Michael Kilbane making the most of his opportunities as a true freshman

When the transfer portal opened in July, three of the four highest-ranked recruits in Northwestern's Class of 2023 chose to transfer out of the program. Four-star defensive end Michael Kilbane chose to stay.

Now, due to injuries that have cropped up along the defensive line, and his tireless work, the true freshman is making an impact up front for the Wildcats.

Kilbane racked up 31 snaps against Maryland, third-most for a Wildcat defensive end. While he didn't record a sack or tackle, his presence was felt by opposing quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.

Although the snaps he got last week opened up due to an injury to grad transfer Richie Hagarty, interim head coach David Braun was effusive with praise about Kilbane earning his chance with his season-long dedication at practice.

"He was scout-team player of the week, and a few days later he's playing 30 snaps of Big Ten football," Braun said. "What it comes down to in terms of being ready isn't one flash practice where it's like 'Oh my gosh! He had a great day!'

"It's just that consistency of 'This guy is getting better and better and better, one day at a time.'"

Kilbane has been a scout-team stand out, winning player of the week several times and taking advantage of every rep since he came to Evanston.

"I think I've won three or four total," Kilbane said about the weekly honor. "I'm very fortunate to go against a Big Ten offensive line every day in practice when I'm on scout team.

"I just try to use those opportunities to make myself better and my teammates better. I feel that winning [scout team player of the week] is just a reflection of the goals wee're trying to accomplish as a team."

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MORE ON THE WILDCATS: Behind Enemy Lines: Iowa | Sullivan's patience paid off in breakout performance against Maryland | Press conference notes: Braun and NU prepare for stingy Iowa defense l The 3-2-1 after Week 10

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Kilbane comes from the bluest of high school blue bloods, St. Edward in Ohio, where he earned a four-star ranking and won back-to-back state titles as part of a formidable defense. But there’s still nothing like taking your first hit from a Big Ten lineman.

Kilbane said he avoided any 'welcome to the league' moments against Maryland, but admitted that could be because his teammates had already doled them out at practice.

"I don't think there were any wake-up calls in game, but there definitely were early as I was coming into college football," he said. "Coming into fall camp, there were a few instances where it's like, 'Yeah, these guys have been in college for three or four years and I'm a true freshman'...

"I really think that they've done a really good job of helping me get ready physically, and getting my technique down so I'm all cleared up for the game."

Kilbane noted that he missed a couple assignments across his Maryland performance but, all in all, he fit right in up front.

Braun spoke with pride about Kilbane's ability to deliver in an expanded role at his age.

"It really comes down to an element of trust that you can put that young man out there and he's going to be able to execute at a high level for his teammates," Braun said. "[He's] proven to be worthy of that opportunity."

That opportunity started in January of 2023, as Kilbane, then a senior at St. Edward, got the chance to bulk up instead of cut down for wrestling.

"I feel like in the spring, I was already kind of there because I was like 240 to 245 [pounds] at the end of [my high school] season," Kilbane, now 260, said. "I was able to gradually put [weight] on through the winter and spring because I was supposed to wrestle, but I was out with a minor injury.

"That time when I would usually be cutting, I was able to use that to get my body right coming in."

Once he got on campus, he went straight to work with his position coach, defensive line coach Christian Smith, and his then-defensive coordinator, Braun.

"Coach Smith is the best in the business, in my opinion," Kilbane said. "He's done a really good job, not only as a mentor and doing everything he can to help me perfect my craft, but he's done a really good job of communicating his trust and confidence in me.

"For a young guy, that's really important. When your coach trusts you, when the older guys trust you, that really gets your confidence going."

Kilbane gets to double up on that influence, as Braun played defensive line during his career at Winona State.

"I remember one of the first phone calls I had with Coach Braun, when he was hired as defensive coordinator," Kilbane said. "He was telling me how he played D-line, how it was a key position for him and we connected on that.

"Then I noticed when we first started drill work, he was really passionate about it. Whenever I'd make a mistake or doing something right, he'd either correct me or be really passionate in any type of feedback he gives."

Those relationships were key in keeping Kilbane a Wildcat after head coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired in July.

"I felt like I had a good relationship with Coach Smith and Coach Braun," he said on why he stayed when others left. "I really feel like, even though I was only there for a month or so when everything went down, I already had a pretty good attachment to the team.

"I have a lot of good friends here. I had conversations with my family and I still feel that despite everything that happened, I felt like this is still where I wanted to be."

Three months after the portal window closed, Kilbane is now a key cog up front and his scout-team teammates couldn't be happier.

"A lot of the guys were super-hyped up for me," he said. "It felt good because we're on the scout team, all the young guys, and we're working every day to try and get better, to try and make our team better.

"For us to be able to do that on Saturday, with me and some other guys who were able to play, it was just a cool feeling."

With no public timeline for Hagarty's return to the lineup, Kilbane will likely see more action against Iowa on Saturday at Wrigley Field. Then, coaches will have a decision to make.

Kilbane’s breakout, three-hurry performance against Maryland was his third game of his freshman season. He had two sparing performances earlier: three snaps against Howard and nine against Nebraska, per PFF.

Those two early games, which Braun and Smith likely identified as good chances to give Kilbane a quick taste of the action, now might make the coaching staff wince. If he plays on Saturday, he will reach the four-game threshold for his redshirt.

With a potential bowl berth in play, with the Wildcats at 4-4 with four games to go, coaches will need to decide on if they'll burn Kilbane's first year of eligibility.

"I think the goal is everyone's healthy, then we would like to keep my redshirt year, if possible," he said. "So I would play in one more game, then sit out the rest of the year.

"If I need to [continue to] step in, then I think it's a conversation I'd need to have with my coaches and my family to see what would be best for my future."

Whether you see Kilbane for one more game this season, or for four or more, there's no doubt that his future is bright in Evanston.