Blog Article
Northwestern Football 2025 Season Preview: A Critical Year for David Braun’s Vision
David Braun’s honeymoon at Northwestern is officially over.
Following the euphoria of an 8-5 debut campaign in 2023, which culminated in a victory in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Wildcats stumbled to a disappointing 4-8 record in 2024. Now, with a brutal Big Ten schedule ahead and significant roster changes, this season will determine whether Northwestern can recapture that magic or if 2023 was just a beautiful mirage.
The Preston Stone Gamble
Here’s what you need to know about Northwestern’s most significant offseason move.
SMU transfer quarterback Preston Stone isn’t just another portal addition—he’s potentially the difference between relevance and irrelevance for this program. Stone brings credentials that recent Northwestern quarterbacks haven’t possessed:
- Proven winner: 13-3 as a starter at SMU
- Elite 2023 production: 3,197 yards, 28 touchdowns, just 6 interceptions
- National rankings: 26th in passing yards, 11th in touchdown passes
- Efficiency: 161.3 passer rating ranked 13th nationally
Compare that to Northwestern’s 2024 disaster, where the team ranked 111th nationally in passing offense with just seven passing touchdowns all season.
Preston Stone’s SMU Stats:
- Record as Starter: 13–3
- 2023 National Rankings:
- 26th in passing yards
- 11th in passing TDs
- 13th in passer rating
But here’s the pattern that should make Northwestern fans optimistic: every successful Wildcats season since Clayton Thorson graduated in 2018 has featured a veteran graduate transfer quarterback. Peyton Ramsey (2020) and Ben Bryant (2023) both brought extensive experience and led Northwestern to winning records.
Stone fits this mold perfectly.
Offensive Line Overhaul
The foundation was crumbling, so Northwestern rebuilt it from the ground up.
Last season’s offensive line was a disaster—23 sacks allowed, 3.3 yards per carry, constant pressure that made every quarterback look terrible. But the Wildcats attacked this weakness aggressively through the transfer portal:
- Xavior Gray (Liberty): 6-8, 340-pound right tackle who could be the most important addition
- Zach Beernsten (South Dakota State): Experienced right guard
- Multiple depth additions: Including an FCS All-American
- Returning experience: Six linemen who played 100+ snaps return
The addition of assistant offensive line coach Ryan Olson, who brings championship pedigree from South Dakota State, adds another layer of credibility to this unit’s potential turnaround.
If this line can protect Stone and open running lanes, Northwestern’s offense could look completely different.
The Defensive Reality Check
Northwestern’s defense has talent, but glaring holes remain.
What’s Working:
- Aidan Hubbard: Team-leading 6.0 sacks return for another year
- Experienced pass rush: DE Anto Saka and others with multiple years in the system
- Veteran leadership: Multiple senior starters across the front seven
What’s Broken:
- Secondary losses: The Top two interception leaders from 2024 are gone
- Pass defense vulnerability: Allowed 222.8 yards per game through the air (52nd nationally)
- Explosive play problems: Too many big plays surrendered, especially late in games
Safety Damon Walters returns as the anchor, but he’ll need to dramatically increase his ball production to replace what was lost.
The bigger concern? Northwestern faces an expanded Big Ten loaded with elite passing attacks—Oregon, USC, Michigan, Penn State all possess the firepower to exploit these defensive weaknesses.
Schedule Reality
This slate is brutal.
Northwestern’s 2025 schedule ranks among the toughest in the Big Ten, featuring road games at Penn State, Nebraska, USC, and Illinois, while hosting Oregon, UCLA, Michigan, and Minnesota. Here’s the breakdown:
Likely Wins:
- Western Illinois (FCS)
- ULM (Group of Five)
Toss-ups:
- Tulane (road opener—dangerous)
- Purdue (home)
- UCLA (home)
Heavy Underdogs:
- Oregon (home)
- Michigan (home)
- Penn State (road)
- USC (road)
- Illinois (road—rivalry game)
Most realistic projections place Northwestern in the 4-6 win range, with bowl eligibility requiring a combination of upsets and avoiding significant losses.
The season opener at Tulane presents immediate danger—the Green Wave will feature former Northwestern quarterback Brendan Sullivan and a recruit who decommitted from the Wildcats.
Braun’s Make-or-Break Moment
This is where Braun proves he’s the real deal.
David Braun entered 2023 as an interim coach managing a crisis and exceeded every expectation. But 2024’s regression has put him in an uncomfortable spotlight. While not on the hot seat, national coverage describes his status as “warm,” meaning another disappointing season could create real pressure.
Here’s what’s working in Braun’s favor:
- Portal savvy: Strategic additions at quarterback and offensive line show improved recruiting
- Player buy-in: “You’ve got a leadership group on this football team that has kind of taken the bull by the horns and said, ‘What we experienced last year, we’re not going to let it happen again,'” Braun said
- Infrastructure improvements: Better NIL support and transfer portal processes
But the clock is ticking. Northwestern has exhibited a pattern of volatility, alternating between division titles and bowl wins (2018, 2020, 2023) and seasons with three or fewer wins (2019, 2021, 2022, 2024).
Braun needs to prove 2023 wasn’t a fluke.
The Verdict
Northwestern is better than last year, but that’s not saying much.
This team has addressed its biggest weaknesses through strategic portal additions, particularly at quarterback and offensive line. Preston Stone gives them the veteran presence that has historically led to success in Evanston.
But the schedule is unforgiving, the defense has question marks, and the margin for error remains razor-thin.
Realistic expectations: 5-7 record, just missing bowl eligibility.
Best-case scenario: 6-6 or 7-5 with Stone exceeding expectations and the offensive line gelling quickly.
Worst-case scenario: Another 4-8 disaster that puts real heat on Braun
The 2025 season will ultimately determine whether David Braun can build sustainable success at Northwestern or if his remarkable 2023 debut was simply a flash in the bottle.
For a program that desperately needs stability before moving into its new stadium in 2026, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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