CEDAR FALLS — The legendary one-two punch of David Horne and Terrance Freeney powered the Northern Iowa football team to its most prolific offensive season and the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship in 2005.
Now, 17 years later, the Panthers may have another dynamic duo waiting in the wings in sophomore Harrison Bey-Buie and freshman Josh Jenkins according to running backs coach Atif Austin.
“Those are two young players for that I think are doing an excellent job,” Austin said. “Harrison Bey-Buie reminds me of Terrance Freeney and Josh Jenkins reminds me of David Horne. Those are the two running backs we had when we went to the National Championship.”
Bey-Buie, a product of Bettendorf high school, flashed onto the scene in his senior season with the Bulldogs. A workhorse back, Bey-Buie powered Bettendorf to the Class 4A semifinals with 2,034 yards and 32 touchdowns on 220 carries.
“Harrison Bey-Buie…has a little shiftiness to him,” Austin said. “Harrison is very quick.”
Out of high school, Bey-Buie attended Eastern Illinois, starting nine games for the Panthers and leading the team in rushing yards with 479 with three touchdowns.
After two season with Eastern Illinois, Bey-Buie transferred to UNI this summer.
Earlier this month during football media day, head coach Mark Farley also noted the transfer flashed once UNI started practice with pads.
“He showed up…when we went live because he is thick,” Farley said. “He is strong. You had better have both shoulder pads buckled up when you hit him because he is a force coming through.”
As for Jenkins, the true freshman joins UNI fresh off a massive senior season for Lincoln High School in Des Moines. In 2021, Jenkins led the Railsplitters with 1,113 yards and 17 touchdowns. His touchdown total and 8.2 yards per carry both led Class 5A, last season.
“If you remember David Horne, he was very flashy, very mobile, could move very quick,” Austin said. “Josh has those same type of movement skills where he can move and make people miss and he is agile. That is what I am really excited about.”
However, despite his big senior season, praise-worthy physical abilities and a top 40 ranking in the state of Iowa, Jenkins flew under the radar recruiting-wise.
“I do not compare my process to anybody else’s or my journey to anyone else’s,” Jenkins said. “But, I definitely felt like I should have been higher recruited than I was, but it all shook out pretty well and I ended up at a place that I really like, I like the guys and I like the scheme that we run.”
Going under recruited does not affect Jenkins, he just uses it as motivation.
“I have high expectations for myself,” Jenkins said. “Once I learn the offense and once I really start to grasp the concepts, then all I have to do from there is play. When I am doing that, I feel like I am in my element… I am ready to show everybody that they missed. They missed out on a guy that is going to be the first one into practice and the last one to leave”
As exciting as his current description may be, Austin said Jenkins may still have more untapped potential.
“Adding Josh Jenkins to the room has been awesome,” Austin said. “I cannot wait to get him the weight room with Jed Smith and see how he develops here over this next year. I think by January he is going to be 10-15 pounds heavier, really strong and be even that much better than what he is now.”
While Panther fans may need to wait a little while to see the similarities between a one-two punch of Bey-Buie and Jenkins and Horne and Freeney, Austin already likes what he sees in his young duo.
“Their movement skills are very similar to those two guys,” Austin said. “It is exciting for me to have guys like them on the team again.”