Freshman LB Justin Cryer became the second Northwestern player to enter the transfer portal in the aftermath of head coach Pat Fitzgerald's firing.
Cryer was preceded by Nigel Glover, a fellow member of Northwestern's Class of 2023. That class was the highest-ranked of Fitzgerald's 17-year tenure, but now has lost two of its defensive linchpins before they even hit their first fall camp.
Cryer was a three-star linebackern and the 35th best player at his position in 2023. He chose Northwestern over offers from Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia Tech and more.
Notably, Cryer stuck with Northwestern even after his cousin, four-star defensive end Ashton Porter, decommitted from the Wildcat program last October. Porter eventually signed with Oregon.
Now that Northwestern has had Cryer and Glover enter the portal, they stand to lose both of their linebackers from the incoming freshman recruiting class should they both wind up with other program.
