The goal of just about any freshman football player is to get onto the field in his first year. The new Wildcats arriving in June are no different.

It takes a combination of things to fall into place for a player to play as a true freshman, especially at Northwestern, a development program where the coaching staff always leans toward redshirting its rookies. The player has to be physically ready to compete, mentally ready to handle the playbook and, finally, the depth chart has to present an opportunity at the player’s position. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald doesn’t want to burn a year of eligibility for a player that will only contribute on special teams.

This year, the linebacker position may offer the biggest opportunity for young Wildcats. You’ve read about the reasons several times – Anthony Walker Jr. left early for the NFL, Joe Jones and Jaylen Prater graduated, and Cameron Queiro, Simba Short and Tommy Vitale all were forced to retire due to injuries.

The linebacker room was half-full this spring with just six linebackers, and three of them have yet to play a down of college football. So at least one of the four incoming linebackers – scholarship players Chee Anyanwu, Blake Gallagher and Peter McIntyre and walkon Erik Mueller – should have a chance to make a contribution on the field in 2017.