Believe it. After a summer’s worth of patience, the wait is finally over: college football is back. Northwestern football is just five days away from kickoff against Tulane down south in New Orleans, but plenty of questions are still bound to be answered once the Wildcats take the field: is Preston Stone as good as advertised? Will David Braun and his coaching staff take that next step? Is this ‘Cats team good enough to make a bowl game, or truly compete in the Big Ten?
Arguably most exciting, though,
is seeing a brand-new NU team don the purple and white, and with it, watch new players become household names in Northwestern households. The only question is, who? We know Stone and potential first-rounder Anto Saka are notable, but which guys could come out of nowhere and step up for Braun and Co. this season?
Griffin Wilde, WR
One of David Braun’s biggest gets in the transfer portal, Wilde comes in from FCS juggernaut South Dakota State after two impressive years with the Jackrabbits. After a near-400-yard, six-touchdown freshman season that put him on the map in Brookings, South Dakota, Wilde capitalized on a sophomore season that saw him as a number one option. In a breakout campaign, Wilde finished top 10 in the FCS in receiving touchdowns (12) and receiving yards (1,154) to go alongside 71 receptions.
Now coming to Evanston, the Sioux Falls-native enters a wide-open wide receiver room. Slotting in alongside returners Frank Covey IV and Ricky Ahumaraeze, as well as redshirt-first year transfer Chase Farrell, who comes in after a season with Stanford. By sheer numbers, Wilde is hands down the most talented wideout on the roster, and we’ve seen it thus far this spring and summer. All offseason, Wilde and Stone’s connection has only improved. If NU’s passing attack can advance from its abysmal numbers a season ago, Wilde has the chance to become “the guy” in Zach Lujan’s offense.
Yanni Karlaftis, LB
Karlaftis joins the Wildcats for his fifth and final season of college football after four years at Purdue. Karlaftis didn’t quite meet the lofty expectations set out for him in West Lafayette, especially in following the footsteps of his older brother George, whose prolific career with the Boilermakers eventually landed him a spot in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Looking for a fresh start, Karlaftis has the perfect chance to do so in Evanston. Needing to replace graduate LB and defensive leader Xander Mueller, Northwestern hit the portal, landing both Karlaftis and Iowa State transfer Jack Sadowsky V. Both will be competing for the weakside linebacker spot to slot in alongside veteran Mac Uihlein at the mike. For a defense full of question marks, Karlaftis could play a significant role as a hard-nosed run stuffer.
Josh Fussell, CB
Another defensive player, Fussell finds himself in a much different situation. After redshirting in his first fall with the program, Fussell saw action in all but one game last year, making a solid impact with the time he did get. Although it was far from a successful year for the team as a whole, Fussell took a big step forward in his redshirt freshman season, showing out despite losses against Washington (five total tackles, one pass deflection), No. 2 Ohio State (seven tackles, one pass deflection) and Michigan (seven tackles).
Now headed into his second year of full action, those flashes of potential will need to become a day-to-day reality for the six-foot, 195-lb. cornerback. After the losses of upperclassmen Coco Azema (graduated) and Theran Johnson (transferred to Oregon), the Wildcats’ secondary is in desperate need of experience. Though Fussell might only have one full year under his belt, he looks ready to take that next step. He will most likely slot in opposite senior Michigan State transfer Dillon Tatum, and together they should allow the Wildcats’ secondary to return to its top form.
Niki Dugandzic, P
This might not be a flashy pick, but at the end of the day, special teams matters — especially at the college football level, where fumbled snaps, muffed punts and shanked field goals are somewhat of a regularity on Saturdays. So, having a difference-maker on that side of the ball can be the difference between wins and losses. Freshman punter Niki Dugandzic could be that guy for special teams coordinator Paul Creighton.
Ranked as the top punter in the nation per 247 Sports, Dugandzic decided to stay home, committing to Northwestern in May 2024 over the likes of Illinois, Kentucky and Ole Miss. He followed his commitment with a prolific senior season that saw him average nearly 44 yards per punt — which would’ve been good for top 30 in the country and fourth-best in the B1G — on his way to earning All-State honors and a selection to the 2025 Navy All-American Bowl. Now arriving on campus, the New Trier graduate will more than likely be the starter for the entirety of the year. It’s just a matter of whether he can recreate his success from the days of high school.
