Did the Wildcats recruit the right players in the transfer portal?
Northwestern revamped its roster in the transfer portal last month, resulting in the largest incoming class in program history. David Braun and Christian Sarkisian filled holes at nearly every position on the roster, though the level of overall talent added has drawn some skepticism.
On the offensive side of the ball, the 'Cats brought in several transfers from Power Four programs, including quarterback Aidan Chiles (Michigan State), running back Gavin Sawchuk (Florida State) and offensive linemen Grant Seagren (Oklahoma State) and Arkel Anugwom (Alabama). Along with the addition of Chip Kelly, it's easy to see how this Northwestern offense can be better than years past.
Braun strengthened the defense as well with linebacker Kobie McKinzie (Oklahoma) and edge rushers Jamaal Johnson (UCF) and Dominic Kirks (Ohio State).
The Athletic's Manny Navarro graded the incoming transfer portal classes of all 18 Big Ten teams, and despite addressing every position of need outside of wide receiver, the Wildcats were given a measly C+.
"David Braun hasn’t strayed from his approach of taking more high school recruits than transfers, but the number of portal additions has increased to the point where it’s closer to a 60-40 split than 75-25 as was the case in his first two years on the job," Navarro wrote. "Chiles, [Alex] Honig, Seagren and McKinzie should all step into key roles. But it’s tough to project marked improvement because none of the additions are exceptional. Chiles is 8-12 as a starter."
Michigan State's Aidan Chiles warms up before the football game against Western Michigan on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in East Lansing.Northwestern's C+ grade ranks tied for 12th in the Big Ten, ahead of only Illinois (C), Washington (C), Rutgers (C-), Maryland (D+) and Michigan State (D+).
While it's true that none of the incoming additions are "exceptional," as Navarro says, Northwestern is not the type of glamour program that can attract five-star talent yet. The Wildcats' model for success has always been to develop underrecruited players and retain them, and Northwestern did that this cycle.
Running back Caleb Komolafe, wide receiver Griffin Wilde and left guard Ezomo Oratokhai are all returning to Evanston after starring for the 'Cats on offense. The other side of the ball will be highlighted by defensive lineman Michael Kilbane, linebacker Braydon Brus and safety Robert Fitzgerald as leaders in all three levels of the defense.
The context behind Northwestern's additions shows that many of them are complementary to the Wildcats' existing roster, while largely following that same model. Sure, they were able to get Power Four starters like Chiles, Sawchuk, McKinzie and Seagren, but a large chunk of NU's 16 incoming transfers are lower-level players that Braun is betting on their upside.
Time will tell if the Wildcats added the correct transfers, but for now, Northwestern's roster appears prepared for another bowl-caliber season.