Northwestern nabs grad transfer tight end John Raine of FAU

Northwestern added a weapon to its offense on Friday when tight end John Raine of Florida Atlantic announced that he would play for the Wildcats as a graduate transfer in 2020.

Raine, a 6-foot-2, 235-pounder from Miami, has one year of eligibility remaining. He was awarded a fifth year in November, when the NCAA gave him a medical redshirt for his 2016 freshman season. He played in just two games as a true freshman before breaking his ankle.

Last season, Raine caught 38 passes for 343 yards and six touchdowns for the Owls. To put those numbers in perspective, his six scoring catches equaled the output of Northwestern’s entire offense in 2019. Raine also would have ranked second on the team, behind only wide receiver Riley Lees, in both catches and yards.

Northwestern's tight end position experienced a drastic falloff in 2019 and could use a boost next season. After the unexpected offseason retirement of starter Cameron Green and an injury to veteran Trey Pugh, the Wildcats' tight ends combined for just seven catches for 30 yards -- Charlie Mangieri had five receptions and Pugh, who played in just four games, had two.

Raine exceeded that paltry output in his final game alone, when he put up a career-high seven catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in the Owls' 2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl win over SMU.

Over his career, Raine totaled 56 catches for 530 yards and seven touchdowns.

Raine is the third graduate transfer Northwestern has added since the end of a disappointing 3-9 season.

Punter Derek Adams of Kent State addressed a critical need on special teams, while Raines and quarterback Peyton Ramsey of Indiana are both expected to bolster a Wildcat offense that finished 126th in the nation in passing in 2019.