Marmion’s Dane Pardridge and Metea Valley’s Jalen Johnson catch on for NIU. The next step? ‘Gonna be great.’

Dane Pardridge and Jalen Johnson aren’t joined at the hip, but they share multiple connections.

Both are local guys — redshirt sophomores who have found a home in the Northern Illinois receivers room after experiencing some success last fall in their first extended playing time.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Pardridge grew up in DeKalb and was a standout at Marmion. The 6-3, 205-pound Johnson grew up in Aurora and starred for Metea Valley. In 2021, they were first team all-area selections on offense.

Usually playing in the slot, Pardridge caught 11 passes for 161 yards last season for the Huskies. That included his first career receiving touchdown.

“Toward the end of the year, I started to get really comfortable,” Pardridge. “They started to trust me more, so it was a pretty good development year.”

It also coincided with him taking on punt returns after the starter was injured. His eight returns included a 55-yard TD against Western Michigan, the first for a NIU punt returner since 2009.

“It started out as something to get on the field,” said Pardridge, who returned punts in high school. “I wasn’t getting a lot of action at receiver at the beginning.

“Returning punts is not an easy job. I would say it’s one of the tougher jobs in football, and the kicks in college have a lot more hang time. You have to get under it and make the catch.”

Making it even more difficult?

“It’s always windy at Huskie Stadium,” Pardridge said. “It makes it tough.”

Johnson, meanwhile, finished last season with 17 receptions for 151 yards and a TD.

“I’ve had my ups and downs, but coming here has been a blessing,” said Johnson, whose younger brother Julian is a 6–6, 240-pound freshman tight end at Minnesota.

“I’m having a good time. I came off an injury and got a chance to work back into the lineup. I didn’t play up to my expectations, but I was able to help the team in some way.”

Bigger and better things could be on the way, especially with Aurora Christian graduate Ethan Hampton among the top contenders to start at quarterback for the Huskies.

Hampton, a redshirt junior from Elburn, and Pardridge go way back.

“He was my quarterback in junior high,” Pardridge said. “He was a year ahead, so we played together when I was in sixth and seventh grade. Even at that age, Ethan was a stud.”

Hampton said Pardridge’s confidence has grown.

“It’s been awesome,” Hampton said. “Dane understands the different routes, different plays.”

Both receivers said digesting all the information they get at the college level has been a challenge, along with the work it takes to improve strength and speed.

“A lot more goes into it compared to high school,” said Pardridge, whose father Curt played the same position for NIU in the early 1980s and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 1986.

NIU coach Thomas Hammock called Pardridge an asset.

“He’s a late bloomer from a physical standpoint, but the quarterbacks trust Dane,” Hammock said. “He can win in man coverage, has tremendous hands and will be a guy we rely upon heavily.”

For Johnson, the focus has been on becoming more of threat downfield and on jump balls.

“Throw the ball up,” Johnson said. “I should be able to use my God-given ability, strength and size to maul somebody and get the ball. If I can add that to my game, it can make Ethan’s job easier.”

The mention of Johnson brings a smile from Hampton.

“Obviously, any time you have a 6-3 receiver who has a 38-inch vertical, it’s pretty nice,” Hampton said. “He’s gonna be great for us this year.”

Both receivers are also looking at fifth-year senior Trayvon Rudolph, a Crete-Monee product who has had two seasons of 51 receptions and ranks No. 16 in career receiving at the school.

“We’re one of the older teams in the MAC,” Johnson said. “With that knowledge, that experience, hopefully we can take the needed steps forward.”