Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Alongside our own personal Christmas wishes, the Inside NU editors-in-chief and managing editors came together to come up with one wish for each of Northwestern’s
18 varsity athletic programs. From a healthy Grace Sullivan to new football transfer portal additions, there are many things that Wildcat fans would love to be “gifted” during the holiday.
Here’s Inside NU’s full Northwestern Athletics Christmas wishlist.
Football
A transfer quarterback. Northwestern has leaned on transfer quarterbacks for years following the stability of Clayton Thorson, with Peyton Ramsey, Ben Bryant and Preston Stone filling the role. While Northwestern would likely prefer to develop a quarterback internally rather than rely on transfers every season, bringing in a transfer feels like the best option for next year.
At the top of my wishlist is Harvard transfer Jaden Craig. He fits Northwestern’s academic profile and has the production to match. Craig is a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award, the FCS equivalent of the Heisman and former Harvard head coach Tim Murphy has said Craig is the best quarterback the program has had since Ryan Fitzpatrick. He leads Harvard all-time with 6,074 passing yards and 52 passing touchdowns and holds multiple single-season records. Scouts praise his decision making, mobility, pocket presence and ability to work through progressions. Although he has not faced top-level competition and does not have the strongest arm, Craig would be my top choice and a strong addition for Northwestern.
Another name to watch is Marcus Stokes from Division II West Florida, a Harlon Hill Trophy finalist who threw for 3,664 yards and 40 touchdowns. Still, Craig stands out as the best fit and the quarterback I would most like to see in Evanston next season.
—Ascher Levin
Men’s Basketball
A Big Ten-level defense. Most of the ‘Cats struggles this season have come on the defensive end. To make matters worse, many of the team’s lapses have come in crunch time, plaguing NU’s ability to close out games. While this partly stems from skills-based issues, effort also deserves to be questioned. Being lazy on switches, giving up backcourt cuts, failing to haul in rebounds and ceding too many offensive boards. It’s simply not sustainable in a Big Ten conference that produces the top scorers in the nation. Jordan Clayton and Angelo Ciaravino have stepped up as the Wildcats’ premier defenders, but nobody besides them has made headlines for their defensive efforts. Furthermore, NU’s offense isn’t potent enough to offset it. In fact, Nick Martinelli and Arrinten Page – the ‘Cats’ two most dependent scorers this season – have both struggled mightily on defense, making them both a saving grace and a catalyst for the problems this team faces. If the ‘Cats want to make noise in the conference and tangibly improve from last season, it must start with a resurgent defense in 2026.
—Sai Trivedi
Women’s Basketball
A healthy Grace Sullivan. Northwestern desperately needs its star forward to return to the lineup, as without her, the offense has looked stagnant for long stretches. For a squad that has already struggled to find depth, Sullivan’s injury has only made matters worse. Her abilities to knock down jumpers, start games fast and score in the post have made her one of the best players in the country in her senior season.
Injuries to Casey Harter and DaiJa Turner certainly haven’t helped this Wildcat squad. But for NU to remain competitive in the Big Ten this year, Sullivan’s presence on the court is an absolute necessity. In her absence, the ‘Cats simply do not have enough scoring options to overcome their defensive struggles.
—Calvin Kaplan
Lacrosse
Contributions from newer and younger players. That’s what NU Lax needs. While Madison Taylor headlines those coming back, many players from last year’s National Championship runner-up squad are no longer with the team. This included Sammy White, Delaney Sweitzer, Niki Miles, Riley Campbell, Emerson Bohlig, Sam Smith, Grace Fujinaga and Jane Hansen. These eight players each played in 20 or more games and had 173 combined starts in 2025. Miles, Campbell and Bohlig were second, third and fifth, respectively, on the team in goals last season. With nine first-years on the team in 2026 and many returning sophomores, there will be younger players who will need to step up. Aditi Foster and Mary Carroll are the two biggest names in this group. Foster was eighth on the team with 12 goals in 2025 despite appearing in just 19 games, while Carroll started every single one as a defender. In terms of other newcomers, the ‘Cats brought in four transfers that will play early and often. Maddie Epke is the name that stands out above the rest, as the James Madison star is now in Evanston after finishing as a Tewaaraton nominee in 2025. The main question this season will be who fills the gaps left by the players who graduated.
—Charlie Jacobs
Field Hockey
Field hockey might need the least amount of reinforcements of any NU program right now, but it’s never too late to start thinking about the future. And a commitment from Reese D’Ariano would be a great addition to back-to-back national titles. D’Ariano, a current high school junior, is the best American field hockey prospect in quite some time. She splits her time between playing in the U.S. and the senior squad of an Amsterdam-based hockey club, and is a mainstay on the U.S. senior national team at 16 years old (the only other players to receive caps for the U.S. senior team this young were Erin Matson and Ashley Sessa).
There’s been some speculation about whether D’Ariano will even play in the NCAA or if she will re-class to train for the 2028 Olympic Games. But if she does choose the college route, it’s hard not to imagine Northwestern being among the top of her list. If Tracey Fuchs and co. can get this generational talent to Evanston, it will make a statement that the ‘Cats are not only here to win now, but also in the latter half of the 2020s and early 2030s.
—Yanyan Li
Volleyball
Continue the program revamp. After being in the conference gutter two seasons ago, Northwestern has gradually rebuilt its program. A more robust recruitment process pioneered by coach Tim Nollan led to several more wins this past season, including finishing above .500 after a 5-23 record the year prior. To maintain the trend, Nollan’s mindset must remain steadfast to what worked in his first full offseason as coach. Transfers like Ayah Elnady blossomed into the strongest players on the team this fall, and the Wildcats must keep their claws all over the portal for players that could not just boost the program, but lead it. First-years also contribute to both, and many underclassmen recruited over the last couple of seasons must elevate their game and become the new faces of the franchise. Northwestern has big gaps to fill after Elnady and Lauren Carter’s departure. Another busy offseason should be upon us.
—Sai Trivedi
Baseball
Pitching, pitching and more pitching. The need is simple for a Wildcat squad that put up a 7.65 ERA — second-worst in the conference — despite finishing 13-17 in the Big Ten last season. Losing Garrett Shearer to injury early in the year certainly didn’t help matters, as from that point forward, NU struggled to find any consistency on the mound. The good news for the ‘Cats is that — outside of Crawford Wade — their pitching departures aren’t that notable, and additions such as first-year James Whitaker and Clemson transfer Chayce Kieck should help matters. Still, both the starting rotation and the bullpen are lacking in experienced high-level pitchers overall, which could make 2026 another difficult season on the bump.
—Calvin Kaplan
Softball
Success from the newcomers. Northwestern softball had a down year last season as it struggled to offset the losses from the 2024 graduating class. Moreover, this roster is filled with seniors as well, examples being Kelsey Nader, Kansas Robinson and Bridget Donahey who are looking for one last run as a Wildcat. To avoid the issues that plagued the ‘Cats last season, it’s imperative that the seven freshman and transfers make an impact early and allow Kate Drohan to balance relying on her veteran players while also calling upon younger talent that can give the program’s sustained success. Players like Goose Goodwin, who was ranked No.3 overall player in the Class of 2026 by Softball America, and Hunter Lewis, who Drohan dubs the hardest throwing pitcher in this class, are names to look out for.
—Sai Trivedi
Men’s Soccer
Better play on the road. Northwestern men’s soccer finished sixth in the Big Ten this 2025 season with a 3-5-2 conference record. On the season, Northwestern won just two games on the road in total with none of those coming in conference play. In B1G road games, the ‘Cats were 0-4-1 and were outscored 10-4 total by opponents. In just one of those road games did Northwestern take more shots than its opponent. Twice, the ‘Cats had under 10 shots on goal too. On the flipside, NU was 3-1-1 at home against Big Ten teams. Being able to win on the road is what separates the good and average teams from the great teams. The next step for this men’s soccer team is to improve play on the road. Once that happens, the ceiling will just increase.
—Charlie Jacobs
Women’s Soccer
A more successful offensive attack. Northwestern women’s soccer team bounced back in an impressive way this season, tying against three different ranked Big Ten opponents and even beating then-No. 4 TCU on the road en route to an NCAA Tournament berth. Although it fell in penalties to Alabama in a heartbreaking end to the year, NU looked like it was back to winning ways. The only glaring issue seemed to be an acute inability to put goals on the scoreboard. The Wildcats benefited from a lockdown defensive line, but scored multiple goals in just five of their 21 contests throughout the year. An apparent lack of urgency oftentimes turned could-be wins into unsatisfying draws. Going into next season, the hope is that Kennedy Roesch and the attacking front can help produce a more tenacious offensive gameplan to turn losses into ties and ties into wins.
—Miguel Muñoz
Cross Country/Track
More consistent dominance. In all honesty, it wasn’t easy to choose a wish for this group for this season. The ‘Cats cross country squad has looked as strong as ever, with team podium finishes in five of its seven meets in the fall. But the next step for a team experiencing such success is to turn it into a standard. Despite first-place finishes in its first two meets and a program-high No. 8 ranking in the USTFCCA poll, Northwestern ended the fall placing 18th in the NCAA Championships — its highest modern era finish ever, but still room for improvement. Although the peaks are there, the ‘Cats might like to see the podiums keep rolling in while the duds get eliminated.
—Miguel Muñoz
Fencing
Break into that top four. With the NCAA fencing championships opting to split between genders in 2026, Northwestern will no longer be significantly disadvantaged because it doesn’t have a men’s team, and therefore will be able to compete for a women’s championship. The ‘Cats, who finished 10th at last year’s NCAAs despite being ineligible for half of the categories, would have placed fifth had they only calculated the women’s scores. But regardless, there are still four teams that consistently outperform the ‘Cats at every single NCAA championship on the women’s side: Harvard, Princeton, Notre Dame and Columbia-Barnard, who were the top four teams at NCAAs for the past four seasons.
The ‘Cats haven’t beaten Harvard nor Columbia in a dual meet since 2019. They’ve begun to chip at their 4-27 head-to-head against Notre Dame, but are on a three-meet losing streak to the defending champions (including a 22-7 loss in November). Northwestern did win its first dual against Princeton since 2020, which is progress in a 2025-26 season where NU has just recorded three losses (against Harvard, Columbia and Notre Dame). With a realistic chance of contending for a national title now, being able to consistently beat those top four teams in the regular and postseason is the next step toward being a fencing powerhouse.
—Yanyan Li
Men’s Golf
A return to form for Ethan Tseng. Tseng’s reemergence would be a major boost for Northwestern men’s golf. The Oregon native looked poised to be a cornerstone of the program after his sophomore season, when he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. He finished second on the team in stroke average at 71.37 and posted five top-five finishes, including a win at the Fighting Irish Classic. Injuries disrupted Tseng’s junior season, limiting both his consistency and results, with a best finish of 12th. So far this fall during his senior year, his top result has been a 29th-place finish at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup. Northwestern already has a reliable one-two punch in Daniel Svärd and Rowan Sullivan. If Tseng can return to the form he showed a few seasons ago, it would give the Wildcats much more depth and raise the team’s ceiling moving forward.
—Ascher Levin
Women’s Golf
More consistency from the bottom of the lineup. Coming off a national championship season, Northwestern women’s golf entered the year with high expectations. The Wildcats did lose two key contributors in Lauryn Nguyen, who turned pro, and Elise Lee, who transferred to USC. Northwestern is currently ranked 20th in the country and features an outstanding first-year player in Arianna Lau, who has been the team’s top performer and is ranked 32nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Dianna Lee has also been excellent, highlighted by her victory at the East Lake Cup after clinching the national title with a pressure putt last season. For the Wildcats to return to championship form, more consistent play from the bottom portion of the lineup would make a major difference. Ashley Yun, Megan Meng and Hsin Tai Lin have all shown flashes of strong play and have the talent to contribute. If that trio can deliver steadier results, it would solidify the lineup and make Northwestern a much tougher team to beat in the spring.
—Ascher Levin
Men’s Tennis
Some hardware to bring back to Evanston. The men’s tennis team is full of good, competitive players who can hold their own in tournaments. But the ‘Cats have yet to find a great performance out of their team, it seems. So far this season, no Wildcat on the men’s team has reached past the Round of 16 in the singles bracket, with the only sustained success coming in the doubles side (one semifinal appearance and one quarterfinal appearance in the B1G Championships). With team play set to start in the winter, the Wildcats will have plenty of time to shore up their shortcomings ahead of the Big Ten Championships and potentially the NCAA Tournament in the spring, where the goal will surely be to bring a medal back to Evanston.
—Miguel Muñoz
Women’s Tennis
A win over Illinois. The 2025 season left a lot to be desired for head coach Claire Pollard and the ‘Cats. Northwestern finished 13-13 and failed to win a match in the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since Pollard was hired in 1999. To add insult to injury, it was Northwestern’s in-state rival who delivered the first-round knockout. The wish list is long for Northwestern’s proud women’s tennis program, but a win over the Illini has to be top of mind. The ‘Cats did not win a match against Illinois in 2025 for the first time in program history (shoutout to Charlie Spungin at the Daily Northwestern for that stat). Northwestern’s first step in erasing the memory of the 2025 campaign is reclaiming its rightful place as the best program in the state.
—Harris Horowitz
Swimming/Diving
A better transition from the Big Ten to the NCAA Championships. Last season, across both the men’s and women’s NCAA Championships, every single swimmer went a slower time than they did at Big Tens a few weeks ago. This included multiple swimmers who would have been fast enough to earn top-16 finals swims at NCAAs had they matched their season-best times. With names like Josh Staples and Stuart Seymour, who are currently ranked seventh in the nation for the 400-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke, respectively, the Wildcats have a real shot at standing on the podium at this year’s NCAAs — something that hasn’t happened for either the men’s or women’s team since 2022.
While conference championship success is important, what receives most of the spotlight in the swimming world is the Big Dance. Swimming fast at NCAAs can put Northwestern on the map in a way that no other meet can.
—Yanyan Li
Wrestling
A breakout season from Gunnar Myers. Myers, who has competed at 157 pounds this season after wrestling at 165 during his first-year campaign in 2024-25, has big shoes to fill following the graduation of Trevor Chumbley. Chumbley finished 5-1 in Big Ten dual meets during his final season with the ‘Cats before going on a miracle run to finish fourth in the NCAA Championships, so his departure certainly leaves a void in the 157-pound weight class.
In his place, Myers has performed solidly so far, starting the year 6-3 overall and picking up the first two dual meet wins of his career in November. Once Big Ten play arrives, the ‘Cats will know far more about what their sophomore is capable of. For now, things are looking up, although Myers will have to bounce back from a loss against Lock Haven’s Nick Stampoulos earlier in December to fall to 2-1 in dual action.
—Calvin Kaplan
