Ryan and Clinton continue to roll through Big Ten spring spotlights, talking Northwestern.
One of the most intriguing hires of the offseason was OC Chip Kelly, back in the Big Ten after a year in the NFL. He teams up with transfer QB Aidan Chiles, himself an import from Michigan State. With a good amount of skill talent to work with at RB and WR, will the marriage yield Will Howard-esque results for Northwestern in 2026, or will it look more like 2023 then-true freshman Dante Moore?
Northwestern had a strong OL in 2025 particularly in pass protection, where they allowed 17 sacks in 13 games. Three (and maybe four?) of last year's starting OL is out the door. Starting LG Ezomo Oratokhai returns, while starting C Jackson Carsello is waiting on a ruling for a sixth-year waiver. The Wildcats brought in one of the portal's best OTs in Oklahoma State's Grant Seagren, but also return several part-time contributors from 2025 looking to slide into the starting lineup. Can this group help ease Chiles's transition?
On defense, five of the team's top-10 tacklers from 2025 have graduated -- which does not include star DE Anto Saka's transfer to Texas A&M. However, the Wildcats return a key player at each level, bolstered on the back end by the Big Ten's leading solo tackler Robert Fitzgerald. Can this unit that was good in 2025, but only forced 19 turnovers, take a big step forward in 2026?
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