When the 'Cats take the field in the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday, they'll be without several of their top contributors.

According to the pregame Big Ten Availability Report, edge rusher Anto Saka, running back Joseph Himon II and safety Damon Walters are all out for Northwestern's bowl game against Central Michigan. The team did not have any opt-outs related to the transfer portal or NFL Draft, so all three absences are due to injury.

Saka and Himon both travelled with the team, but will not play due to lower-body injuries. Himon's ankle was rolled up on during Northwestern's opening drive at Illinois as the result of a hip-drop tackle, while Saka did not previously have an injury designation.

Walters battled injury throughout his redshirt sophomore season. After starting the final five games last year, Walters has been inactive for all but three contests this season.

Himon is the second-leading rusher on the Wildcats behind Caleb Komolafe, who will play Friday after missing the regular season finale. The versatile running back went for 486 yards and a touchdown on 99 carries this year, also adding 21 catches for 118 receiving yards.

Saka has been a game-wrecker for the 'Cats. In 11 games, the edge rusher tallied three sacks, four tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Notable absences from Northwestern's injury report are Komolafe and edge rusher Aidan Hubbard. Komolafe was a surprising inactive against Illinois, but still leads NU with 886 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Hubbard, who missed the last two games, has a team-high 4.5 sacks and five quarterback hits. The senior also ranks second among the Wildcats with seven tackles-for-loss.

How to Watch the GameAbove Sports Bowl

Northwestern Wildcats (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) vs. Central Michigan Chippewas (7-5, 5-3 MAC)
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT on Friday, December 26, 2025
Location: Ford Field | Detroit, Michigan
TV: ESPN | Announcers: Matt Schumacker (Play-By-Play), Dustin Fox (Color), Ashley Stroehlein (Sideline)
Radio: WGN Radio 720 AM | Announcers: Dave Eanet (Play-By-Play), Ted Albrecht (Color), Jake Saunders (Sideline)
WNUR Sports: Mixlr | Announcers: Ethan Segall and Adam Beck
Line: Northwestern -10.5, Over/Under 42.5

NorthwesternRoundtable Game Predictions

Gavin Dorsey: Northwestern 41, Central Michigan 17

Everyone is projecting this to be a physical, ground-and-pound game on both sides. I wouldn't be surprised if this starts as a 17-10 game at the half, but Northwestern should pull away and win big for its sixth consecutive bowl game victory.

Caleb Komolafe is back. Northwestern is frustrated with how the season ended at Illinois. Zero players are opting out of the bowl game to enter the transfer portal or prepare for the NFL Draft. David Braun-led teams have always seemed to win the games they're supposed to. This is the perfect storm for Northwestern, and although I acknowledge that the transitive property doesn't actually mean anything in sports, a common opponent in Michigan shows just how vast the talent disparity is. The same Wolverines team that defeated Northwestern on a last-second field goal at Wrigley Field demolished the Chippewas, 63-3.

Ryan Cole: Northwestern 35, Central Michigan 14

I think Northwestern makes a statement in this bowl game. The statement? "We were a better team this year than our record suggests, and we should have been playing a higher quality opponent in a bigger bowl." The only way to prove that is to win big, and I think that’s exactly what will happen today. 

Sure, Preston Stone played poorly last time we saw him against Illinois. But if there’s one thing we can absolutely trust about Stone, it’s that he’s a competitor. Northwestern — even if he’s only been here for a season — clearly means a lot to him, and I think he’s going to be motivated to finish on a high note. I expect a rejuvenated Stone after some time to reflect and recover since that Illinois loss. I also think the rushing attack thrives behind an offensive line that’s been dominant all season. Those two things combined, along with the fact that Central Michigan isn’t a Power Four opponent, lead me to believe that Northwestern’s offense will have a lot of success. Give me the Wildcats to win this game, and I don’t think it will be a stressful fourth quarter.