Northwestern's defense is taking the brunt of the transfer portal defections so far.
On Tuesday, defensive lineman Austin Firestone, who came in as a defensive tackle but played defensive end this season, entered the transfer portal. He is the third Wildcat defender in two days to enter the portal, and the fifth of seven transferees who have made their decisions public.
When you add Cameron Mitchell to the mix -- the cornerback announced on Instagram Tuesday that he was entering the NFL Draft -- Northwestern has now lost six members of its defense since the end of the season.
In addition, head coach Pat Fitzgerald announced last Monday that two defensive coaches would not be retained: defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil and defensive line coach Marty Long. So there will be a lot of new faces on the field and on the sideline next season for the Wildcat defense.
Defensive line figures to be a top priority for Northwestern in this transfer cycle. The Wildcats lost two to the portal in Firestone and Jordan Butler, and six more to graduation in Adetomiwa Adebawore, Henrik Barndt, Jason Gold Jr., Taishan Holmes, Ryan Johnson and Devin O'Rourke to deplete an already thin position.
WildcatReport is tracking the players who are coming into or leaving the Northwestern program through the transfer portal in 2022-23. All players will be immediately eligible to play in 2023:
OUTGOING TRANSFERS
DL Jordan Butler
Status: Junior
Years remaining: Two
After playing in eight of nine games in his true freshman season, it seemed like Jordan Butler had a bright future at Northwestern. It never quite materialized and he rarely saw the field over the last two seasons. In total, he appeared in 21 games and made nine tackles, with 1.5 TFLs. Northwestern flipped Butler from Vanderbilt right before signing say in 2020, when Northwestern was one of his 10 power-five offers.
Destination: TBD
LB Wendell Davis Jr.
Status: Graduate
Years remaining: One
Davis came to Northwestern in 2022 as a transfer from Pittsburgh with high expectations to contribute, but that never materialized and he's looking for a new home once again. Davis only appeared in three games during his lone season in Evanston and made two tackles. A three-star Class of 2018 prospect, Davis had a much more productive career at Pitt, with 44 tackles, 5 TFL and 2 sacks in his three seasons there.
Destination: TBD
WR Wayne Dennis Jr.
Status: Graduate
Years remaining: Two
A former three-star recruit out of Florida, Dennis rarely saw the field in 2022, appearing in only one game. In total for his career, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder appeared in 20 games, but never had much of an impact, finishing with four catches for 42 yards. Northwestern was Dennis' only Power Five offer out of high school.
Destination: TBD
DT Austin Firestone
Status: Freshman
Years remaining: Four
Austin Firestone didn't last long in Evanston. He played one season and appeared in just three games. But he still looked like a player with some upside and will be missed, especially when you consider the Wildcats' lack of depth at defensive tackle. Firestone made two tackles on the year, one of them a TFL. He was an interesting player on and off the field -- a three-star prospect out of Niceville (Fla.) who ran triathlons, practiced two kids of martial arts and had a job analyzing radar data when he was in high school.
Destination: TBD
CB AJ Hampton
Status: Graduate
Years remaining: One
After five years in Evanston, cornerback AJ Hampton will be looking for a new home to use his COVID year of eligibility. Hampton missed five games with a foot injury in 2022, but still appeared in 44 games over his Northwestern career. He made 105 tackles and picked off two passes. Additionally, he forced one and fumble recovered three, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
Destination: TBD
WR Malik Washington
Status: Graduate
Years remaining: One
Northwestern's offense, which finished third-to-last in the country in the points per game in 2022, lost their leading receiver Malik Washington to the portal on Nov. 29. Washington played four years in Evanston, totaling 120 catches for 1,348 yards and three touchdowns. He was the Cats' second-leading receiver in 2021. This is the second time Washington has entered the portal; he entered after the 2020 season, but opted to return to Northwestern. As a recruit, Washington was a three-star prospect out of Georgia and chose NU over 16 other Power Five offers.
Destination: TBD
OUTGOING WALKON TRANSFERS
These are transfers that are leaving Northwestern but won't count against the program's scholarship allotment because they were walkons.
DB Tyler Haskins
Status: Graduate
Years remaining: 2
Haskins, a Virginia native, appeared in 25 games over the past four seasons, mostly on special teams. He made two career tackles.
Destination: TBD
