The transfer portal opens on Dec. 4, but, as even a glance at X/Twitter will tell you, players are already pouring through it by the dozens.
We will take a look at Northwestern’s four biggest position needs, as we see them, one at time: quarterback, offensive line, wide receiver and defensive tackle. We don’t know yet which Wildcat will be returning next year, but these positions are in the most need of veteran help, regardless of who comes back.
Quarterback
With QB1 Ben Bryant out of eligibility after six years in college, Northwestern needs to find his successor, or at least a veteran who can battle perpetual No. 2 Brendan Sullivan for the top job. The Wildcats can’t just stand pat at the most important position on the roster.
Sullivan again had an up-and-down season as the starter in four games this season. He turned in a tremendous game, with more than 300 yards of total offense, in an upset win over Maryland. But he also struggled to establish much of anything in losses to Nebraska and Iowa (who didn’t struggle against the Hawkeyes?).
Sullivan has lost two quarterback battles already: to Ryan Hilinski in 2022 and to Bryant in 2023. He is an outstanding backup and valuable player to have on the roster, a solid QB and brings dual-threat playmaking to the table. But he hasn’t shown enough for Northwestern to anoint him as the next starter.
As for the rest of the room, there isn’t another viable starter at this point. Jack Lausch attempted just three passes all season and seems to be almost exclusively a Wildcat option for the time being. We don’t know anything about freshman Aidan Gray yet. So NU will have to bring in someone from the outside to take the No. 1 job, or at least push Sullivan for it.
The good news is that there are plenty of quarterback options in the transfer portal. A flood of QBs, from beaten-out backups to proven stars, have already announced their intentions to leave their current school – and the portal hasn’t even officially opened yet.
While many big names are likely to be gobbled up early (DJ Uiagalelei Riley Leonard, Grayson McCall, KJ Jefferson to name a few), there’s no reason for Northwestern to panic. There will be plenty of good ones available later, even if the Wildcats have to wait until the second transfer window next April.
Northwestern is at a clear disadvantage right now if newly signed head coach David Braun makes changes to the offensive staff, as expected. It’s difficult to go after a quarterback when you don’t know who the offensive coordinator will be. So there might not be much action in this first window, which stretches from Dec. 4 to Jan. 2.
But that’s okay. The two most successful Northwestern quarterback transfers were both late additions who came much later in the cycle. Peyton Ramsey didn’t commit to the Wildcats until March in 2020, and Bryant didn’t become a Cat until May of last year.
This year, the second spring transfer portal window is from April 16-30.
We will take a look at Northwestern’s four biggest position needs, as we see them, one at time: quarterback, offensive line, wide receiver and defensive tackle. We don’t know yet which Wildcat will be returning next year, but these positions are in the most need of veteran help, regardless of who comes back.
Quarterback
With QB1 Ben Bryant out of eligibility after six years in college, Northwestern needs to find his successor, or at least a veteran who can battle perpetual No. 2 Brendan Sullivan for the top job. The Wildcats can’t just stand pat at the most important position on the roster.
Sullivan again had an up-and-down season as the starter in four games this season. He turned in a tremendous game, with more than 300 yards of total offense, in an upset win over Maryland. But he also struggled to establish much of anything in losses to Nebraska and Iowa (who didn’t struggle against the Hawkeyes?).
Sullivan has lost two quarterback battles already: to Ryan Hilinski in 2022 and to Bryant in 2023. He is an outstanding backup and valuable player to have on the roster, a solid QB and brings dual-threat playmaking to the table. But he hasn’t shown enough for Northwestern to anoint him as the next starter.
As for the rest of the room, there isn’t another viable starter at this point. Jack Lausch attempted just three passes all season and seems to be almost exclusively a Wildcat option for the time being. We don’t know anything about freshman Aidan Gray yet. So NU will have to bring in someone from the outside to take the No. 1 job, or at least push Sullivan for it.
The good news is that there are plenty of quarterback options in the transfer portal. A flood of QBs, from beaten-out backups to proven stars, have already announced their intentions to leave their current school – and the portal hasn’t even officially opened yet.
While many big names are likely to be gobbled up early (DJ Uiagalelei Riley Leonard, Grayson McCall, KJ Jefferson to name a few), there’s no reason for Northwestern to panic. There will be plenty of good ones available later, even if the Wildcats have to wait until the second transfer window next April.
Northwestern is at a clear disadvantage right now if newly signed head coach David Braun makes changes to the offensive staff, as expected. It’s difficult to go after a quarterback when you don’t know who the offensive coordinator will be. So there might not be much action in this first window, which stretches from Dec. 4 to Jan. 2.
But that’s okay. The two most successful Northwestern quarterback transfers were both late additions who came much later in the cycle. Peyton Ramsey didn’t commit to the Wildcats until March in 2020, and Bryant didn’t become a Cat until May of last year.
This year, the second spring transfer portal window is from April 16-30.
