This season preview would've looked quite a bit different a month ago, but Evanston has changed over the last month.
Pat Fitzgerald, the once seemingly untouchable head coach of the Wildcats, is now gone after a hazing scandal within the football program that has since resulted in multiple lawsuits. With Fitzgerald gone, the Northwestern administration appointed defensive coordinator David Braun as the interim head coach. It will be his first opportunity as a head coach in his career. He was previously the defensive coordinator at North Dakota State for the last four seasons.
On the field, the Wildcats are coming off a 1-11 season, with their only win coming against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Ireland last season in their season opener. They haven't won a game on American soil since October 2021. It's hard to imagine the Wildcats being a worse team than they were in 2022. Still, with the distraction of the hazing scandal, widespread changes on the coaching staff before the scandal, and just an overall barren cupboard regarding talent, the Wildcats may somehow be in for an even worse season this fall.
Previewing the Wildcats' offense
The Wildcats offense was one of the worst in college football last season, and there doesn't appear to be much hope for the offense this upcoming season, either. They'll hope Brendan Sullivan can step into the starting role after showing some promise last season as a backup.
Losing Evan Hull is a significant hit to the offense, even though he didn't put up huge numbers last season. Cam Porter will take over the rushing duties for the Wildcats after averaging just over three yards per carry last fall. The wide receiver room is arguably the worst in the Big Ten as well.
Add in that they are returning just one starting offensive lineman from last season, and it's hard to see how this offense takes any major steps forward this fall.
Previewing the Wildcats' defense
The Wildcats defense would undergo a bit of transformation no matter what this fall. At the time, Pat Fitzgerald brought in David Braun from North Dakota State to be the Wildcats defensive coordinator. But now, Braun has much more on his plate than just managing the Wildcats defense. The Wildcats return several notable players on their defense, primarily linebackers Bryce Gallagher and Xander Mueller. Both are fantastic linebackers, which any Big Ten team would love to have. They also return safety Jeremiah Lewis from last season, giving them a veteran presence in their secondary.
This fall, the Wildcats defensive line will be a major question mark for the program. They return just one starter in Sean McLaughlin, and it wasn't an overly dominant defensive line. Look for fellow defensive end Aidan Hubbard to also have a major role. The defensive tackle depth is questionable at best, which will do no favors for a run defense that allowed 191.3 rushing yards per game last season.
The secondary should remain a quality one despite some losses. They'll take a step back, but it should remain a secondary that opposing offenses will have to be careful throwing into.
Overall:
This was always going to be a difficult season in Evanston; add in the hazing scandal and the change at head coach, and it becomes an even more difficult season for the Wildcats. David Braun has his hands full heading into this fall, and the chances for success will be low. There are little to no positives regarding this offense, and the defense, while it has some pieces, could still struggle quite a bit this season. This program needs a complete teardown and rebuild - it's easy to wonder how long it will take to see Northwestern accomplish another winning season. This is a game that the Gophers should win, and probably doing so comfortably.
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