In the 2020's, the Northwestern Wildcats have teetered back and forth between being very bad and above average. It's an odd happenstance, but one that has proven true over the last couple years.
The 2026 edition of the Wildcats are finally breaking that trend. Last season, Northwestern went 7-6, classified as an above average season based upon their program standards. This season, though, the Wildcats have raced out to a 6-1 record and are surprisingly ranked 20th in the country heading into a road date with the Oregon Ducks.
Northwestern has been terrific, with their only loss coming to the Indiana Hoosiers — by a mere six points in Bloomington. They're for real, and it's with a combination of transfers and holdovers, many of whom have been with the program
for four years or more. And after some uneven seasons, the Wildcats are back up, going into the back half of the season with a real chance at making the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff.
Let's take a look at five Northwestern standouts that Ducks fans should know before the game is kicked off at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
QB Aidan Chiles
Beginning his career at Oregon State, Aidan Chiles followed head coach Jonathan Smith to Michigan State before transferring to Northwestern ahead of the 2026 season. Known as an erratic, inconsistent passer, Chiles is finally beginning to realize the potential that made him a four-star in the 2023 class. He’s been excellent with the Wildcats, completing 71.3% of his passes for 1,617 yards, 12 touchdowns and just one interception. The California native has cleaned up his accuracy and remained a dangerous playmaker, rushing for nine touchdowns and routinely escaping pressure to find open receivers. Benched late last season at Michigan State, Chiles is now one of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
RB Caleb Komolafe
Standing 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, Caleb Komolafe is a thickly-built, dense running back who excels up the middle but also has the speed to break off chunk gains. He broke out last season, nearing exceeding 1,000 yards with nine rushing touchdowns. He’s picked up where he left off, carrying the ball 88 times for 551 yards and five touchdowns. While there are two running backs who also regularly contribute in Joseph Himon II and Gavin Sawchuk, Komolafe is the bell cow and will receive a bulk of the carries against Oregon.
WR Griffin Wilde
A prolific receiver for South Dakota State for the first two years of his career, Griffin Wilde has been as reliable as it gets for the Wildcats the last two seasons. He led the team in catches, (71), receiving yards (880) and touchdowns (eight) in 2025 and is outpacing those marks with 615 yards and four touchdowns midway through 2026. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Wilde can do it all: elevate for jump balls, break open on option routes out of the slot and outrun cornerbacks on the outside. He’ll be one of the best receivers that the Ducks face this season.
LB Brayden Brus
Braydon Brus has been a tackling machine in 2026, leading the team by a wide margin in tackles with 62 through seven games. At 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, he’s also a terrific pass rusher, notching four sacks with an interception to boot as well. Having spent all four seasons at Northwestern, Brus is the bona fide leader of this Wildcats defense.
DL Michael Kilbane
The top defensive linemen for the Wildcats, Michael Kilbane is on an impressive pace halfway through the year. He’s up to 24 total tackles and 2.5 sacks, but it’s his three forced fumbles that have been the most impressive. Whenever a quarterback or running back is near Kilbane, the ball is a threat to be knocked out. The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder may not be the most powerful on the interior, but he sheds blocks extremely well and causes disruption for opposing offenses.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Five Northwestern Wildcats for Ducks fans to know heading into Week 9
