as a result of an exemption for playing at Hawaii.

“There’s work to be done and there’s work being done on that right now,” Farley said of the schedule. “There is a fifth (home) game coming for sure. In the context of scheduling — that’s the hardest (thing) around here to do right now is schedule football games.”

2024 UNI football schedule:

Searching for assistants

Defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson and defensive backs coach Keelon Brookins accepted identical positions at Louisiana Tech two weeks ago after returning to UNI last season following one-year stints at Kent State in 2022.

“I’ll start that (search) here in the next few days,” Farley said. “The players got to make the plays and the defensive scheme hasn’t changed, it’ll always be the same, it’s just getting the right coaches to teach it.”

UNI football’s 2024 recruiting class