The Wildcats secure 6-foot-9 Finnish forward Okku Federiko. He brings significant international and collegiate experience to the roster.
Though the transfer portal officially closed on Tuesday, Northwestern continued its search through the portal's remaining options before finalizing the roster.
Okku Federiko, a 6-foot-9 forward from Drake, committed to Northwestern on Wednesday, as announced on social media and later confirmed by the team. The sophomore will have three years of eligibility remaining. Coming from Helsinki, Finland, Federiko becomes the fourth international player the Wildcats recruited for the 2026-27 season, joining guard Jayden Hodge (Belgium), 7-foot-2 freshman center Symon Ghai (South Sudan) and transfer Luke McEldon (United Kingdom).
The Finnish forward spent his first collegiate season at South Carolina before transferring to Drake for his sophomore campaign. He didn't play any games for the Gamecocks due to his late arrival to campus.
Federiko is the brother of Federiko Federiko, who spent two years at Pittsburgh before finishing his college career with stints at Texas Tech and Texas A&M.
Despite sitting out his freshman year, Federiko entered his second year strong as a Bulldog. He started all 34 games during the 2025-26 season, averaging 8.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks. He recorded double-digit scoring in 14 games, showcasing consistent production. Against Georgia Tech last November, he posted a career-high 20 points with eight rebounds, demonstrating his ability to dominate against quality competition.
Drake’s Okku Federiko (8) looks to the basket after a pair of Drake free throws against Western Illinois on Dec. 2, 2025, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.Before starting his collegiate career in the United States, Federiko was a three-star recruit out of DRIVE Academy. In 11 games during the 2023-24 season at DRIVE Academy, he led the team by averaging 19.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 49.1% from the floor.
Federiko also brings solid international experience from competing with Finland's national team at the youth level. He was the top-ranked Finnish prospect in the 2024 class and averaged a double-double (11.1 points, 7.3 rebounds) per game for his country in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B, helping Finland finish ninth in the tournament.
Federiko's arrival directly addresses Northwestern's need for size and frontcourt depth following the departures of Nick Martinelli, Tyler Kropp and Arrinten Page. With a 6-foot-9, 210-pound size, he provides the physicality and length the 'Cats desperately lacked last season, when they ranked in the bottom three of the Big Ten with just 30.5 rebounds per game.
His ability to block shots also adds rim protection, while his rebounding prowess on both ends should help Northwestern compete on the glass in the rugged Big Ten. His explosiveness on scoring should also give Chris Collins another weapon to deploy alongside other transfer additions and returners.
As Northwestern continues filling out its roster, Federiko's commitment provides another piece to the puzzle of the 'Cats' offseason rebuild.