Quarterback Brendan Sullivan enters the transfer portal

In a stunning move, Brendan Sullivan, Northwestern's presumptive starter at quarterback heading into the 2024 season, announced on Tuesday morning that he will be entering the transfer portal.

The Wildcats were expected to bring in a veteran quarterback to start or, at the very least, compete with Sullivan for the No. 1 job. Now, that addition seems like a necessity.

Sullivan, a senior, went 2-2 as a starter in 2023, notably leading the Wildcats to a 33-27 win over Maryland with a career-high 265 passing yards and two touchdowns. He lost battles for the starting job to Ryan Hilinski in 2022 and Ben Bryant in 2023, but was the clear favorite for the starting job in 2024.

However, Northwestern has started a transfer quarterback in Week 1 of every season since 2018, so maybe Sullivan saw the writing on the wall that he would again be the odd man out.

Sullivan, who appeared in 12 games for the Wildcats over the last two seasons, just completed his first spring practice under new offensive coordinator Zach Lujan. Lujan favored more athletic quarterbacks during his tenure at South Dakota State, so Sullivan's decision could be a sign that he was not a good fit for Lujan's system.

Junior Jack Lausch, more of a true dual-threat quarterback, is now the presumptive starter on the roster. He has played the Wildcat role the last two years as a change-of-pace, running quarterback. He has just 78 passing yards in 10 games over the last two years.

Speculation now turns to what quarterback Northwestern will bring in through the portal. Mark Gronowski, who won the last two FCS national championships running Lujan's system at South Dakota State, figures to be the No. 1 target. However, he went through spring practice with the Jackrabbits and has given no hints about his intentions.

Sullivan was recruited to Northwestern in the Class of 2021 as a three-star recruit from Davison (Mich.) by previous offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, who was dismissed in December after the team's Las Vegas Bowl victory. Sullivan committed to Northwestern over 13 other offers, including Indiana. He leaves with two years of eligibility remaining.

For his career, Sullivan played in 13 games and threw for 1,303 yards, with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.