Northwestern 2021 Football Preview

2020 Recap

Northwestern started their season by trouncing Maryland 43 – 3. The Wildcats used the big win to gain momentum and followed it up with a hard fought 21 – 20 win over Iowa, that would set them up to take control of the Big Ten West. The two wins to start the season erased the bad memories from 2019 and set the Wildcats up for success in 2020.

Northwestern continued it’s strong defensive play the next three weeks, beating Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Wildcats stumbled against Michigan State, but got back on track the last week of the regular season with a win over Illinois. The Wildcats finished the regular season with just one loss and won the Big Ten West for the second time in three years.

Northwestern’s defense played well against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, but the Ohio State running game proved to be too much in the second half. The Wildcats would draw Auburn in the Citrus Bowl and they opened up an early lead and never looked back en route to a 35 -19 win. Northwestern bounced back from a tough 2019 season and built momentum throughout the year that should carry over into 2021.

2020 Leaders

Projected Starters

Reasons For Optimism

Still a Stellar Secondary

Northwestern lost cornerback Greg Newsome to the NFL, but still features a strong group in the secondary. The pass defense was the strength of the team in 2021 as Northwestern allowed just 5.2 yards per attempt, which was best in the nation. The defense brings back star sophomore, Brandon Joseph, who intercepted six passes in 2020 and is the best safety in our rankings. At cornerback, AJ Hampton and Cameron Mitchell both played well in 2020 and are two of the better corners in the Big Ten heading into 2021. The talented trio provides the core for what should again be a talented secondary for the Wildcats.

A Promising Offensive Line

Northwestern returns three starters on the offensive line, including Peter Skoronski who starred at left tackle as a true freshman. Skoronski is well on his way to being a high draft pick and should only be better in his second year with the team. Opposite him, Ethan Wiederkehr will move from right guard to right tackle and will provide a veteran presence at tackle. Sam Gerak has started at center for the past two seasons and will be the leader in the middle of the offensive line. The two new starters are likely to be Josh Priebe, a talented second year guard from Michigan who appeared in eight games last year and Charlie Schmidt, a junior who also appeared in eight games and made one start in 2020. With experience returning and talented youngsters in key spots, the offensive line has the potential to be a strength in 2021.

A Deep Defensive Line

Northwestern’s defensive line returns plenty of talent and depth for the 2021 season. Adetomiwa Adebawore showed the potential to be an impact defensive linemen and should continue to progress this season. Samdup Miller was a three year starter before opting out for 2020 but will return in 2021 and look to pickup where he left off. Trevor Kent, Joe Spivak, Jason Gold Jr and Devin O’Rourke are talented players who have been waiting for their chance to shine and will provide good depth along the line. Northwestern also added West Virginia transfer, Jeffery Pooler Jr, who may not be flashy but has been a solid contributor for the Mountaineers over the course of his career. The defensive line has a talented rotation of players available and will be able to lead the defense at the point of attack this season.

Causes For Concern

A New Starting Quarterback Again

Since Clayton Thorson left, Northwestern has had a new starting quarterback each year. In 2019, the transition did not go well and the team struggled with Hunter Johnson and Aidan Smith leading the way most of the year. In 2020, Peyton Ramsey was more efficient and made big plays when the offense needed them and the team thrived. Northwestern’s success or lack thereof in 2021 will be tied to the starting quarterback, whether that’s Ryan Hilinski or Hunter Johnson. Ryan Hilinski was the starter at South Carolina in 2019, but only attempted six passes in 2020. Johnson completed less than half of his passes in 2019 before being replaced by Aidan Smith. The Wildcats will need their new starter to be consistent and lead the offense in 2021.

Big Shoes to Fill at Linebacker

Northwestern’s linebackers were the core of the defense in 2020. Paddy Fisher, Blake Gallagher and Chris Bergin were the teams three leading tacklers by a wide margin. As much as they led the way on the stat sheet, the trio led the way on the field for a defense that allowed a Big Ten leading 15.9 points per game. Bergin is back, but Fisher and Gallagher are gone. Losing two leaders from the defense will not only require two new starters to step in, but other players will have to fill the leadership void. Bryce Gallagher and Peter Mcintyre combined for just ten tackles last season and will need to play a bigger role for the defense in 2021.

2021 Schedule

Top 25 Players

2021 Projection

Northwestern has a favorable schedule to start the year and will have the opportunity to build momentum early in the season. The out of conference schedule does not present too many challenges and the first three conference opponents are not major contenders in the conference. The next five games will be a tougher test with road games against Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as home games against Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue. After this stretch, Northwestern finishes against in-state rival Illinois. The Wildcats are a bit of a mystery because it’s tough to project the production they will get from the quarterback position, but the defense should carry them through the early part of the schedule. Eight wins is a safe bet, but good quarterback play could push the Wildcats back into the Big Ten Championship Game.