UCLA is just weeks away from joining the Big Ten. After 96 years and 123 national championships in the Pac-12, the Bruins are at the forefront of the Big Ten’s West Coast expansion. Prior to UCLA’s official move, Daily Bruin Sports will preview football, basketball and other top programs of each school.

Football
2023 record: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten
Coach: David Braun

Beginning.

In 2021, Northwestern football went 3-9 and had its worst season since 1993.

A year later, the Wildcats reached their lowest point since the program went winless in 1989.

A 1-11 finish and a hazing incident within the team resulted in the dismissal of former linebacker and then-head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Despite the troughs facing the Wildcats, the peaks were just on the horizon.

In November, David Braun was appointed to take the team’s helm after serving as interim coach since July 2023.

Braun led Northwestern to an 8-5 record – the program’s best since 2020 – and a SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl victory over Utah.

While the expansion of the College Football Playoff format gives the Wildcats their best chance of reaching their first playoff, inconsistency at the quarterback position may prove to be a challenge.

Last season, quarterback Ben Bryant led Northwestern under center, contributing 13 passing touchdowns and 1,807 passing yards along with four rushing touchdowns. With Bryant’s departure and former backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan’s transfer, the mantle could fall under incoming transfer Mike Wright, veteran Ryan Hilinski or redshirt sophomore Jack Lausch to take over signal-calling duties.

In 2023, Lausch and Hilinski served as backups to Bryant and Sullivan – combining for just seven pass attempts and four completions last season. Wright was a starter in three games at Mississippi State last season and notched 453 passing yards, 324 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. He also led the Bulldogs to their lone SEC victory in 2023 over Arkansas.

Despite the ambiguity at quarterback, the Wildcat offense will be powered by a three-headed serpent of graduate students in running back Cam Porter and wide receivers Bryce Kirtz and A.J. Henning.

Porter led Northwestern’s backfield with 618 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns last season, while Kirtz finished with 701 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns – the second-best Wildcat in both categories. Similarly, Henning added 418 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

If Northwestern wants to continue to contend, its offensive veterans need to produce.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats are returning their top three sack leaders from 2023. Defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard leads the pack and contributed six sacks to tie for the 10th most in the Big Ten. The Cleveland local also added 8.5 tackles for loss and 27 tackles on the year.

Northwestern’s No. 2 sack-getter, defensive lineman Anto Saka, notched 5.5 sacks along with a forced fumble in 2023. Linebacker Xander Mueller rounds out the returning trio after adding five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in 2023 alongside 110 tackles for the conference’s fourth-most.

While offense could be pivotal for glory through 2024, Northwestern’s appearance in December may hinge on its defense.

Men’s basketball
2023-2024 record: 22-12, Big Ten 12-8
Coach: Chris Collins

Building.

In his 11 seasons at the helm, head coach Chris Collins has helped Northwestern men’s basketball reach new peaks.

Five straight losing seasons from 2017 to 2021 culminated in Collins’ revolution of the program, which notched a 22-12 record in the last two seasons.

The 2022-2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year is also responsible for bringing the Wildcats to all three of their NCAA tournaments in program history in 2017, 2023 and 2024.

Replicating last year’s success will require compensation from the departure of Boo Buie, an All-Big Ten First Team selection.

The Albany, New York, local averaged 19 points last season and finished his career with 2,187 points, 618 assists and 143 steals.

Despite Buie’s departure, the squad will see the return of three of its top scorers in guards Brooks Barnhizer and Ty Berry and forward Nick Martinelli.

Barnhizer – the second-leading scorer, behind Buie – finished the 2023-2024 season averaging 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds and shot an efficient 43% from the field. Berry averaged 11.6 points on 44.9% from the field and 43.3% from the three, while Martinelli averaged 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Northwestern also picked up graduate student Keenan Fitzmorris from the transfer portal. The veteran averaged 10.9 points and 4.4 rebounds for Stony Brook last season and led the team with 37 blocked shots.

Although the Wildcats will only lose Buie to the portal, their incoming recruiting class’s No. 108 ranking – per 247Sports – may struggle to compensate for the loss.

Softball
2024 record: 35-13, 19-3 Big Ten
Coach: Kate Drohan

Built.

Head coach Kate Drohan has established a winning legacy of winning for Northwestern softball in her 22 seasons with the Wildcats.

Drohan has accumulated a 745-413-1 record and led the program to six NCAA regional victories, as well as 15 Women’s College World Series appearances.

The program that Drohan has built alongside her twin sister, associate head coach Caryl Drohan, has proved to be an established power in the Big Ten. In the last six seasons, the Wildcats have gone a combined 213-87 under the Drohans.

Even with the expansion of the Big Ten, resulting in the entrance of Pac-12 powerhouses Washington and UCLA, Northwestern’s revered stature will remain because of its returning offensive prowess.

Infielder Kansas Robinson may prove crucial for the Wildcats, as she led the team in batting average, OPS and home runs last season with .383, 1.191 and 11, respectively. The squad will keep Kelsey Nader – the other half of the rising junior tandem – who boasted a .375 batting average and eight home runs. Power hitter Emma Raye will be a vital piece on offense after notching 10 home runs in the 2024 season.

The Wildcats’ hitting components are there – but their pitching, or lack thereof, may create gaping holes in the team’s puzzle.

The Wildcats will enter the 2025 season without ace Ashley Miller, who notched a 17-6 record along with a 1.58 ERA and 169 strikeouts.

Instead, they will turn to the rising sophomore pitching tandem of Renae Cunningham and Riley Grudzielanek to replace Miller’s production. Cunningham is on the heels of a 6-2 record and 3.39 ERA, while Grudzielanek notched an 8-2 record with a 3.46 ERA. But the duo has struggled to punch out hitters – only striking out a combined 53 batters.

If not supplemented by defensive consistency, Northwestern’s performance on the plate may not suffice for the glory it wants next year.