After eight Wildcats announced their intention to leave the program since the end of the season, Northwestern finally has a player coming in.
Wendell Davis Jr. announced on Monday that he would transfer to Northwestern. The former Pittsburgh linebacker is a grad transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.
It makes sense that Davis is the Wildcats' first incoming transfer. He said that Northwestern was one of the first schools to reach out to him when he left the Pitt program in late October.
Davis said that, after three productive years at Pitt, he is ready for "a different challenge" and thinks he's found it at Northwestern.
"I've had a good three and a half years in the ACC," said Davis. "I played a lot of ball and played in some great games. But I'm excited to play at Northwestern, in the Big Ten. It's a linebacker-heavy league and they play a great schedule. They're only a year removed from playing in the Big Ten championship."
Davis will graduate from Pittsburgh with a degree in media and professional communications next week. He will start classes at Northwestern in the spring quarter, in March, about halfway through spring practice.
A 6-foot-2, 240-pounder, Davis hopes to make an impact in a linebacker corps that could use a boost next season. The Wildcats lost two starters to graduation in Chris Bergin and Peter McIntyre, as well as backup Jaylen Rivers, who is one of the players transferring out of the program. On top of that, the unit often struggled as part of a defense that finished last in the Big Ten and 119th in the nation against the run, allowing 213.3 yards per game.
Davis played the Mike, or middle, linebacker position, at Pitt but Northwestern coaches think he could also play the Will, or weakside, spot for the Wildcats.
"One of the things they liked about me was that I'm the guy out there making calls," said Davis. "I can be an on-the-field leader and bring physicality. I can run, too."
Davis had 44 tackles, 5 TFL and 2 sacks in his career at Pittsburgh, where he played for Panther defensive coordinator Randy Bates, a former linebackers coach at Northwestern. He started the first two games in 2020 before suffering an injury that ended his season. He played in eight games this season, starting six, and collected 27 tackles, 3.5 TFL and a sack.
Davis's last game was against Miami on Oct. 30. He announced his intention to transfer just a few days later.
"Thanks for all the folks reaching out. Unfortunately I’ve decided to move on but I’ll be a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh in a few weeks. Nothing bad here, not a selfish move. Those involved know the truth. Absolutely love my teammates and I hope they win the ACC!," he said in a Nov. 3 tweet.
Pitt went on to do just that. The No. 12 Panthers captured the ACC title and will play in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl against Michigan State.
Davis, a Richmond, Va. native, said that Northwestern was one of the first schools to contact him after his decommitment. He took an official visit to Evanston last weekend and was impressed by what he saw.
"The facilities were great, and it's a great school in a great city," he said.
One of the things that appealed the most about Northwestern to Davis is the program's coaching staff. He likes that linebackers coach Tim McGarigle and head coach Pat Fitzgerald are two of the best to ever play the position for the Wildcats, and that defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil has NFL experience.
"Coach Fitz really made a great impression on me," said Davis. "I like that [Fitzgerald and McGarigle] are both former linebackers. [O'Neil] is a former pro coordinator. It's a defense-heavy staff and I'm excited to learn what they have to share."
Davis has NFL bloodlines. His father, Wendell Davis Sr., was a tight end and fullback in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers and in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos after a collegiate career at Temple.
Davis says he's also looking forward to what Northwestern offers off the field.
"Chicago is a big city, and I can meet people and make connections to help me in life after football," he said.
Davis describes himself as a player who will work hard and represent the school and the program well in everything he does.
"I'm going to come in humble, and I expect to earn everything I get," said Davis. "I can make plays and be an impact player on the team."
Coming off of a season that saw the Wildcats finish 3-9 and tumble from first place to last place in the Big Ten West, Northwestern fans can't ask for anything more.
