Notebook: Northwestern looks ahead after Fitz settlement, tightens position battles

Head coach David Braun is focused on Northwestern’s season opener at Tulane on Saturday, so he’s glad that former head coach Pat Fitzgerald‘s lawsuit against the university was settled last week and is a thing of the past.

“I think it’s good for all parties,” Braun said. “It’s an opportunity to look to the future. That’s where my focus is and our team’s focus is. We’re making sure we’re positioned for a great day on Saturday.”

Braun has been in an awkward position, going from defensive coordinator to interim head coach to full-time head coach within a few months back in the fall of 2023, all while maintaining a relationship with Fitzgerald, the man he replaced — who also happened to be suing Braun’s bosses for wrongful termination.

Braun disclosed that he has been in contact with his former boss since Fitzgerald was fired in July in the wake of a hazing scandal within the football program.

“I’ve been really open about the fact that Coach is someone that I’ve stayed in touch with,” Braun said. “I’ll keep those conversations between [us], but I’m excited for Coach, that this is an opportunity for him to move forward. I wish him nothing but the best.”

Right tackle battle tightens up

A week ago, Braun listed three options at right tackle, the last position up for grabs on the Week 1 offensive line. Seventh-year Liberty transfer Xavior Gray, sixth-year Minnesota transfer Martes Lewis and homegrown redshirt junior Deuce McGuire were battling for the No. 1 job.

On Monday, Braun raised a few eyebrows when he said that the battle is now down to McGuire and Lewis. That’s surprising because Gray, a 6-foot-8, 340-pound tackle, was one of the program’s most touted transfers, a First Team All-Conference USA selection for Liberty last season.

“I think Deuce McGuire and Martes Lewis both show a lot of promise,” Braun said. “I’m excited about both of those guys and the lack of clarity is a reflection that both those guys are doing some really good things right now.”

Braun added that Gray “is going to play a lot of football for us” but emphasized that right tackle for the opener against Tulane will be one of, or a rotation of McGuire and Lewis.

The tightened position battle at right tackle leaves Northwestern with an outlook on their offensive line that would have been unexpected when fall camp began.

Seventh-year players like Gray and returning center Jack Bailey were presumed starters, with longstanding connections to offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle. They are both now set to be second teamers behind McGuire/Lewis and Jackson Carsello, respectively.

The Wildcats made a series of moves to shore up their offensive line in the transfer portal. They brought in Gray and Lewis, plus projected starting right guard Evan Beerntsen from South Dakota State and redshirt freshman center Talan Chandler from Missouri.

Before fall camp, it was logical to assume that there would be as many as three of the veteran grad transfers would be starting. Instead, there may be just one of them, Beerntsen, in the No. 1 lineup on Saturday.

The Wildcats have gone back to their existing well of talent to start alongside cornerstone left tackle Caleb Tiernan. Ezomo Oratokhai, a redshirt freshman and late addition to the Class of 2024, has won the left guard job after a strong close to the 2024 season. Carsello beat out Bailey for the center job. If McGuire gets the nod over Lewis, rather than a line of four transfers and one recruit, the Wildcats will have flipped the script to four recruits and one transfer.

Tulane and time will tell whether that’s a testament to development, or an indictment of their transfer portal evaluation and acquisition.

Instead, the Wildcats have gone back to their existing well of talent. Ezomo Oratokhai, a redshirt freshman and late addition to the Class of 2024, has won the left guard job after a strong close to the 2024 season. Carsello has beaten out Bailey. If McGuire gets the nod over Lewis, rather than a line of four transfers and one recruit, the Wildcats will have flipped the script to four recruits and one transfer.

Team picks five captains

Northwestern announced last Thursday that the team elected five captains for the 2025 season: running back Cam Porter, defensive tackle Carmine Bastone, linebacker Mac Uihlein, quarterback Preston Stone and left tackle Tiernan.

Porter is the second three-time captain in program history, joining linebacker Paddy Fisher. Bastone is the 20th two-time captain in program history.

Here’s what Braun had to say about each pick:

On Porter and Bastone: “It’s really exciting to see two captains that are repeat captains from last year.”

On Uihlein: “The thing I love about Mac is that, regardless if he had the title or not, he’s going to operate the way that he does. He sets a tone throughout the entire team by being a great example of what the standard looks like.”

On Stone: “Preston arrived just in January, so for him to be voted on by his teammates as a captain, I think that’s a reflection of his leadership and the relationship building that he’s done.”

On Tiernan: “I think it speaks not just to his performance and credibility that he’s built over the course of the last five years, but him really stepping up as a leader over the course of this past offseason. That’s a big deal to have a representative in our captains from the offensive line room. It’s a reflection of the growth that Caleb has made. You can tell by his reaction it meant a lot to him.”

Some shuffling at second safety spot

Another position group that seems to still be under some construction is safety.

Damon Walters is a rising star on the team and Braun heaped praise on his potential. Walters is expected to be an every-down player as the team’s top safety.

“I think the sky is the limit, honestly,” Braun said about Walters. “He is so competitive and prideful, I don’t need to put any additional pressure [on him]. I truly believe he has the ability to become an All-Big Ten caliber player, and he’s going to have the ability to play football far beyond his years in college.”

Next to Walters will be one of two players: Robert Fitzgerald or Garner Wallace. You could definitely see these two split time at Tulane.

“I know with certainty that Damon Walters, Garner Wallace and Robert Fitzgerald will play a ton of football for us this year,” Braun said. “The issue created is, ‘Gosh, how do we find ways to get all three of these guys on the field at the same time?'”

With Michigan State transfer Dillon Tatum expected to start at nickel, the Wildcats are likely to rotate Wallace and Fitzgerald in that second safety spot to get a feel for who can be the consistent starter. They may even try more looks out of the dime package, which puts six defensive backs on the field.