Jared Farley back to QB Northern Iowa’s defense

Editor's note: Second in a four-part series of features on the UNI football team heading into the 2017 season. 

CEDAR FALLS — Senior linebacker Jared Farley has big goals in mind for his senior season.

Now healthy, the youngest son of head coach Mark Farley — a former UNI linebacker himself — led the Panthers in tackles a season ago (80) while playing with a fracture in his leg.

Farley will once again make all the pre-snap calls at his inside linebacker position for a defense that led the MVFC in interceptions, was second in rush defense, and finished third in passing defense a year ago. He's the quarterback of a defense that, arguably, has one of the best reputations throughout FCS football.

First-year assistant head coach/linebackers coach D.J. Vokolek said the UNI defense starts with Jared Farley.

'I'm fortunate where I'm working with a position where there's some experience ...,' Vokolek said. 'Obviously (Farely) has a high football IQ because of his background and his family. He's an easy one to coach because he understands the defense. Understands the checks and the calls. (He) plays fast and physical and is an awfully good player.'

The reputation the Panthers have built for themselves defensively across FCS and the Missouri Valley Football Conference is similar to that of Vokolek's description of Farley's style of play — fast and physical. Whenever the Panthers take on rivals such as North Dakota State or Youngstown State, the talk leading up to those matchups is how physical of a game it will be, no matter the outcome.

Now in his final season as a Panther, Farley is honing in on what it's going to take to reach a championship standard, and as quarterback of the defense, he wants to have a graduate-level understanding of the guys he's lined up next to.

'It's a huge part (knowing the guys),' Farley said. 'We're three linebackers working together. A lot of times we have to be working on a string. We have to be seeing the same things. That's everything.'

'You know, (we're) getting together after practice, before practice, just getting to know each other. As the inside linebacker who makes the calls, I've got to see everything quick and make sure the communication is there.'

Along with Farley's leadership and production there's some intriguing names in the mix to play alongside him at inside, outside, and nickel linebacker. Waterloo West product Blake Thomas has been talked up highly by the staff. He's competing with Duncan Ferch for time at inside linebacker. On the outside and at the nickel linebacker spot, the Panthers seem poised to make use of what Vokolek calls multidimensional athletes in juniors Rickey Neal and Christian Perez.

'One thing about those (outside linebackers) is they've got size and the ability to be multidimensional,' Vokolek said. 'They're big enough to where they can rush the passer if we need them to. They're also athletic enough where they can operate in space. When you've got people like that, it helps you when you can do a bunch of different things with a kid at a couple of different positions.'

Vokolek — who was with the Panthers as defensive coordinator for their 2005 championship run — has seen the qualities and flashes of talent with this current group of Panthers that reminds him of that 2005 team.

'The thing about those guys (in 2005) is they took over. It was one of those deals where they were easy to coach. We didn't (as coaches) have to motivate them. They did it themselves,' Vokolek said. 'They had great leadership on that team and those kids came to work everyday.'

'I actually made a statement the other day that it feels like we've got some of the same type of kids (that we did in 2005). They've got a great work ethic. We don't have to push them very hard — they push themselves. When you've got kids like that you've got a chance.'