Chip Kelly Gives Latest Update on Northwestern QB Competition

Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly isn’t ready to name a starting quarterback, and he doesn’t appear to be in a rush to do so.

With 19 days remaining until the Wildcats open the 2026 season against South Dakota State, Aidan Chiles, Ryan Boe and Nicco Marchiol are currently leading Northwestern’s quarterback competition.

“They’re competing,” Kelly said. “We’ve been at it. We’ve got 19 days to the first game, so they’re going back and forth.”

Kelly acknowledged that the competition can have its ups and downs throughout camp, but he is comfortable allowing the three quarterbacks to continue competing for the job.

Chiles brings experience after playing at Michigan State, while Boe has also seen some collegiate action. Marchiol enters the competition with the most experience of the group, having made more than 20 career starts.

For Kelly, however, the number of career starts or preseason expectations aren’t going to determine who ultimately wins the job.

Instead, he wants the competition to develop naturally.

Kelly has been through plenty of quarterback competitions throughout his coaching career, but he isn’t interested in forcing a decision before the players have had the opportunity to separate themselves.

“I think they all happen organically, and they express themselves that way,” Kelly said.

That means the Wildcats’ quarterbacks are being evaluated on a daily basis.

Kelly pointed to everything from seven-on-seven work and team periods to one-on-one throws, accuracy and decision-making as opportunities for each quarterback to show improvement.

Rather than worrying about who is ahead on the depth chart, Kelly wants the quarterbacks focused on becoming better players.

“How do I get better?” is the mentality he wants throughout the competition.

That approach also means Northwestern is making sure all three quarterbacks receive meaningful opportunities.

“I’m not really concerned about who’s taking what reps right now,” Kelly said. “We’re just making sure we get maximum reps, and we can teach all of our reps.”

For Chiles, Boe and Marchiol, that creates an opportunity to continue learning Kelly’s offense while competing for one of the most important positions on the team.

With nearly three weeks remaining before the season opener, Kelly has time to evaluate how each quarterback handles the continued competition.

The Wildcats will also have preseason practices and their opening stretch of the season to determine which quarterback is best equipped to lead the offense.

The lack of a decision doesn’t appear to concern Kelly. Instead, he believes the daily competition will eventually make it clear who should take the first snap against South Dakota State.

That could benefit Northwestern regardless of who ultimately wins the job.

Each quarterback is receiving opportunities to work within Kelly’s system, while the coaching staff gets more chances to evaluate their accuracy, reads, decision-making and overall command of the offense.

For now, Chiles, Boe and Marchiol remain in the mix.

Kelly isn't focused on forcing an answer. He's focused on making sure Northwestern gets the most out of the competition before the Wildcats have to make a decision.

With 19 days remaining until South Dakota State, the quarterback battle remains one of the biggest storylines to watch throughout the rest of fall camp.