Northwestern Wildcats
7-6 2025 record (4-5 conf)
Title odds (#95 board)
Win total (O +112)
60% Returning starter games
7th Hardest path of 138
Coaching
All coachesDavid Braun Head Coach · 4th year
19–19 Career · 4 seasons, all at NW
Spread Offense
Multiple 4-3 Defense
Returning production
| Unit | Ret games | Games | Depth | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill offense | 81% | 57 / 70 | 11 / 16 | 54% |
| Offensive line | 59% | 37 / 63 | 8 / 15 | 64% |
| Defensive front | 45% | 39 / 87 | 14 / 21 | 33% |
| Secondary | 60% | 37 / 62 | 9 / 13 | 100% |
Back 44
Gone 24
New 10
Aidan Chiles QB · 1,619 yds · 9g · from MSU 
Nicco Marchiol QB · 776 yds · 4g · from WVU 
Gavin Sawchuk RB · 607 yds · 12g · from FSU 
Alex Honig TE · 188 yds · 12g · from CONN 
Mar'Kel Porter RB · 163 yds · 12g · from BGSU 
Grant Seagren OL · 12g · from OKST 2025 Percentile vs FBS
Offense
Points per game 23.4 28
Explosive play rate 9.7% 21
Red zone TD rate 55.0% 4
Line yards per carry 2.6 63
Sack rate allowed 4.4% 81
Defense
Points allowed per game 19.8 82
Explosive rate allowed 11.5% 44
Red zone score rate allowed 84.6% 42
Line yards per carry allowed 2.5 51
Sack rate 6.2% 55
2025 Margin by Game
TULN
WIU
ORE
UCLA
ULM
PSU
PUR
NEB
USC
MICH
MINN
ILL
CMU
2026 schedule
7th-hardest path in FBS · 4 title-contender games · 5 road| W1 | Sun 12:00 AM | vs | South Dakota State Jackrabbits | 8 | BTN | ||
| W3 | Sat 11:30 PM | vs |  Colorado | 3-9 | 28 | Fox Networks | |
| W4 | Sat 12:00 AM | @ |  Indiana | 16-0 | 84 | FOX | |
| W5 | Sat 12:00 AM | vs |  Penn State | 7-6 | 43 | FOX | |
| W6 | Sat 5:00 PM | vs |  Ball State | 4-8 | 23 | ||
| W7 | Sat 5:00 PM | @ |  Michigan State | 4-8 | 34 | ||
| W8 | Sat 5:00 PM | vs |  Rutgers | 5-7 | 31 | ||
| W9 | Sat 5:00 PM | @ |  Oregon | 13-2 | 83 | ||
| W10 | Sat 6:00 PM | vs |  Iowa | 9-4 | 43 | ||
| W11 | Sat 6:00 PM | @ |  Ohio State | 12-2 | 83 | ||
| W12 | Sat 6:00 PM | @ |  Minnesota | 8-5 | 42 | ||
| W13 | Sat 6:00 PM | vs |  Illinois | 9-4 | 44 |
Depth chart
Transfer First year| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Aidan Chiles SR · #0 | Nicco Marchiol JR · #4 |  Ryan Boe SO · #2 |
| RB |  Caleb Komolafe JR · #5 | Gavin Sawchuk GR · #27 |  Joseph Himon II GR · #6 |
| WR-X |  Hayden Eligon II JR · #8 |  Ricky Ahumaraeze JR · #10 |  Carson Grove SO · #87 |
| WR-Z | Griffin Wilde SR · #17 |  Frank Covey IV JR · #3 | Jaden McDuffie FR · #82 |
| WR-SL |  Drew Wagner JR · #19 | Carson Grove SO · #87 |  Chase Farrell SO · #20 |
| TE | Luke Dehnicke SO · #84 | Alex Honig GR · #86 | Blake Van Buren GR · #83 |
| LT | Grant Seagren JR · #74 |  Arkel Anugwom JR · #75 | Leighton Burbach FR · #70 |
| LG |  Ezomo Oratokhai SO · #62 |  Dennis Rahouski SO · #71 |  Idrys Cotton SO · #77 |
| C |  Jackson Carsello GR · #65 | ||
| RG |  Anthony Birsa JR · #64 |  Jace Borcherding SO · #67 | Owen Fors FR · #50 |
| RT |  Deuce McGuire GR · #73 | David Anchondo JR · #61 | Jack Fuchs FR · #72 |
Roster 124
| # | Player | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 |  Alijah Jones | DB | SO | 6'0" | 195 | Baltimore, MD |
| 0 | Aidan Chiles | QB | SR | 6'4" | 225 | Long Beach, CA |
| 2 |  Kobie McKinzie | LB | GR | 6'2" | 235 | Lubbock, TX |
| 2 | Ryan Boe | QB | SO | 6'3" | 215 | Batavia, IL |
| 3 |  Brenden Deasfernandes | DB | GR | 6'2" | 195 | Detroit, MI |
| 3 | Frank Covey IV | WR | JR | 6'1" | 200 | Arlington Heights, IL |
| 4 | Nicco Marchiol | QB | JR | 6'2" | 235 | Chandler, AZ |
| 4 |  Montae Pate | DB | GR | 6'2" | 175 | Las Vegas, NV |
| 5 |  Dominic Kirks | DL | SO | 6'5" | 275 | Cleveland, OH |
| 5 | Caleb Komolafe | RB | JR | 5'11" | 210 | Katy, TX |
| 6 | Joseph Himon II | RB | GR | 5'9" | 195 | Little Rock, AR |
| 6 |  Robert Fitzgerald | DB | SR | 6'0" | 210 | Dallas, TX |
| 7 |  Ore Adeyi | DB | GR | 5'11" | 200 | Mansfield, TX |
| 7 | Mar'Kel Porter | RB | SO | 5'11" | 215 | Lancaster, TX |
| 8 | Hayden Eligon II | WR | JR | 6'4" | 210 | Lakewood, CA |
| 9 | Johnny O'Brien | QB | FR | 6'3" | 200 | Palatine, IL |
| 9 | Braden Turner | DB | SR | 5'10" | 200 | Mobile, AL |
| 10 | Ricky Ahumaraeze | WR | JR | 6'4" | 210 | Kansas City, MO |
| 11 |  Aidan Gray | QB | JR | 6'3" | 215 | Naperville, IL |
| 11 | Seth Valeri | DB | FR | 6'0" | 190 | Wheaton, IL |
| 11 | Keaton Reinke | WR | FR | 6'3" | 210 | St. Charles, IL |
| 12 | Gabe Davis-Ray | DB | FR | 6'3" | 200 | Columbus, OH |
| 12 |  Marcus Romain | RB | FR | 6'0" | 215 | Marietta, GA |
| 13 |  Gavin Frakes | QB | GR | 6'4" | 235 | Norman, OK |
| 13 |  Josh Fussell | DB | JR | 6'0" | 190 | Cincinnati, OH |
| 14 |  Dube Enongene | WR | FR | 6'1" | 200 | Atlanta, GA |
| 15 | Sean Winton | QB | SO | 6'2" | 200 | Elmhurst, IL |
| 15 |  Brendan Flakes | DL | GR | 6'4" | 295 | Orlando, FL |
| 16 |  J.J. Lewis | DB | JR | 6'0" | 200 | Inglewood, CA |
| 16 | Brennan Saxe | WR | FR | 6'3" | 190 | Palatine, IL |
| 17 | Griffin Wilde | WR | SR | 6'2" | 200 | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 17 | Jaden Vaughn | DB | FR | 6'0" | 195 | Houston, TX |
| 18 |  Camp Magee | WR | JR | 6'5" | 210 | Orlando, FL |
| 19 | Drew Wagner | WR | JR | 5'10" | 195 | Delafield, WI |
| 20 | Chase Farrell | WR | SO | 5'10" | 180 | Thousand Oaks, CA |
| 21 | Damon Walters | DB | JR | 6'1" | 195 | Bolingbrook, IL |
| 22 |  Daniel Anderson | RB | FR | 5'11" | 210 | Alexander, AR |
| 22 |  Terrion Curry-Hicks | DB | SO | 5'11" | 185 | Lexington, KY |
| 23 | Cole Shivers | DB | JR | 5'10" | 180 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 24 |  Jamaal Johnson | DL | GR | 6'2" | 250 | Miami, FL |
| 25 |  Marquet Dorsey Jr. | DB | SO | 6'2" | 195 | Wayne, NJ |
| 26 |  Jalen Lewis | DB | JR | 5'9" | 200 | Westlake Village, CA |
| 27 |  Jack Oyola | DB | SR | 5'11" | 200 | Alpharetta, GA |
| 27 | Gavin Sawchuk | RB | GR | 6'0" | 205 | Littleton, CO |
| 28 |  Timi Oke | DB | SO | 6'1" | 190 | London,, GBR |
| 29 | Jon Jon Stevens Jr. | DB | SO | 6'0" | 200 | Columbus, OH |
| 31 | Tito Williams Jr. | DB | SO | 6'2" | 190 | Chattanooga, TN |
| 32 | Matthew Smith | LB | SO | 6'2" | 225 | Durham, NC |
| 33 |  Braydon Brus | LB | GR | 6'1" | 230 | Glendora, CA |
| 34 |  Payton Roth | LB | JR | 6'4" | 230 | Portland, OR |
| 35 |  Sean Martin | DB | SO | 6'1" | 185 | Cleveland, OH |
| 36 | Sean Morris II | RB | FR | 5'10" | 210 | Compton, CA |
| 36 | Nate Dawson | DB | FR | 6'2" | 180 | Cincinnati, OH |
| 37 | Max Mohring | LB | FR | 6'3" | 210 | Downingtown, PA |
| 38 | Josh Veldman | LB | FR | 6'5" | 220 | New Lenox, IL |
| 39 | Parker Maiers | LB | FR | 6'1" | 230 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 40 |  Jason Reynolds II | LB | SR | 6'2" | 230 | McDonough, GA |
| 41 |  Robby Preckel | TE | SO | 6'3" | 230 | Wildwood, MO |
| 42 |  Nigel Glover | LB | JR | 6'3" | 225 | Clayton, OH |
| 43 |  Noah LaPorte | TE | FR | 6'6" | 220 | Princeton, IL |
| 44 |  Callen Campbell | DL | SO | 6'4" | 260 | Sault Ste. Marie, MI |
| 45 | Jack Sadowsky V | LB | SR | 6'2" | 230 | Batavia, IL |
| 46 |  Lincoln Creager | LB | FR | 6'3" | 220 | Hamler, OH |
| 47 |  Michael Kilbane | DL | SR | 6'5" | 280 | Lakewood, OH |
| 48 |  Tyler Kielmeyer | TE | FR | 6'6" | 240 | Westerville, OH |
| 49 | Amare Jordan | LB | FR | 6'1" | 210 | Cedar Park, TX |
| 50 |  Qayvier Johnson | LB | SO | 6'3" | 225 | New Haven, CT |
| 50 | Owen Fors | OL | FR | 6'5" | 305 | Barrington, IL |
| 51 |  Miles Crutchley | LB | SR | 6'0" | 220 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 52 | Calvin Lorek | DL | FR | 6'4" | 280 | Loveland, OH |
| 52 | Angelo De Sensi | OL | FR | 6'5" | 275 | Lombard, IL |
| 53 |  Tanner Jumpp | DL | FR | 6'3" | 280 | Lake Mary, FL |
| 54 |  Tyler Gant | DL | JR | 6'3" | 300 | St. Louis, MO |
| 55 |  Dylan Roberts | DL | JR | 6'3" | 300 | Phoenix, AZ |
| 56 | Tre Hoskins | DL | FR | 6'5" | 310 | Warsaw, IL |
| 57 | Nick Costa | DL | FR | 6'3" | 250 | Mullica Hill, NJ |
| 58 | Ronald Derrick III | DL | FR | 6'5" | 260 | Waco, TX |
| 59 |  Jack Florentine | LS | SO | 6'0" | 210 | Frankfort, IL |
| 60 |  Evan Boutorwick | LS | SO | 6'3" | 240 | Macomb Township, MI |
| 60 | Hayden Flavin | OL | FR | 6'7" | 300 | Clarkston, MI |
| 61 | David Anchondo | OL | JR | 6'7" | 315 | Sterling Heights, MI |
| 62 | Ezomo Oratokhai | OL | SO | 6'4" | 310 | Austin, TX |
| 63 | Nick Zalewski | DL | FR | 6'6" | 235 | Worthington, OH |
| 64 | Anthony Birsa | OL | JR | 6'5" | 310 | Plainfield, IL |
| 65 | Jackson Carsello | OL | GR | 6'4" | 300 | Northbrook, IL |
| 66 | Owen Jakubczak | OL | FR | 6'5" | 285 | Palatine, IL |
| 67 | Jace Borcherding | OL | SO | 6'4" | 300 | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| 68 | Quinn Wicklow | OL | FR | 6'7" | 260 | Portland, OR |
| 69 | Patrick Schaller | OL | SO | 6'6" | 295 | Northbrook, IL |
| 70 | Leighton Burbach | OL | FR | 6'8" | 275 | Norfolk, NE |
| 71 | Dennis Rahouski | OL | SO | 6'5" | 300 | Eden Prairie, MN |
| 72 | Jack Fuchs | OL | FR | 6'8" | 300 | Hendersonville, TN |
| 73 | Deuce McGuire | OL | GR | 6'5" | 310 | Chicago, IL |
| 74 | Grant Seagren | OL | JR | 6'7" | 320 | Oakland, NE |
| 75 | Arkel Anugwom | OL | JR | 6'7" | 330 | Antioch, TN |
| 76 |  Michael O'Connell | OL | FR | 6'7" | 315 | Glen Ellyn, IL |
| 77 | Idrys Cotton | OL | SO | 6'4" | 315 | Canton, MI |
| 78 |  Trey Boyd | OL | FR | 6'5" | 300 | Shakopee, MN |
| 79 | Jacob Miller | OL | FR | 6'7" | 270 | Hamilton, MO |
| 80 |  Braden Blueitt | WR | FR | 6'0" | 205 | Colleyville, TX |
| 81 |  Chris Petrucci | TE | GR | 6'4" | 245 | Park Ridge, IL |
| 82 | Jaden McDuffie | WR | FR | 6'3" | 190 | Edgewater, MD |
| 83 | Blake Van Buren | TE | GR | 6'4" | 245 | Middleton, WI |
| 84 | Luke Dehnicke | TE | SO | 6'6" | 240 | Andover, MN |
| 85 | Tom McGlinchey | TE | FR | 6'6" | 240 | Warrington, PA |
| 86 | Alex Honig | TE | GR | 6'6" | 275 | Bavaria,, DEU |
| 87 | Carson Grove | WR | SO | 5'11" | 185 | Arlington Heights, IL |
| 88 |  Migo Jackson | DL | GR | 6'0" | 305 | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 89 |  Cam Russell | WR | SO | 6'3" | 215 | Milwaukee, WI |
| 90 | Jackson Kleather | K | SR | 5'10" | 190 | Tipp City, OH |
| 90 | Jack Trautmann | DL | SO | 6'3" | 250 | Elmhurst, IL |
| 91 |  Caden O'Rourke | DL | FR | 6'5" | 250 | Mokena, IL |
| 92 |  Nikola Dugandzic | P | FR | 6'5" | 215 | Winnetka, IL |
| 92 |  Mason Green | DL | JR | 6'2" | 250 | Brentwood, TN |
| 93 | Glory Stephen-Wangboje | DL | JR | 6'1" | 300 | Hillside, NJ |
| 94 | Gage LaDere | DL | FR | 6'2" | 270 | Frankfort, IL |
| 94 |  Henry Helms | K | JR | 6'1" | 180 | Chicago, IL |
| 95 |  Marko Dubak | P | SR | 6'2" | 198 | Chicago, IL |
| 95 |  Mason Mayne | DL | FR | 6'3" | 290 | Lawton, MI |
| 96 | Jonah Hayes | DL | FR | 6'6" | 260 | Loveland, OH |
| 97 | Braxton Strong | DL | SO | 6'4" | 255 | Peru, IN |
| 98 |  Landon Lauter | DL | SO | 6'5" | 285 | Northbrook, IL |
| 98 | Noah Sur | K | FR | 6'0" | 185 | Western Springs, IL |
| 99 |  Troy Regovich | DL | SO | 6'5" | 290 | Chesterland, OH |