Notebook: Wildcats close out spring practice in front of fans
EVANSTON-Northwestern football wrapped up spring ball with an open practice for fans and media at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium on the lakefront.
The Wildcats ran through their standard sessions by position group and then scrimmaged for about an hour.
Head coach David Braun addressed the crowd, which filled roughly three-quarters of the seats along the sideline.
"It's such an awesome day to celebrate this group of guys, this football team, and what we're building for the 2024 season," he said. "Something that's extra exciting about the day is that where we are is where we'll be playing most of our home games for the next two seasons.
"It's going to be an incredible opportunity for our community, our campus, our students, our student-athletes and their family to put on display what they're all about."
Here are our notes from Saturday morning on the lake:
Transfer quarterback seems needed: It was a blustery day on the shores of Lake Michigan and each Northwestern quarterback struggled with the conditions, as well as cracking the code of an experienced defense.
Some of their struggles can be attributed to the offensive line, which is short staffed, to say the least, going up against a very deep pass rush. It can also be said that the bulk of snaps went to third- and fourth-string players at quarterback, with Jack Lausch and Aidan Gray following brief stints from presumptive starter Brendan Sullivan and backup Ryan Hilinski.
Gray showed promised in some red-zone work, with one dart to Hunter Welcing for a score drawing a round of cheers and daps from his teammates. But he is likely far from contributing as a redshirt freshman.
Lausch continued to showcase his legs to evade pressure, albeit while he was wearing a purple no-contact jersey, but he was unable to power many passes through the winds. He spoke after practice about the team's ability to install new offensive coordinator Zach Lujan's playbook.
"It's been great," Lausch said. "Coach Lujan has been awesome. He's been great at getting guys to play fast, play confident and have a lot of fun playing football...
"I don't know a percentage, but we have a lot of [the system] in. There's only so much you can install in two months, and then there's game plan stuff, but there's a good chunk of stuff we've put in."
Lausch described the difference so far between Lujan and his predecessor, Mike Bajakian.
"I think one thing is it's just a fresh start," he said. "I think new concepts, guys are playing faster. The emphasis on playing fast and playing free, I think that's a big deal."
Sullivan and a few other high-level first team offense players, like running back Cam Porter, took very few snaps. While that is a narrow sample size, Northwestern's next step seem clear: bring in a transfer quarterback to compete for the starting job in 2024.
The winds off of Lake Michigan had an impact, but they, and the Wildcats, won't be going anywhere. Northwestern will be playing a majority of its 2024 home games on the lakefront in a temporary complex constructed around their current practice field. Stands will be constructed on the west, north and south sides of the stadium, but there will be no additional protection from the wind off the lake to the east beyond the existing row of pine trees.
Sullivan and Lujan left practice without speaking to WildcatReport or student reporters. Lausch said he doesn't know if the coaches have talked internally or to Sullivan about the prospect of an incoming transfer, but endorsed the existing room as "great guys."
"We're all great friends," he said. "There are great vibes and those are three great teammates," he said of Sullivan, Gray and Ryan Hilinski.
Injury and personnel updates: In spring practice, Northwestern is under no obligation to release an injury report, but WildcatReport saw five players sitting out in various levels of treatment.
Two players were on scooters with heavy wraps around their ankles/feet: running back Caleb Komolafe and defensive tackle Brendan Flakes. Three players were in Northwestern-branded sweats on the sidelines: guard Jordan Knox, defensive back Damon Walters and defensive end Aidan Hubbard.
Safety Coco Azema was at practice after missing the final three games of the 2023 season due to injury but was wearing a red, no-contact uniform. He took part in live drills sparingly, but so did most of the first-string linebackers and defensive backs.
Theran Johnson, a starting cornerback in 2023, was an excused absence from practice for personal reasons.
Transfer defensive tackle Hank Knez from Dartmouth was practicing in jersey No. 93. Knez, who went to high school at nearby Glenbard West, has joined the Wildcats as a preferred walkon. Flakes, who wore 93 last season, will wear 15, per the spring roster.
Jack Fitzgerald, former head coach Pat's son, continued in his role as a volunteer assistant from last season, helping coaches with drills. He was in a hoodie and is no longer listed on the team's roster.
There were some typical spring practice scraps as intensity boiled over. Reggie Fleurima and Evan Smith, then Frank Covey IV and Cole Shivers had to separated from face-offs filled with shoving and shouting. No punches were thrown and players and coaches seemed to chalk it up to the standard issue of playing against your own team too long.
"It's playing football, it's supposed to be [contentious]," Lausch said with a smile.
Covey seems to be stepping into Henning's role as the third wide receiver. Azema was not involved in contact drills, but the Wildcats project to have a quartet of dangerous returners in him, Henning, running back Joseph Himon II and Bryce Kirtz.
Offensive line's musical chairs are a short-term solution: Northwestern's first-string offensive line looked as if new position coach Bill O'Boyle hit shuffle on his playlist. Caleb Tiernan remained at left tackle, but Nick Herzog was in a left guard, Jackson Carsello moved up to starting center, Josh Thompson moved from right tackle to right guard, and former center Ben Wrather was in at right tackle.
Don't fret at the puzzle pieces just yet, as O'Boyle told WildcatReport in an interview after practice that the lineup above was a short-term solution as they wait for transfers and reinforcements to arrive this summer. They had just eight linemen playing on Saturday.
Northwestern has secured commitments from guard/center Jack Bailey from Colorado and tackle Matt Keeler from Texas Tech, and have three Class of 2024 freshman arriving over the summer. Bailey is a likely starter and Keeler is expected to compete for a tackle spot.
While the offensive line was far from pitching a perfect game, they did give enough daylight for Himon II to show what he can do on a few long runs. The defense was in wrap-up only, but the speedy all-purpose back continues to stand out as an alternative to No. 1 running back Cam Porter next season.
Defensive depth shaping up to be a strong suit: While the offensive line is going through some growing pains, the defensive line is giving no quarter.
This looks to be an exceptionally deep and experienced front four. Sophomore Michael Kilbane and sixth-year graduate Richie Hagarty stood out among the defensive ends in their ability to get into the backfield and wreak havoc.
There is real depth in Northwestern's pass rush, as Kilbane, Hagarty and returning starter Sean McLaughlin are joined by Jaylen Pate, Anto Saka and Hubbard. This is a seasoned group that delighted in giving their teammates on the O line a very long day.
In the middle, the anchors will be Najee Story and Carmine Bastone. Reggie Pearson was in the rotation, along with redshirt freshmen Tyler Gant and Dylan Roberts.
At this point, it's safe to say that the defensive line is far ahead of the offensive line.