Northwestern has been cursed with turbulent quarterback play in recent years. But even with the equivalent of a roller coaster ride under center for the last half-decade, almost nobody could’ve predicted the trainwreck that befell the Wildcats’ new starting passer in the 2025 season-opener.
Preston Stone came to Evanston as one of the most accomplished transfers in program history, following a four-year career at SMU in which he posted a 13-3 record as a starter. A two-time captain with the Mustangs, Stone threw for 3,197 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023 before losing the quarterback competition to Kevin Jennings — a likely Heisman contender — a year later.
Northwestern’s Week 1 starting quarterback did not resemble the same Preston Stone that Wildcat fans saw at SMU. In a 23-3 loss to the Tulane Green Wave on Saturday, the graduate transfer turned the ball over five times, including a career-high four interceptions. Over four seasons in Dallas, Stone threw just eight picks total.
Stone’s Northwestern debut came with a stat line of 19-for-36 passing, 162 yards, four picks and two fumbles (one lost). Among 19 collegiate outings with five or more pass attempts, Stone’s 4.5 yards per attempt and 68.1 passer rating against Tulane were each the lowest single-game marks of his career.
Coming off a 4-8 season, Northwestern had many question marks on the roster. Quarterback did not appear to be one after the ‘Cats landed Stone in the portal, and his teammates and coaches spent much of the offseason giving praise to the presumptive starting passer.
But after the shaky start to his 2025 campaign, the pressure is on Stone to perform. The Wildcats and head coach David Braun largely hinged their season on Stone’s success, and with Northwestern owning one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, there’s not a lot of time for Stone to try and find his rhythm.
Friday’s bout with Western Illinois is a prime opportunity for a get-back game, but the No. 6 Oregon Ducks come to town just eight days later. Failure for Stone to gain momentum against an FCS opponent could be detrimental to the Wildcats’ season, which also includes contests against No. 2 Penn State, No. 11 Illinois and No. 15 Michigan.
The beacon of hope, despite the disastrous season-opener, is that Northwestern similarly rallied the last time it lost in Week 1 with a graduate transfer at quarterback. In 2023, the Wildcats were thoroughly dismantled in a 24-7 loss to Rutgers to begin the year, but finished the season 8-5 with a victory over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Quarterback Ben Bryant struggled mightily in the season-opener against the Scarlet Knights with 169 yards, two interceptions and five sacks taken, but he rebounded well to end the year on a four-game winning streak. The ‘Cats finished second in the Big Ten West and Bryant was eventually named the Offensive MVP in Northwestern’s bowl game win.
The clock isn’t ticking on Stone, as the captain still appears to have the belief of his teammates and coaching staff. However, there may not be a better opportunity for Stone to get in a groove than Friday night against the Leathernecks.