Is Ryan Boe the Starting Quarterback of Northwestern's Future?

Since Clayton Thorson's graduation in 2018, Northwestern's offense has lived and died by the transfer quarterback. Portal successes like Peyton Ramsey and Ben Bryant resulted in winning seasons, while the offense sputtered out with Hunter Johnson, Ryan Hilinski and Mike Wright under center. Preston Stone, whose highs and lows have brought Northwestern to a 6-6 record, has fallen somewhere in between.

Northwestern will have a new starting quarterback in Week 1 for the seventh consecutive season in 2026, and the current favorite is already in the building. All signs are pointing toward Ryan Boe earning the nod next fall, as head coach David Braun has been incredibly complimentary of the redshirt freshman's development.

But as Braun knows, Big Ten experience matters. Casting Boe into the fire without a seasoned passer as a contingency plan could result in a repeat of 2024, and Braun seems like he's learned his lesson from the 4-8 campaign. Northwestern will undoubtedly sign a transfer quarterback this winter, but the program's confidence in Boe is evident.

"Ryan Boe is someone that this program really believes in, and believes that Ryan Boe is a starting caliber winner in the Big Ten," Braun said during his press conference on December 7. "Can't be more excited about Ryan Boe being with us next year. Also, [there's] an understanding that, in the Big Ten, you don't have to look far to recognize that you better have two, if not three, quarterbacks in your program that you believe can step into the Big Ten arena on the road and help you go win a football game."

The Batavia, Illinois, native is lacking reps in one of the nation's premier conferences, and that cannot be ignored. While Braun and Zach Lujan gave Boe some unique packages throughout the year, they often resulted in rushes and didn't provide much opportunity for him to find a passing rhythm.

In six appearances this fall, Boe completed one of his three passes for seven yards. He also carried the ball 10 times for 112 yards, including a 58-yard rushing touchdown against Western Illinois that featured a vicious stiff-arm. Boe was thrown into the deep end during the 2024 season finale vs. Illinois, but went 4-for-13 with 42 yards and a pick.

Still, Braun's belief in Boe as a viable long-term quarterback has been unwavering. 

"If we have to evaluate and look at bringing in a so-called more experienced quarterback, that's something that we have to evaluate for the best of our program, our quarterback room," Braun added. "Ultimately, Ryan Boe wants that too. He wants to have a competitive room where he feels like, at the end of the day, if he got a little dinged up and couldn't finish out a game in the third and fourth quarter, and we've got someone that can go win us a football game... There's no doubt in our mind that Ryan Boe is someone that can help us win a Big Ten Championship."

Friday's GameAbove Sports Bowl against Central Michigan will provide a great opportunity for Northwestern to see the talent it already has in-house. Braun's teams have gone a combined 7-3 against non-Big Ten teams during his three years in Evanston, and if the Wildcats handle the Chippewas quickly, Northwestern's reserves could see extended playing time and meaningful snaps.

Stone will start in his final collegiate game, but Braun has already confirmed that Boe will receive "plenty of reps," as well as true freshman passer Marcus Romain. Whether they play a few snaps or a few series,  their performances will be a key factor in determining if Northwestern's long-term quarterback is already in Evanston.