Northwest entered the 2015 season with heightened expectations coming off a playoff appearance and returning an all-american at running back, a veteran offensive line and 10 starters overall.

But no one could have predicted the Rangers would run the table in the postseason and win their first conference championship since 1999 and first national title since 1992.

Northwest opened the season ranked 16th by the NJCAA, its sixth preseason ranking in the last nine years, and made the climb all the way to No. 1 on November 3, 2015, for the first time since 2000.

The Rangers started off a perfect 7-0, and after their lone setback at EMCC, finished with four straight victories to end the year 11-1 with a program-record six wins over nationally-ranked opponents. The Rangers outscored their final four opponents 178-71, highlighted by a bowl record 66-13 win over 2nd-ranked Rochester.

Northwest ended the year ranked in the top 10 in the nation in 23 different statistical categories, showing their balanced attack on both offense and defense. Northwest had the nation's fourth-best offense and also held seven of its 12 opponents under 20 points.

Justin Crawford was named the NJCAA's Offensive Player of the Year, while Jack Wright was named the NJCAA, MACJC/Region 23 and MAC Coach of the Year.

Crawford, quarterback Gardner Minshew and linebacker Malik Hawkins, all Division I signees, were named NJCAA All-Americans. Northwest has had at least one player make an all-american team in an unprecedented 29 of the last 31 seasons.

Eleven players were also named to the all-conference team, led by an MACJC-best nine first team selections, and five earned NJCAA All-Region 23 recognition.

Two months after leading the Rangers to their third NJCAA National Championship in program history, head coach Jack Wright resigned his position at Northwest to accept a position as the offensive line coach at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Wright inherited a 1-8 team on three years probation in 2013 and quickly put the Rangers back on the map. Down a total of 10 scholarship players to the rest of the MACJC, Wright and his staff put together one of the most memorable seasons in 2015. 

Bruce native Benjy Parker, who spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator, will be a first-year head coach for the Rangers in 2016, Northwest's fourth different head coach in the past five seasons.

Parker's experience at the Division I level at Troy University and previous playing and coaching experience around the MACJC made Parker a very strong candidate to replace Wright. He's been a part of three national championship programs at the junior college level at Jones County, Butler and Northwest and has played postseason ball in 12 of his 18 seasons as a coach.

Northwest will have to replace 17 starters (9 offense, 8 defense) this season but still have solid experience on defense and a few skill players on offense. The Rangers also brought in several Division I transfers from the likes of Clemson, Alabama and Memphis to help fill some of those voids.

Click here to view a digital copy of the 2016 Northwest football media guide.

NORTHWEST OFFENSE
Returning Starters: 2

Offensively, the Rangers are hoping Memphis transfer quarterback Clay Holgorsen, backup to first-round NFL draft choice Paxton Lynch a year ago, can manage the offense run by first-year offensive coordinator Stan Hill who came over from Oxford High School.

An Oxford native with Tupelo roots, Hill's offensive scheme is a run-and-gun, pass-friendly approach. His offense was one of the premier in the state in the last five seasons in numerous categories. The Chargers advanced to the playoffs in six of his eight seasons, including three consecutive 5A state title games, and posted double digit wins in each of the past four seasons. 

The last three quarterbacks that have played for Hill, Jack Abraham (Louisiana Tech), Parker Adamson (Southern Mississippi) and Guy Billups (Rice), all signed with NCAA Division I programs as well as multiple receivers, tight ends and linemen under his offensive system. 

There should be a nice quarterback competition in fall camp between Holgorsen and freshman Cam Bowman, both former Memphis commits, but expect Holgorsen to be under center for the opener at Hinds.

Look for sophomore wideouts Marquisian Chapman, the MACJC's third-leading receiver last year, and Alex Norwood Jr. to have breakout seasons and tight end Romeel Cochran to be a big part of the Rangers' offensive scheme. Chapman's high school teammate, Jamario Dixon, along with 3-star prospect Jerrick Orr are also players to keep an eye on.  

The biggest question mark is at running back after Crawford's departure to West Virginia. Tywun Walters, who missed the last seven games due to a knee injury, Quarderman Sloan and Ben Hoffman should all split time in the backfield. 

Sloan rushed for 2,265 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior at Charles Drew High School (Ga.), averaging an eye-popping 11.0 yards-per-carry en route to being named the Southern Crescent and The Clayton News Offensive Player of the Year. Hoffman was a first team all-district running back and all-state honorable mention at Lewisburg, rushing for 1,533 yards and 16 touchdowns.

In the trenches, preseason all-american center J.R. Burns is the lone returning starter. Terrance Malone (Arkansas), Jermaine Jones (SELU), Chris Phillips (SELU) and Anderson Gund (MVSU) all signed with Division I programs in the offseason and Kenyana Heard transferred.

Sophomores Chase Johnson and Jordan Sanders both return, however, and should provide valuable leadership to six freshmen vying for starting spots. Damien Lewis (Canton), Kendall Terry (DeSoto Central) and Tyler Walker (Northwest Rankin) have all looked solid in the preseason.

NORTHWEST DEFENSE
Returning Starters: 3 

The Rangers return just two starters on offense but should have one of the premier defenses in the MACJC with four future Division I players up front, led by hybrid Quondarius Qualls and nose tackle Jalen Harvey, and an experienced secondary, led by second team all-MACJC performer Tito Windham.

Qualls was named a Sporting News Super Sophomore and has already received four Division I offers in addition to interest from Arkansas, Cincinnati, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State and others. The Farmerville, La., native had a team-leading 16.5 tackles-for-loss and 10 sacks a year ago. Harvey, who started all 12 games at tackle, finished with 40 tackles, 7.0 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks and a pair of blocked kicks. He was snubbed for All-MACJC recognition which should be a major motivation this season.

Sophomores Anthony Gund, Matt Davis and Willie McCaleb, as well as freshmen Hal Northern and Keith Brown will see plenty of reps in the trenches. Northern is the sleeper of the group who should get better as he takes more live in-game college reps. Northern prepped at Rosa Fort, finishing with 79 tackles as a senior. He's a three-time first team all-state and all-district selection and was selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game.

At the linebacker position, Tomarcio Reese, David Herrington, A.J. Smith, Mike McGhee and Adonis Thomas have seen a bulk of snaps with the first team this summer. All three starters from last year's championship team, Malik Hawkins, Alfred Dickens and Devantae Davis, have moved on to four-year schools. That trio accounted for 228 tackles, 26 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks a year ago.

Thomas, an Under Armour All-American and 4-star prospect, transferred in from the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. He was rated as the No. 11 outside linebacker and No. 175 prospect nationally out of Central Gwinnett (Ga.) High School, finishing with 124 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 sacks his senior year. Thomas turned down offers from Florida, Notre Dame, LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ohio State and several dozen other major programs.

Reese is an Eastern Arizona College transfer, finishing second on the team with 68 tackles and four sacks a year ago, and McGhee is a North Alabama transfer who played in all 12 games and helped the Lions to a Gulf South Conference Co-Championship and second round playoff appearance last season.

In the secondary, guys like Windham, Wesley Bush, Kaleb Chalmers, K.T. McCollin and Fred Garth Jr. bring a wealth of experience to Benjy Parker's defense. They should be the anchor for a defense who held seven of 12 opponents to three touchdowns or less last season.

Windham is the nation's fifth-ranked junior college corner back and a 3-star prospect according to 247Sports composite. Teams usually stay away from Windham's side, which is why his freshman year numbers don't stand out. His 10 breakups, however, ranked ninth in the NJCAA last season.

Chalmers, also a 3-star prospect, transferred in from Clemson, the ACC and Orange Bowl Champions. Chalmers was a three-time all-state performer at Greenwood High School (S.C.) and Shrine Bowl selection. He was ranked the No. 166 player in the nation by 247Sports.com entering his senior season and the No. 27 cornerback in the nation by ESPN.

Garth led all defensive backs and was third on the team with 52 tackles, five breakups, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick as a freshman in 2014. Bush and McCollin are two of the more underrated guys in the secondary and saw action in all 12 games a year ago.
 
NORTHWEST SPECIAL TEAMS
Returning Starters: 0 
 
Two-time All-MACJC kicker/punter Jim Speights, now at Southeastern Louisiana, left Northwest with single-season (17) and career records (24) in field goals made and as one of the school's all-time leading punters.

Freshman Drake McCarter from Saltillo, a three-time first team, All-Region 1-5A selection, will handle both kicking and punting duties for the Rangers in 2016. Jack Creely will handle long snapping duties.

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