Northwestern football held its annual Pro Day on Monday as 17 former players worked out in front of NFL scouts in anticipation for the 2026 NFL Draft.
From an NFL draft perspective, the headliner was Caleb Tiernan. On PFF’s 2026 NFL Draft Big Board, last updated March 16, Tiernan ranked No. 64 overall in the class and No. 12 among offensive linemen. Dating back to 2023, Tiernan has started 37 straight games at left tackle, and he earned All-Big Ten second team honors in 2025.
Monday’s festivities were
mostly geared towards the professional futures of the 17 Wildcats in attendance, but we still learned a few important pieces of information with implications for the 2026 football season.
Center Jackson Carsello’s waiver is denied, leaving hole in interior offensive line
Early on Monday morning, Inside NU learned that Northwestern center Jackson Carsello’s request for a waiver granting him another year of eligibility was denied by the NCAA. Carsello suffered a season-ending injury four games into his redshirt freshman season in 2022.
The news reportedly came as a somewhat of a surprise to Carsello and Northwestern. Carsello told Inside NU that while he was preparing for both possibilities, he had heard that the process was trending positively and that the Big Ten was “in favor of” him being granted another year of eligibility. Carsello had met with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and he said he spent the last two-and-a-half months juggling draft prep and learning the new offense.
Timm Carsello told Inside NU that they are still exploring other potential pathways forward, but he was not optimistic, noting, “I’m not sure what else we can do.”
Carsello put together a strong workout on Monday, with the highlights being 24 reps on the bench press and a 9-foot-3 broad jump. That broad jump result would have placed him well inside the top half of offensive linemen at the NFL Combine. He told Inside NU that he’s had conversations with a few NFL teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and the Atlanta Falcons
Head coach David Braun indicated that Northwestern was prepared for either outcome in Carsello’s waiver application as well, but Carsello’s absence leaves a sizable hole in the interior offensive line. Without Carsello and starting guard Evan Beernsten, Northwestern returns just one starter in the interior offensive line in redshirt freshman Ezomo Oratokhai. The ‘Cats brought in three offensive linemen through the portal, and former-Oklahoma State tackle Grant Seagren is a is a lock to start on the outside. However, Sachinaw State’s David Anchondo and Alabama’s Ariel Anugwom each lack substantial Power Four experience.
In one of the more newsworthy moments of the day, Beernsten told reporters that Ezomo Oratokhai has been taking reps at center during the fist spring practices. Oratokhai was an All-Big Ten honorable mention as a redshirt freshman in 2025, playing almost exclusively at left guard.
Redshirt sophomore Anthony Birsa played in all 13 games as a backup interior o-lineman in 2025, and he’s a leading candidate to fill one of the open guard spots. Redshirt freshman Idrys Cotton and highly-touted true freshmen Leighton Burbach, Jack Fuchs and Owen Fors are names to monitor as well.
Other notes for 2026
Presumptive 2026 starting quarterback Aidan Chiles has been attending practices, but he has not yet been able to participate as he will not be enrolled in classes until the spring. Northwestern helped hook him up with an internship this winter, in what I assume was a move to get him into the building. Chiles, who transferred in from Michigan State, was in attendance for Pro Day as well.
Some of the other transfers have been able to practice, and they are eligible on a case-by-case basis. We’ll be looking to find out more about the intricacies of how Northwestern has navigated winter practice eligibility for the guys who have come in through the portal.
Braun gave some insight to that process during his press conference alongside Chip Kelly on Feb. 4.
“A young man who makes a decision to come to Northwestern, but will not be in classes until spring quarter…is in a little bit of limbo,” he said. “There’s things through compliance that we can doin terms of them being able to to step on step on campus, but they can’t be involved in team related activities. And those guys are having to find ways to really work through these these weeks of finding ways to be prepared so that when things get going in late March and the spring quarter begins, they’re ready to go for spring ball.”
On Monday, Braun was also asked about the upcoming hire for Northwestern’s next president. Like men’s basketball head coach Chris Collins, Braun said he could not “overstate” the importance of the hire, citing the need for “alignment” between the administration and athletics.
Notes from Pro Day workouts
Former Northwestern wide receiver Bryce Kirtz caught passes from Preston Stone during drills as he continues trying to show NFL scouts how he is progressing after tearing his Achilles in the final game of his college football career in 2024. Kirtz caught 132 passes for 1,781 yards and five touchdowns for the ‘Cats, and he was Northwestern’s second-leading receiver in 2023 and 2024, finishing with a combined 1,299 yards in those final two seasons. We didn’t get to see Kirtz participate in any drills, but Stone said that Kirtz was his favorite target throughout his own passing drills (Kirtz was the only current or former Wildcat receiver in attendance — the rest were from other schools in the Illinois area).
Offensive linemen Caleb Tiernan and Evan Beerntsen and defensive end Aidan Hubbard all participated in a few Pro Day drills after attending the NFL Combine.
Hubbard had an especially big day. Northwestern’s sack leader from 2025 recorded a 10-foot broad jump and a 38.5-inch vertical, which was the best vertical on the team. Hubbard had previously only participated in the bench press, where he put up 21 reps. His vertical would have been tied for sixth at the Combine out of 17 defensive ends, and his broad jump would have been tied for 10th out of 17.
Hubbard is the second-highest ranked Wildcat on PFF’s 2026 NFL Draft Big Board, coming in at 328th overall. He certainly has a shot at a Day 3 selection, and if not, he’s all but a lock to get a chance as an undrafted free agent.
Tiernan only participated in the vertical and broad jump drills at the combine, and he again sat out for the 40-yard-dash and the bench press. Of course, Tiernan demolished the jumping drills two weeks ago, posting the best vertical jump of ANY offensive lineman at the Combine.
Beernsten bench pressed in front of scouts for the first time on Monday, putting up a respectable 22 reps.
The former transfer South Dakota State comes in as the lowest ranked of the three Wildcats on PFF’s 2026 NFL Draft Big Board (361st), but he still should be in the mix for a Day 3 selection. If not, Beerntsen will surely pick up a UDFA deal. The Packers could be a spot to monitor as Beerntsen grew up in Green Bay and mentioned that he was a cheesehead growing up.
Fred Davis II, Mac Uihlein, Najee Story, Carmine Bastone and Cam Porter also each put up a few strong performances that should have positive impacts on their NFL futures.
Davis II was one of the day’s most explosive performers. He posted a 10-foot-3 broad jump and a 38-inch vertical, both numbers that would have placed him in the middle of the pack among cornerbacks at the NFL Combine. His 40-yard dash was around 4.56-4.60, judging my our own rough hand timing and what we could overhear from scouts. That time could use some work, as 4.56 would have been second-to-last in his position at the Combine.
Story also impressed with a combination of strength and athleticism. His 9-foot-1 broad jump would have been in the middle of the pack among defensive tackles at the combine, and his 24 reps on the bench press were one of the better strength marks among Northwestern’s participants. That combination of strength and explosiveness should turn some heads.
Uihlein also turned in an impressive day, particularly in the agility portions of the workout. He looked especially strong in the 3-cone drill, where he solid showed quickness and fluidity of movement. In addition to moving well, Uihlein also added 20 reps on the bench press, giving him a strong mix of speed, agility and strength across the board. Taken together, his testing numbers and drill work made for one of the more complete performances at Northwestern’s Pro Day.
Defensve tackle Carmine Bastone had a monster showing on the bench press. His 31 reps would have been good for second at the NFL combine.
Running back Cam Porter looked shaky in the 40-yard dash after suffering a season-ending right leg injury in September, coming in over 4.70. However, Porter’s bench press may have tied Bastone’s as the best individual performance of the day. His 25 reps would have been second among all running backs at the Combine.
Cam Porter and Carmine Bastone have been two of the program’s defining leaders throughout their careers, especially over the past two seasons. Both served as captains this past year, and each earned one of Northwestern’s highest honors by wearing the No. 1 jersey in consecutive seasons. Since 2011, the team has awarded that number to the player who best “embodies the values and character of the Northwestern football family,” regardless of position or roster status.
Carsello isn’t listed in the tweet above. As mentioned earlier, he finished with 24 reps.
Caleb Tiernan and Evan Beerntsen highlight Northwestern culture
Tiernan and Beerntsen both pointed to Northwestern’s culture as one of the defining strengths of the program, highlighting the competitiveness, brotherhood and care that shaped the locker room.
Tiernan said that culture was a major reason he remained at Northwestern throughout his career. “When I made a commitment as a high schooler, I didn’t just commit to a staff,” Tiernan said. “I committed to the guys in the locker room, committed to a school.” He added that the biggest shift he saw during his time in Evanston was the team’s internal edge, saying, “I think really just the competitiveness of every single guy is kind of what’s been a culture change here.”
He went on to give the quote of the day when asked to describe something about Northwestern that people wouldn’t know without attending as a student.
“A lot of people, when they hear Northwestern, they think of nerds, really dorky people. And trust me if you go to Northwestern, you’re probably really smart,” Tiernan said. “But there’s also a lot of chillers. There’s a lot of guys I’ve done group projects with, where I’m like, dude, you’re kinda like the GOAT.”
Beerntsen said he felt that environment right away after arriving as a transfer. “[Northwestern] brought in a lot of guys, and they were very welcoming with open arms,” Beerntsen said. “Just the brotherhood we have in the locker room, it was really cool to see this year.” He added that support remained consistent throughout the season, saying, “Everybody kind of huddled together, and we were supporting each other throughout the year.”
Together, their comments pointed to a program where buy-in ran deep. Tiernan described a locker room built on loyalty and competition, while Beerntsen highlighted the support and connection that made Northwestern feel different from other places he had experienced. Both players spoke about the culture as something real inside the building, and as one of the clearest foundations of the program under coach David Braun.
Tiernan is the most likely Wildcat to be drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft like mentioned earlier, but Beerntsen has an outside shot as well.
