Northwestern Wildcats
Big Ten
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #51
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 5.8 (#51)
- SP+ Offense
- 24.4
- SP+ Defense
- 20.0
- SRS
- 4.4
- FPI
- 3.5
- Elo
- 1574
- Talent
- 678
- Recruiting
- 205 (#52)
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
5.8p10 4.0 — p90 8.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.0% | |
| Make CFP | 0.0% | |
| Quarterfinal | 0.0% | |
| Semifinal | 0.0% | |
| Natl. final | 0.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 5.9–6.1
Schedule
21st
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
27th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
18th
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsSouth Dakota State | FCS | 45-3* | +42.1 | 100% | — |
| 3 | vsColorado | -8.3 | 28-17 | +11.3 | 75% | — |
| 4 | @Indiana | +32.4 | 19-38 | -18.7 | 13% | — |
| 5 | vsPenn State | +18.1 | 21-34 | -12.5 | 23% | — |
| 6 | vsBall State | -23 | 38-14 | +24.0 | 93% | — |
| 7 | @Michigan State | -3.4 | 27-22 | +5.4 | 63% | — |
| 8 | vsRutgers | +1 | 30-21 | +9.6 | 72% | — |
| 9 | @Oregon | +25.9 | 16-40 | -24.4 | 7% | — |
| 10 | vsIowa | +19.7 | 26-31 | -4.4 | 40% | — |
| 11 | @Ohio State | +30.1 | 14-38 | -23.4 | 8% | — |
| 12 | @Minnesota | +1.5 | 28-27 | +1.3 | 53% | — |
| 13 | vsIllinois | +12.9 | 28-29 | -1.7 | 46% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 4
2026 · 67
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Preston Stone | SR | 6'1" | 215 | ★★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | Aidan Chiles← Michigan State | JR | 6'3" | 225 | ★★★★ |
| QB | 3rd | Nicco Marchiol← West Virginia | JR | 6'2" | 235 | ★★★ |
| QB | 4th | Ryan Boe | FR | 6'3" | 215 | ★★★ |
Running Backs · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Caleb Komolafe | SO | 5'11" | 210 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Joseph Himon II | JR | 5'9" | 190 | — |
| RB | 3rd | Gavin Sawchuk← Florida State | JR | 5'11" | 202 | ★★★ |
| RB | 4th | Mar'Kel Porter← Bowling Green | FR | 6'1" | 220 | ★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Cam Porter | SR | 5'10" | 215 | — |
| RB | 6th | Daniel Anderson | FR | 5'11" | 210 | ★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Griffin Wilde | JR | 6'2" | 200 | — |
| WR | 2nd | Hayden Eligon II | SO | 6'4" | 210 | — |
| WR | 3rd | Drew Wagner | SO | 5'10" | 185 | — |
| WR | 4th | Ricky Ahumaraeze | SO | 6'4" | 210 | ★★★ |
| WR | 5th | Chase Farrell | FR | 5'10" | 180 | — |
| WR | 6th | Frank Covey IV | SO | 6'1" | 210 | ★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Carson Grove | FR | 5'11" | 185 | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Alex Honig← UConn | SR | 6'7" | 270 | ★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Robby Preckel | FR | 6'3" | 230 | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Lawson Albright | SR | 6'5" | 250 | — |
| TE | 4th | Alex Lines | SR | 6'6" | 250 | — |
| TE | 5th | Blake Van Buren | JR | 6'4" | 248 | — |
| TE | — | Luke Dehnicke← Minnesota Duluth | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Martes Lewis | SR | 6'7" | 350 | — |
| OT | — | Grant Seagren← Oklahoma State | SO | 6'6" | 311 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Arkel Anugwom← Alabama | SO | 6'6" | 328 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | David Anchondo← Saginaw Valley State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Michael Kilbane | JR | 6'5" | 275 | — |
| DL | 2nd | Aidan Hubbard | SR | 6'4" | 255 | — |
| DL | 3rd | Carmine Bastone | SR | 6'2" | 290 | — |
| DL | 4th | Najee Story | SR | 6'4" | 270 | ★★★ |
| DL | 5th | Brendan Flakes | SO | 6'4" | 291 | ★★★ |
| DL | 6th | Richie Hagarty | SR | 6'3" | 250 | ★★★ |
| DL | 7th | Callen Campbell | FR | 6'4" | 260 | ★★★ |
| DL | 8th | Miguel Jackson | SR | 6'0" | 295 | ★★★ |
| DL | 9th | Tyler Gant | SO | 6'3" | 290 | — |
| DL | 10th | Caden O'Rourke | FR | 6'5" | 230 | — |
| DL | 11th | Mason Mayne | FR | 6'3" | 265 | — |
| DL | — | Glory Stephen-Wangboje← Sacred Heart | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Jamaal Johnson← UCF | JR | 6'2" | 250 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 2nd | Dominic Kirks← Ohio State | SO | 6'4" | 267 | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Mac Uihlein | SR | 6'1" | 230 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Braydon Brus | JR | 6'1" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Kobie McKinzie← Oklahoma | JR | 6'2" | 236 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 4th | Yanni Karlaftis | SR | 6'3" | 235 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 5th | Payton Roth | SO | 6'4" | 225 | — |
| LB | 6th | Jack Sadowsky V | JR | 6'2" | 230 | — |
| LB | 7th | Jason Reynolds II | JR | 6'2" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 8th | Nigel Glover | SO | 6'3" | 230 | ★★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Brenden Deasfernandes← Central Michigan | SR | 6'0" | 195 | ★★★ |
| CB | — | Montae Pate← Weber State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Robert Fitzgerald | JR | 6'0" | 210 | — |
| DB | 2nd | Braden Turner | JR | 5'11" | 195 | ★★★ |
| DB | 3rd | Garner Wallace | SR | 6'4" | 220 | — |
| DB | 4th | Josh Fussell | SO | 6'0" | 195 | — |
| DB | 5th | Fred Davis II | SR | 6'1" | 200 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 6th | Ore Adeyi | SR | 5'11" | 195 | ★★★ |
| DB | 7th | Jon Jon Stevens Jr. | FR | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| DB | 8th | Alijah Jones | FR | 6'0" | 185 | ★★★ |
| DB | 9th | Damon Walters | SO | 6'1" | 195 | ★★★ |
| DB | 10th | Jalen Lewis | SO | 5'9" | 200 | ★★★ |
| DB | 11th | Sean Martin | FR | 6'1" | 185 | ★★★ |
| DB | 12th | Marquet Dorsey Jr. | FR | 6'2" | 195 | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | 1st | Jackson Kleather← Bowling Green | JR | 5'10" | 185 | ★★ |
| LS | 1st | Liam Reardon | SR | 6'1" | 230 | — |
| LS | — | Evan Boutorwick← Michigan | SR | 6'3" | 230 | — |
| P | 1st | Luke Akers | SR | 6'2" | 200 | ★★★ |
Projected Season
2026 · win prob / game
Exp. Wins
5.9
Exp. Losses
6.1
Toss-ups
2
bars: model win probabilityfav / toss-up / dog
2025 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
24.435
Off PPA
+0.1543
Pass PPA
+0.2039
Rush PPA
+0.1460
Success
43%57
Explosive
1.1720
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Advanced
2025 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.15 | +0.17 |
| Passing | +0.20 | +0.23 |
| Rushing | +0.14 | +0.17 |
| 1st Down | -0.03 | +0.10 |
| 2nd Down | +0.06 | +0.10 |
| 3rd Down | +0.58 | +0.55 |
Scoring Trend
2025 · pts/game
PPG For
22.5
PPG Against
20.9
Differential
+1.6
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / L2025
- Overall
- 6-6
- Home
- 4-1
- Away
- 1-4
- Neutral
- 1-1
- Conference
- 4-5
- Non-Conference
- 2-1
- One-Score (≤8)
- 3-3
- Avg Margin
- +1.6
Situational Splits
2025 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 4-1 | 26.8 | 12.4 |
| Away | 1-4 | 15.2 | 26.0 |
| Neutral | 2-1 | 31.3 | 22.0 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 1-4 | 17.6 | 27.4 |
| Conference | 4-5 | 20.3 | 23.8 |
| Non-conference | 3-1 | 30.3 | 11.0 |
Season History · last 12
0 AP top-10 · 7 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6-6 | 4-5 | #51 | — | 1-0 |
| 2024 | 4-8 | 2-7 | #101 | — | — |
| 2023 | 7-5 | 5-4 | #69 | — | 1-0 |
| 2022 | 1-11 | 1-8 | #110 | — | — |
| 2021 | 3-9 | 1-8 | #106 | — | — |
| 2020 | 6-2 | 6-2 | #32 | — | 1-0 |
| 2019 | 3-9 | 1-8 | #91 | — | — |
| 2018 | 8-5 | 8-2 | #68 | — | 1-0 |
| 2017 | 9-3 | 7-2 | #27 | — | 1-0 |
| 2016 | 6-6 | 5-4 | #61 | — | 1-0 |
| 2015 | 10-2 | 6-2 | #75 | — | 0-1 |
| 2014 | 5-7 | 3-5 | #66 | — | — |
Recent Form · last 5
2-3 SU · 1-2 ATS · O3/U1
Betting Profile
2025 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 7-6 |
| ATS | 6-4-260% |
| Over / Under | 6-6 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 3-2 |
| As underdog | 3-2 |
| Home | 4-1 |
| Away | 1-2 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #55 · 10 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★132 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #52 | 205 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 2025 | #66 | 188 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 2024 | #80 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2023 | #47 | 200 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 2022 | #48 | 192 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 2021 | #50 | 184 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 2020 | #47 | 191 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2019 | #52 | 188 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018 | #58 | 180 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| 2017 | #50 | 182 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 17net +9Out 8
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.1 / 3.4
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Kobie McKinzie | LB | 4★ | ← Oklahoma |
| ▲ | Aidan Chiles | QB | 4★ | ← Michigan State |
| ▲ | Luke Dehnicke | TE | 3★ | ← Minnesota Duluth |
| ▲ | Brenden Deasfernandes | CB | 3★ | ← Central Michigan |
| ▼ | Anto Saka | EDGE | 4★ | → Texas A&M |
| ▼ | Hunter Welcing | TE | 4★ | → Ohio State |
| ▼ | Dillon Tatum | S | 4★ | → Miami (OH) |
| ▼ | Evan Smith | CB | 3★ | → Duke |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
10 items
- 2026 Northwestern Football Know Your Opponent: Ball State CardinalsThe most winnable game on the Wildcats’ schedule this season.NU10d
- Ranking the 10 most-anticipated college football games for the 2026 seasonHere's how we rank the 10 most-anticipated college football games for the upcoming 2026 season between Notre Dame, Northwestern, NIU and Illinois.NU11d
- How the new eligibility model could affect Northwestern footballWhat could the new “five-for-five” rule looks like for the Wildcats?NU12d
- Northwestern football faces massive talent gap in latest 18-team Big Ten predictionsThe Northwestern Wildcats were bowl-bound this past season. But whether they can do it again is a bigger question.NU14d
- Northwestern football position previews — QuarterbacksCan Chiles succeed under center for the ‘Cats?NU14d
- All Quiet On the Pacific Northwestern FrontSince Chris Petersen stepped down as head coach following the 2019 season, Washington hasn’t had much success keeping a leader at the helm. Jimmy Lake was named the heir apparent, only to be fired after roughly two seasons. Next came Kalen DeBoer, the architect of many great memories, whose name now leaves behind a sour […]NU21d
- Breaking down Northwestern football’s recent commitsThe class of 2027 is coming together.NU21d
- Five questions for Northwestern football in 2026The smoke & mirrors amidst NUFB’s rebuild for CFP contention.NU24d
- 2026 Northwestern Football Know Your Opponent: Indiana HoosiersThe Wildcats take their first road trip of the season.NU24d
- Northwestern center Jackson Carsello gets injunction restoring eligibility for 2026 seasonCook County Circuit Judge Neil Cohen ruled that Carsello, a starter, is entitled to an extra season of competition.