Northwestern is welcoming its third transfer this offseason.
A hallmark of successful Northwestern defenses in recent seasons has been its linebacker rooms. From Bryce Gallagher to Xander Mueller to Mac Uihlein, the 'Cats have always had solid backers patrolling the middle of the field.
Now, with Uihlein officially out of the fold and the days of Gallagher and Mueller firmly in the rear-view, Northwestern needed someone to pair with Braydon Brus for next year's 2026 team. Early in the offseason, it appears they've found a leading candidate through the transfer portal.
Kobie McKinzie, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma, is officially headed to Evanston, according to a post to X from On3 reporter Hayes Fawcett. McKinzie started seven games for the Sooners last season en route to the college football playoff, but he lost his spot towards the end of the year.
This is a big get for Northwestern, though, bringing in a player who has experience playing at the highest levels of college football and a history of production at one of the biggest football schools in the country.
With the Sooners, McKinzie totaled 84 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4 passes defended throughout three seasons on the field. In 2025, he had 6.5 TFLs, a number that would have been huge for Northwestern if he'd already been in Evanston.
McKinzie's recruitment is also another example of Northwestern putting its money where its mouth is. Head coach David Braun spoke often this season about his goal of competing for Big Ten championships. So far, this offseason has felt different than others.
The 'Cats first brought in Chip Kelly to be their offensive coordinator, a swing for the fences on a 3-0 count nobody was expecting. Now, they're hitting the portal, and getting a player like McKinzie is a strong start -- they addressed a need, and they did so with a proven talent from a power conference.
Granted, McKinzie is a one-season solution. Northwestern will need to continue adding to the position group via the portal and in high school recruiting to ensure its competency in future years. But college football is becoming as season-to-season as it's ever been, and it makes sense to push hard when you feel like you have a lot of returning talent.
According to Braun, it sounds like the 'Cats expect a majority of the 2025 roster to be back. But Uihlein was out of eligibility, and McKinzie should help minimize the impact of losing him.
He's also a defensive player, a reminder that just because Northwestern is trying to invest on the offensive side of the ball, that doesn't mean it's forgotten about its defensive identity. Hopefully, Kelly will make a difference, but NU will need to continue to field a competitive defense if it wants to have success in a stacked Big Ten.