EVANSTON-Northwestern is still immersed in a quarterback battle as its season opener draws closer and closer, according to head coach David Braun.

That’s nothing new for Braun or the Wildcats. Just last season, a battle ran late into fall camp and they didn't disclose the decision to go with Ben Bryant as the starting QB until he left the sideline for the first drive in the season opener at Rutgers.

The Wildcats seem on pace to follow a similar model in 2024, only this time, the two combatants are redshirt sophomore Jack Lausch and grad transfer Mike Wright. It's neck-and-neck for who will the be the one to will run out of the Walter Athletic Center and onto the newly christened Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium as starter on Aug. 31 against Miami (Ohio).

Lausch burst onto the scene this spring in the eyes of the staff, tipping dominoes that led to presumed starter Brendan Sullivan entering the transfer portal and landing at Iowa.

"Jack works his tail off in everything he does," offensive coordinator Zach Lujan said in an interview before fall camp. "He's a smart kid, creative and competitive. His ceiling is as high as he takes it... I'm excited to keep working with him not just this fall but these next few years moving forward."

Then, in May, the Wildcats added Wright through the portal as a veteran signal caller with four years of college football under his belt.

No guarantees were made to either party and the battle has been on ever since.

"This is what Northwestern is," Wright said. "It doesn't matter if you're a returning starter or coming in as a freshman. You have to compete and work your tail off on the field. That was 1,000% made clear to me [out of the portal]."

Both quarterbacks welcome the competition and embrace the mentality that, no matter who wins the competition, it's all about finding ways for the team to win. The staff hasn't set benchmarks or a deadline to name its starter, but its message to Lausch and Wright has been consistent: compete hard and prioritize the team, and the rest will follow.

"Our main job is to get the team ready," Wright said. "We don't really operate with benchmarks. We come out here, we compete and we have fun playing football. I'm very confident that both of us are able to get the job done come the game."

"We compete, like Mike said," added Lausch. "We try and lead the best we can and put the team in the best position to win. That's our main focus and I think we've done a great job of that."

Braun made it clear that while the battle is close and the eventual backup will be vital to the team's success, there will be a clear No. 1 and No. 2. As of now, there is no appetite to split snaps Week 1.

So while one quarterback will soon be backing up the other, the respect was apparent between Wright and Lausch, despite knowing each other for just a few months.

"Mike has been an unbelievable teammate," Lausch said. "He has an awesome energy to him and he's made our room really fun. I love being around him.

"Then, obviously, Mike is electric on the field. He can make any play, he's a great leader and sees the field really well. It's been awesome watching him make plays."

Wright also sings Lausch's praises.

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"Jack brings a creative level of leadership," the former SEC QB said. "You can tell the guys gravitate around him. When Jack says let's go out and throw, everybody says, 'Alright, what time?'

"It's cool to see. From a tangible standpoint, I think people underestimate how fast Jack is, how mobile he is. He can make things happen when the play is not there. It makes the OC more comfortable to call plays... We'll be in great hands regardless."

Wright has been on a circuitous journey to this season. After the Wildcats narrowly missed out on his high school recruitment in 2019, he first played for Vanderbilt for three years, then transferred to Mississippi State for 2023. Now, as a grad student, he's in the purple-and-white.

"What's cool is because I graduated at the beginning of May, and though the guys here were still in school, finishing up their [quarter], it was about getting up here a month early to learn a different playbook, get around the guys and start building relationships," he said.

Before fall camp, Lujan said he felt the room and his top two were in a good spot.

"I've been impressed with both Mike and Jack, in particular, about their work ethic and understanding of the offense," he said. "I feel like they have a very good understanding of what we're doing and what we're trying to accomplish. I feel we're firing on all cylinders going into fall camp."

With another week of work under his belt, Wright elaborated on what it's been like to go through the initial stages of the Lujan offense.

"Coach Lujan caters his system around the players," Wright said. "The plays he calls for me might be different than Jack. You fall in love with certain plays and, as the great playcaller he is, he's going to call the plays you love."

Now at his third school and at least fourth offense, Wright says that learning Lujan's system hasn't been too difficult.

"As far as the system, being able to grasp it, football is football. [Plays] are just called something different. We take a step further when you have a great play caller."

Lausch agreed that whether it's himself or Wright under center, Lujan has the team in a position to succeed with what they can bring to the table.

"I 100% agree with Mike," Lausch said. "[Lujan] does a great job of putting us i a position to succeed. I think you can always get better, but I think we definitely have a great grasp of what's going on."

In 2023, Braun waited until the opening drive at Rutgers to publicly announce Bryant at his starting quarterback. We will have to wait and see whether he waits that long again this season.

But whether it's No. 5 (Wright) or No. 12 (Lausch) behind center, the takeaway is that Braun and Lujan feel confident in their man.