As most of you know, I write the Northwestern season preview for Lindy's college football magazine every year. Here is my submission for this season. This would normally cost you $11.99 at the newsstand, but here you get it absolutely free when you pay just $100 a year. What a bargain. 
I'm going to have to divide into multiple posts because of character limits. As usual, I welcome your thoughts, questions and comments....
FEATURE (400)
Northwestern has long been known for coaching staff stability under head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Not long ago, the staff completed a string of seven years with all its coaches intact.
That’s not the case anymore, as Fitzgerald hired five new assistants this offseason. That’s what happens when you lose 11 straight games to cap off the worst season in 33 years.
"You can't stand pat after a season like we had last year," said Fitzgerald, who is in his 18th year. "That's completely unacceptable and it starts and ends with me. I'm the head of the program. We didn't have the success we expected to have, and changes needed to be made."
Fitzgerald fired three coaches at the end of the 2022 season: defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil, wide receivers coach Dennis Springer and defensive line coach Marty Long. Then, two more coaches – running backs coach Lou Ayeni and cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith – took NFL jobs.
So half of the coaches on Fitzgerald’s staff will be in their first year at Northwestern come September. What’s more, they’re all in their first year in the Power Five, too.
David Braun of North Dakota State is the new defensive coordinator, and he helped hire defensive line coach Christian Smith from NDSU rival South Dakota State, and cornerbacks coach LaMarcus Hicks from Utah State.
On the offensive side, Chris Foster of East Carolina will coach running backs, while Armon Binns from Youngstown State is in charge of the wide receivers.
That may seem like a lot of change in one offseason, but Fitzgerald hinted that he thought about going even further and replacing offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, too. But he said he had confidence in Bajakian’s track record of success at previous stops, and he was wary of installing new systems on both sides of the ball in one year.
“I felt like from an organizational stability standpoint, I felt like the decisions I made were tough and ones that I never want to make again,” he said. “But I also felt we needed stability on one side of the ball, and I felt confident in that.”
Fitzgerald is hoping that the changes he made on the sideline will lead to changes in results on the field after the Wildcats have gone 4-20 over the last two seasons. Only time will tell if the moves he made were the right ones.
SCOUTING REPORT
OFFENSE (450)
Northwestern had the worst scoring offense in the Power Five in 2022 at 13.8 points per game, but the Wildcats added three grad transfers from the portal who could jump start a unit on life support.
Quarterback Ben Bryant is an experienced hand who has thrown for more than 6,000 yards in his career at both Cincinnati and Eastern Michigan. He led the Bearcats to a 9-2 record as the starter last season and threw for 21 touchdowns – the same number the Wildcats scored both passing and running as a team. Bryant will battle for the starting job with junior Brendan Sullivan, who showed flashes he could be a dual-threat weapon for the Wildcats but was limited to just five games after suffering three injuries last season.
The Wildcats also landed a pair of wide receivers to bolster a unit that lost its top three pass catchers from a year ago. Cam Johnson is a veteran possession receiver who brings 134 catches, 1,317 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns to Evanston from previous stops at Vanderbilt and Arizona State. AJ Henning didn’t do much as a receiver in his career at Michigan – just 19 catches for two Wolverine CFP teams over the last two years – but he has the kind of speed that can blow the top off of a defense.
Those two will combine with Bryce Kirtz, Northwestern’s leading returning receiver with 19 catches a year ago, to give whomever is lined up behind center go-to guys in the passing game. Sixth-year senior Ray Niro III and true freshman Frank Covey IV will also have roles.
The backfield figures to be a strength for the Wildcats. 220-pound Cam Porter is fully healthy after a 2021 torn ACL and a shaky 2022, and should return to the form he showed as a true freshman bulldozer that helped carry Northwestern to the Big Ten title game in 2020. Redshirt freshman Joseph Himon II will provide some speed and pass-catching ability and serve as the lightning to Porter’s thunder.
There are a lot of question marks along the offensive line, where the Wildcats have to replace four starters. Guard Josh Priebe, the only returning No. 1, is coming off of a season-ending injury. But the program is high on Caleb Tiernan, a 6-foot-7, 325-pounder who steps into All-American and first-round draft pick Peter Skoronski’s shoes at left tackle. Also keep an eye on Jordan Knox, an early enrollee who impressed coaches in spring ball and could start at right guard as a true freshman.
One place where the Wildcats are deep is tight end, where they have nine players on the roster. Thomas Gordon and Marshall Lang should get the majority of snaps.
DEFENSE (450)
New defensive coordinator David Braun has his work cut out for him rebuilding a Northwestern defense that ranked 111th in the nation against the run and allowed 31 or more points seven times last season. This spring, he explained that his defense would be about 50% of what he ran during his four years at North Dakota State, where the Bison won two FCS national titles; 30% of what the Wildcats ran under legendary defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, who retired in 2020; and 20% of what they ran under outgoing DC Jim O’Neil, whose “star” defense struggled against the run and turned what had been a program strength into a liability.
Braun likes the talent and depth he has at safety. Coco Azema, a rising star who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 last season, and Jeremiah Lewis, who was third on the team with 70 tackles, give the Wildcats a pair of experienced, play-making safeties to man the deep middle. Northwestern lost both of its starting cornerbacks from last season, but confidence is high on the tandem of Garnett Hollis Jr. and Theran Johnson, who each played quite a few snaps last season and recorded three PBUs.
The Wildcats return all three starting linebackers from last season. Senior middle linebacker Bryce Gallagher was the leading tackler with 100 stops and will be the leader of the defense. He will be flanked one side by Xander Mueller, who was second on the team with 87 tackles and led NU with 10.5 TFL; and the other by Greyson Metz, a former walkon who was thrust into the starting role and came up with 41 tackles.
Braun’s biggest concern is up front, especially at defensive tackle. This spring, the Wildcats had just two scholarship defensive tackles in Najee Story, one of the bright spots of the unit, and Brendan Flakes, who played in just two games. The Wildcats landed grad transfer Matthew Lawson from Fresno State to help plug the middle, and two freshmen are arriving in the summer. At least the defensive end position is in good hands. Returning starter Sean McLaughlin had 31 tackles and four TFL a year ago, and Aidan Hubbard showed some promise in his first taste of college football as a redshirt freshman. The Wildcats also have Jaylen Pate, Anto Saka and transfer portal pickup Richie Hagarty to add depth.
One place Braun wants to see immediate improvement is with creating takeaways. The Wildcats’ defense forced just 12 turnovers last season, tied for fifth-fewest in the nation.
"Defensively, we're going to look to limit explosives, we're going to play with great leverage, we're going to look to take advantage of takeaways,” he said.
SPECIAL TEAMS (125)
Jack Olsen has looked like the heir apparent at placekicker for the last two seasons but just can’t stay healthy. He attempted just one field goal last season and missed it. Expect him to be challenged by walkon Jacob Tabibian.
The Wildcats ranked dead-last in the Big Ten in net punting last year. Luke Akers is the returning starter, but walkon Hunter Renner assumed more and more of the punting duties as the season went on. Those two will battle for the No. 1 job.
Fitzgerald favors fair catches in the return game, but that could change with the addition of Henning, an electric returner who was an All-Big Ten pick the last two years and has both punt return and kickoff return touchdowns in his career.
SCHEDULE ANALYSIS (125)
The Wildcats went 1-11 last year and still failed to win a game at home or away – or in the United States, for that matter. Their lone win was in Ireland in Week 0.
Northwestern opens at Rutgers in a snoozer between two teams that combined to win two Big Ten games. The other East-West crossovers are rematches against Penn State and Maryland; this time the Cats get them both at home.
In the non-con, the Wildcats get UTEP and FCS Howard in Evanston, the closest things to gimme games. But they also travel to Duke, an annual nuisance that has beaten them four straight times.
In the all-important Big Ten West contests, Northwestern gets Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue at home, and Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois on the road.
I'm going to have to divide into multiple posts because of character limits. As usual, I welcome your thoughts, questions and comments....
FEATURE (400)
Northwestern has long been known for coaching staff stability under head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Not long ago, the staff completed a string of seven years with all its coaches intact.
That’s not the case anymore, as Fitzgerald hired five new assistants this offseason. That’s what happens when you lose 11 straight games to cap off the worst season in 33 years.
"You can't stand pat after a season like we had last year," said Fitzgerald, who is in his 18th year. "That's completely unacceptable and it starts and ends with me. I'm the head of the program. We didn't have the success we expected to have, and changes needed to be made."
Fitzgerald fired three coaches at the end of the 2022 season: defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil, wide receivers coach Dennis Springer and defensive line coach Marty Long. Then, two more coaches – running backs coach Lou Ayeni and cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith – took NFL jobs.
So half of the coaches on Fitzgerald’s staff will be in their first year at Northwestern come September. What’s more, they’re all in their first year in the Power Five, too.
David Braun of North Dakota State is the new defensive coordinator, and he helped hire defensive line coach Christian Smith from NDSU rival South Dakota State, and cornerbacks coach LaMarcus Hicks from Utah State.
On the offensive side, Chris Foster of East Carolina will coach running backs, while Armon Binns from Youngstown State is in charge of the wide receivers.
That may seem like a lot of change in one offseason, but Fitzgerald hinted that he thought about going even further and replacing offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, too. But he said he had confidence in Bajakian’s track record of success at previous stops, and he was wary of installing new systems on both sides of the ball in one year.
“I felt like from an organizational stability standpoint, I felt like the decisions I made were tough and ones that I never want to make again,” he said. “But I also felt we needed stability on one side of the ball, and I felt confident in that.”
Fitzgerald is hoping that the changes he made on the sideline will lead to changes in results on the field after the Wildcats have gone 4-20 over the last two seasons. Only time will tell if the moves he made were the right ones.
SCOUTING REPORT
OFFENSE (450)
Northwestern had the worst scoring offense in the Power Five in 2022 at 13.8 points per game, but the Wildcats added three grad transfers from the portal who could jump start a unit on life support.
Quarterback Ben Bryant is an experienced hand who has thrown for more than 6,000 yards in his career at both Cincinnati and Eastern Michigan. He led the Bearcats to a 9-2 record as the starter last season and threw for 21 touchdowns – the same number the Wildcats scored both passing and running as a team. Bryant will battle for the starting job with junior Brendan Sullivan, who showed flashes he could be a dual-threat weapon for the Wildcats but was limited to just five games after suffering three injuries last season.
The Wildcats also landed a pair of wide receivers to bolster a unit that lost its top three pass catchers from a year ago. Cam Johnson is a veteran possession receiver who brings 134 catches, 1,317 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns to Evanston from previous stops at Vanderbilt and Arizona State. AJ Henning didn’t do much as a receiver in his career at Michigan – just 19 catches for two Wolverine CFP teams over the last two years – but he has the kind of speed that can blow the top off of a defense.
Those two will combine with Bryce Kirtz, Northwestern’s leading returning receiver with 19 catches a year ago, to give whomever is lined up behind center go-to guys in the passing game. Sixth-year senior Ray Niro III and true freshman Frank Covey IV will also have roles.
The backfield figures to be a strength for the Wildcats. 220-pound Cam Porter is fully healthy after a 2021 torn ACL and a shaky 2022, and should return to the form he showed as a true freshman bulldozer that helped carry Northwestern to the Big Ten title game in 2020. Redshirt freshman Joseph Himon II will provide some speed and pass-catching ability and serve as the lightning to Porter’s thunder.
There are a lot of question marks along the offensive line, where the Wildcats have to replace four starters. Guard Josh Priebe, the only returning No. 1, is coming off of a season-ending injury. But the program is high on Caleb Tiernan, a 6-foot-7, 325-pounder who steps into All-American and first-round draft pick Peter Skoronski’s shoes at left tackle. Also keep an eye on Jordan Knox, an early enrollee who impressed coaches in spring ball and could start at right guard as a true freshman.
One place where the Wildcats are deep is tight end, where they have nine players on the roster. Thomas Gordon and Marshall Lang should get the majority of snaps.
DEFENSE (450)
New defensive coordinator David Braun has his work cut out for him rebuilding a Northwestern defense that ranked 111th in the nation against the run and allowed 31 or more points seven times last season. This spring, he explained that his defense would be about 50% of what he ran during his four years at North Dakota State, where the Bison won two FCS national titles; 30% of what the Wildcats ran under legendary defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, who retired in 2020; and 20% of what they ran under outgoing DC Jim O’Neil, whose “star” defense struggled against the run and turned what had been a program strength into a liability.
Braun likes the talent and depth he has at safety. Coco Azema, a rising star who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 last season, and Jeremiah Lewis, who was third on the team with 70 tackles, give the Wildcats a pair of experienced, play-making safeties to man the deep middle. Northwestern lost both of its starting cornerbacks from last season, but confidence is high on the tandem of Garnett Hollis Jr. and Theran Johnson, who each played quite a few snaps last season and recorded three PBUs.
The Wildcats return all three starting linebackers from last season. Senior middle linebacker Bryce Gallagher was the leading tackler with 100 stops and will be the leader of the defense. He will be flanked one side by Xander Mueller, who was second on the team with 87 tackles and led NU with 10.5 TFL; and the other by Greyson Metz, a former walkon who was thrust into the starting role and came up with 41 tackles.
Braun’s biggest concern is up front, especially at defensive tackle. This spring, the Wildcats had just two scholarship defensive tackles in Najee Story, one of the bright spots of the unit, and Brendan Flakes, who played in just two games. The Wildcats landed grad transfer Matthew Lawson from Fresno State to help plug the middle, and two freshmen are arriving in the summer. At least the defensive end position is in good hands. Returning starter Sean McLaughlin had 31 tackles and four TFL a year ago, and Aidan Hubbard showed some promise in his first taste of college football as a redshirt freshman. The Wildcats also have Jaylen Pate, Anto Saka and transfer portal pickup Richie Hagarty to add depth.
One place Braun wants to see immediate improvement is with creating takeaways. The Wildcats’ defense forced just 12 turnovers last season, tied for fifth-fewest in the nation.
"Defensively, we're going to look to limit explosives, we're going to play with great leverage, we're going to look to take advantage of takeaways,” he said.
SPECIAL TEAMS (125)
Jack Olsen has looked like the heir apparent at placekicker for the last two seasons but just can’t stay healthy. He attempted just one field goal last season and missed it. Expect him to be challenged by walkon Jacob Tabibian.
The Wildcats ranked dead-last in the Big Ten in net punting last year. Luke Akers is the returning starter, but walkon Hunter Renner assumed more and more of the punting duties as the season went on. Those two will battle for the No. 1 job.
Fitzgerald favors fair catches in the return game, but that could change with the addition of Henning, an electric returner who was an All-Big Ten pick the last two years and has both punt return and kickoff return touchdowns in his career.
SCHEDULE ANALYSIS (125)
The Wildcats went 1-11 last year and still failed to win a game at home or away – or in the United States, for that matter. Their lone win was in Ireland in Week 0.
Northwestern opens at Rutgers in a snoozer between two teams that combined to win two Big Ten games. The other East-West crossovers are rematches against Penn State and Maryland; this time the Cats get them both at home.
In the non-con, the Wildcats get UTEP and FCS Howard in Evanston, the closest things to gimme games. But they also travel to Duke, an annual nuisance that has beaten them four straight times.
In the all-important Big Ten West contests, Northwestern gets Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue at home, and Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois on the road.
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